PONTIAC, Mich. – The parking lot that used to host tailgates before Lions games is filling up with vehicles again, and they might be there for awhile.
There are hundreds of cars parked outside the Pontiac Silverdome, and clearly, there's no event or game going on there.
A closer look would show you that the cars are all Volkswagens. But why are they there?
David Tracy, a writer for jalopnik.com, first noticed the hundreds upon hundreds of Volkswagens parked outside the Lions' former home. He posted pictures and videos Tuesday morning.
"About 480,000 of these cars are being bought back or repaired," Tracy said. "You don't realize this scale until you see them parked in a parking lot."
Tracy has been covering Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal for more than a year. He suspected the company was bringing the cars they're buying back to the location.
Volkswagen said they're not going to comment on the specific locations for storage facilities.
Volkswagen released a statement that said, in part:
"Once a buyback transaction is complete, Volkswagen will remove the vehicle from the dealership and store it at a regional facility. These vehicles will be held until it is determined whether an approved emissions modification becomes available."
Tracy is convinced the Silverdome is one such regional facility. He said there's something sad about seeing the cars next to the decaying building.
"It's sad that all of these owners had to give up their cars," Tracy said. "Put it next to the Silverdome, which has its own troubles, especially in this area. It's a sad sight."
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