Volkswagen Polo: 50 years celebrated with an exhibition

After the scare, the party begins Volkswagen Polo. Last summer the end of the European commercial adventure for the Wolsburg compact was announced, after 50 years and over 20 million units sold worldwide since 1975. The recent review on Euro 7 regulation However, he averted the danger by suggesting that Volkswagen extend the life of one of its most successful models. The move of production to the South African site of Kariega is confirmed, as is the presence in the European price lists in the near future. There Folk legends Polo it was presented in 1975, a year after the Golf. The intention was to offer every type of option possible for customers Volkswagen remained orphans of Beetle, in a strategy that also included the Passat (1973) for long distances. The Polo soon became an international best-seller, particularly appreciated in Italy where there was no lack of fierce competition, internal in the case of the Fiat 127, or foreign in the case of the girl who is almost the same age Ford Fiesta. To appropriately celebrate 50 years of the Polo, VW Classic will display two versions at Bremen Classic Motorshow, scheduled from January 31 to February 2, 2025: a 1975 Polo L in Oceanic Blue and a 1977 Polo Hill Climb.

birth, evolution and farewell

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The Polo arrived on the Italian and European markets in 1975, as a more accessible alternative to the Audi 50 on which it was based. In 1978 it definitively replaced it, given the greater acclaim that the Polo obtained thanks to more accessible layouts, but substantially similar in content. In the 1981 the second generation was presented, improved in terms of space and performance, while technology and greater safety arrived with the third generation of 1994. The Polo III was in fact one of the first cars in its category to be equipped with an airbag, anticipating by at least five years much of the competition. The first was proposed in 1998 Polo GTI, almost 20 years after the forerunner Polo GT arrived at the end of the Seventies. The Polo Gti it was powered by the 1.6 16V 125 HP engine, for a 0-100 km/h sprint in less than 9 seconds and a top speed of over 200 km/h. In 2002 the fourth generation arrived, equipped with front and side airbags, power steering and ABS as standard, while the 2009 Polo V added infotainment and driver assistance systems. The fifth generation is also linked to the era of success in motorsport with the Polo R Wrcelusive in World Rally Championship given the four titles in a row since 2013, with Sébastien Ogier at the wheel. The 2017 sixth generation benefits from the dynamic and space benefits offered by the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, as well as reaching new standards in terms of technology and connectivity. With the last one restyling In 2021, all the technologies aimed at ensuring comfort and safety have arrived, which are now essential to continue to be a protagonist on our roads, even in the coming years.