Volkswagen celebrates 50 years of the Polo

With more than 20 million units sold worldwide, the Volkswagen Polo has to be considered as a true success model. To kick off its 50^th anniversary, the Volkswagen Classic team has selected two special models from the first Polo generation - a Polo L from 1975 and a hill climb Polo from 1977 - to be exhibited at the Bremen Classic Motorshow, which will run from 31 January 2025 to 2 February 2025.

The 1975 Polo L, cloaked in Oceanic Blue, shows how the foundation was laid for the success story of the Polo (which was only 3.5m long at the time). With a 0.9-litre engine and an output of 29kW (39bhp), the 685kg car boasts a top speed of 132km/h. Its optional L equipment gave the Polo a certain kind of luxury, with side trim strips, two-speed blower, and carpet. In addition, with its large boot lid and folding rear bench seat, the Polo L offers 900 litres of boot space.

The 1977 hill climb Polo received a lengthy overhaul, allowing it to race again for the first time in 2022 at the Osnabruck hill climb race as part of the International Hill Climb Cup

Accompanying the anniversary model is a sportier variant of the iconic model: the hill climb Polo from 1977. The wider and lowered motorsport vehicle was used as a race car for about 20 years. After around two years of restoration, the overhauled model raced again for the first time in 2022 at the Osnabruck hill climb race as part of the International Hill Climb Cup. The one-off model is based on a Polo I in Bali Green, offering an output of 81kW (109bhp) and a top speed of approximately 150km/h, and is also equipped with a shorter gear ratio and a safety-relevant rollover cage for use in racing.

Both cars will be on display at Stand D08 in Hall 5 at the vintage and modern classic car exhibition in northern Germany. This event is one of the most important events for classic vehicles at the start of the year, traditionally attracting numerous attendees from all over Europe, with 50,000 visitors expected this year.