Polo Driver

Climair UK Ltd are the sole agent for Climair wind and rain deflectors, and the Sidcup company has a small number of Polo deflectors for 1994-2000 models that it is offering to PoloDriver.com readers at a significantly reduced price of £27.62, inclusive of carriage and VAT. This special price for a pair of deflectors is not available on the company’s website – the usual price is £59.95 – so if you would like to secure a set, call the dedicated phone line on 020 8308 9649 and quote Polo 282 (part no 1730) when ordering. The offer is available on a first come first served basis due to limited stocks.

Continue Reading

March 1975 marks the start of the Polo story. Thirty-five years ago this month, Volkswagen started production of the Polo in Wolfsburg. Positioned as a less expensive (and essentially rebadged) version of the Audi 50, it kicked off one of Volkswagen’s biggest success stories. Five model generations and over 11 million units later, the latest model is the cleanest, safest and most technological yet, but let’s not forget what events lead up to the Polo’s 2010 incarnation.

Over the next 12 months PoloDriver.com will chronicle the Polo’s life, celebrating all five generations of the model. We’ll profile the cars themselves, look at how they were marketed and sold, as well as post other special articles and features. Over the last thirty-five years there have been hatchbacks, saloons, estates and vans, while official power outputs have ranged from 40 to 180bhp. Polo personalities and flavours meanwhile have ranged from practical workhorse to performance car.

But in all that time, we think the Polo has stayed true to its roots and offered the quality, reliability and style that some of its contemporaries have lacked. There are some who would say it lacks excitement and pizazz, but its winning mix of qualities still endure it to millions of owners, old and new, across the world. Now truly a global car, we think the Polo’s story is one worth telling, so wherever you see content tagged ‘Polo@35’ on PoloDriver.com, you’ll find yourself reading part of that 35-year old tale.

Like to be part of the celebrations? If you have any interesting anecdotes, reminiscences, stories or feature-worthy cars, email us at 35@polodriver.com and help commemorate the Polo’s achievements.

Continue Reading

The UK’s Autocar reports that Volkswagen will is currently contemplating its motorsport future, and, excitingly, a decision to enter the 2012 World Rally Championship (WRC). The company will make a final decision on its motorsport plans later next month, but if the WRC promoters can convince the German giant of the series’ worth, a new 2.0-litre, 200bhp-plus Polo rally car could well be in the offing.

A tarmac or gravel-spec motorsport Polo is nothing new. Volkswagen launched the club-level Volkswagen Polo Rally Challenge in 2001 and officially fielded a Super 1600 version of the Polo GTI around the same time. There were Series 4 Polo-based rally cars, too, with entries in events in South Africa and Europe from 2002. Super 2000 (S2000) Polos were even running in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge as late as year. If WRC participation becomes a reality and the new Polo goes rallying, it will add yet another motorsport string to its bow; the track-based Volkswagen Polo Cup India starts in June.

Now that the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup championship has been replaced by a Scirocco-based series and with the WRC reportedly switching to S2000 cars in 2011, the time could be right for a new motorsport version of the Polo. Autocar states that even Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen thinks a new Polo (or Golf) rally car could be a possibility: ‘If we decided to go with the WRC, my view is that we would need at least a year and a half to prepare, so we would be looking at coming in for 2012,’ he said.

Continue Reading

It can’t have escaped your notice that the Volkswagen Polo celebrates its 35th birthday in 2010. That’s three-and-a-half decades of stylish, premium small car motoring, loaded with awards and so many model variations it’s almost impossible to keep up. That’s thirty-five years of worldwide automotive superstardom (in the latter years at least); from humble beginnings in Europe, the Polo has now become a global car in every sense of the word and in every part of the world.

Here at PoloDriver, we’ll be celebrating all generations of the model, starting at the beginning, with the Polo-derived Audi 50 of 1974 and the Series 1 Polo from 1975. We’ll profile the models themselves, look at how they were marketed and sold, and also see if we can seek out high-quality standard and modified examples. A year-long journey over five generations, if you have any interesting anecdotes, reminiscences, stories or feature-worthy cars, email 35@polodriver.com and we’ll do the rest.

Continue Reading

It can’t have escaped your notice that the Volkswagen Polo celebrates its 35th birthday in 2010. That’s three-and-a-half decades of stylish, premium small car motoring, loaded with awards and so many model variations, it’s almost impossible to keep up. That’s thirty-five years of worldwide automotive superstardom (in the latter years at least); from humble beginnings in Europe, the Polo has now become a global car in every sense of the word and in every part of the world.

Here at PoloDriver, we’ll be celebrating all generations of the model, starting at the beginning, with the Polo-derived Audi 50 of 1974 and the Series 1 Polo from 1975. We’ll profile the models themselves, look at how they were marketed and sold, and also see if we can seek out high-quality standard and modified examples. A year-long journey over five generations, if you have any interesting anecdotes, reminiscences, stories or feature-worthy cars, email 35@polodriver.com and we’ll do the rest.

Continue Reading