Polo Driver

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.

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Volkswagen South Africa has finally updated its website to list the new Polo Vivo among its model range. The new entry level Series 4F Polo/Polo Playa-based Volkswagen will, the company says, ‘set new benchmarks in its category for affordability, quality, safety, space and comfort.’ The Polo Vivo’s mission is a very simple one: to make motoring accessible to more South Africans (notably first-time buyers and pensioners, who may well then graduate to the new Polo, natch).

The hatchback and sedan are on sale now with 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre engines, starting at R101 500 for the base-model 1.4. It’s a popular car, too, with demand outstripping supply; Volkswagen South Africa says that 71,500 have been ‘exported’ so far (from a 50,000 target), the highest ever recorded. ‘So much to celebrate’ is the marketing message, and with that in mind, we thought we’d let you know that both wallpapers and a screensaver for your computer desktop are available to herald the Polo Vivo’s arrival. Preview them below and grab them here (click on ‘Wallpapers’).

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We don’t mind admitting that this was a surprise. For 25 years, the entry point into Volkswagen South Africa’s (VWSA) range was the Citi Golf, a heavily revised version of the Series 1 Golf. With the original Golf’s lifespan running from 1974 to 1983, VWSA decided to keep building the car it had been manufacturing locally since 1978, turning it into an inexpensive locally-made affordable base model. The Citi Golf did extremely well and in January 2010, more than a quarter of a century since it was first launched, the final car went on sale. Last week its successor was unveiled and, to be honest, it wasn’t what we were expecting.

The Polo Vivo is the company’s new entry-level car in the affordable A0 segment. Based on a heavily-revised and facelifted Series 4 (9N3) Polo, the newcomer gets a new slimline front grille and sculpted bumpers, all bearing more than a passing resemblance to those fitted to the new fifth-generation (6R) Polo launched in 2009. Other changes include the removal of the side rubbing strips and relocated side repeaters which now sit in the headlamps, moved down from the door mirrors.

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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.

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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.

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