PoloDriver

The special edition model had played a small part in the Mk 1 Polo’s history, the denim-upholstered Jeans of 1976 and the highly-equipped run-out 1981 LX being the versions of note. But, the arrival of the second-generation Polo in 1981 ushered in a whole new era of special editions which would litter the car’s life from the start until its face-lifted end in 1994.

Arguably the most prolific and the most popular, the Fox arrived 30 years ago in 1984, and was to eventually become a mainstay in the second generation Polo line-up. From special edition to permanent base model, the Fox started life as a unique Polo hatchback, but subsequently appeared as a coupé, both in pre- and post-facelift versions. Here is its story.

POLO FOX
1984: Polo Fox hatchback
The first Polo Fox appeared in June 1984, based on the basic version of the estate car-like Polo hatchback. Marketed with the headline ‘Polo – Fun at a great price. The new Polo Fox.’, it was easy to identify. A choice of two unique colours – Türkisblau and Saimagrün – marked it out as something different.

Both models featured colour-coded steel wheels (white on Türkisblau cars and Saimagrün on Saimagrün versions), special flank and rear hatch ‘Fox’ graphics, while Türkisblau models featured white bumper pinstripes and white badges front and rear. Saimagrün versions meanwhile had Saimagrün rear badges and a similarly-coloured Volkswagen badge on the front grille.

Inside, unique exterior body-coloured padded seats featured imitation leather upholstery and head restraints, and a simple canvas cover for the luggage compartment was fitted. The Fox was powered by the second-generation Polo’s most basic engine, a 1043cc petrol unit, developing 40bhp. The 4.5-inch wheels and 135 SR 13 tyres were driven through a four-speed manual gearbox. Price was DM11.490.

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Rachel Inglis’ 1981 Derby GLS is just one of her many Polo possessions, totally original and with just 21,000 miles on the clock. Neil Birkitt finds out more about the jewel in the crown of Rachel’s Polo collection

It’s not often that you’ll see a Derby; indeed, you won’t even find much written about it. In fact, the model profile in the February 2008 issue of Volkswagen Driver is about the only significant article that we know of. The Derby was the booted version of the Mk 1 Polo, introduced in 1977 as an LS with a 50bhp 1.1-litre engine and later supplemented in 1980 by the 60bhp 1.3 GLS. Although immensely practical, with a boot as big as that of a contemporary Ford Cortina, the Derby was never particularly popular at the time, and the Volkswagen Driver model profile concluded by saying that it is ‘quite rare now and largely forgotten…’

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The mammoth annual classic car event that is Techno Classica Essen, takes place over five days in Essen (no!) in Germany, and 2011’s event from 30 March to 3 April saw, as in previous years, a predictably large Volkswagen Group attendance. As well as official stands from Volkswagen Classic – showing Karmann-based prototypes and vehicles from Osnabrück, including a 1973 Passat, 1974 Scirocco, Series 1 Golf Cabriolet prototype and the premiere of the new Series 6 Golf Cabriolet – Hall 8.1 offered a smattering of VW-brand clubs, and among them, IG Typ 86, and a trio of motorsport Polos. Sebastian Winkler of www.g-lader.info has kindly given us permission to use these photos of the Series 1 Polo track-based wide-arch Polos, and a rally-spec Group H Series 2 Polo G60. More pictures and Sebastian’s HD video of the Techno Classica Essen 2011 event can be found here.

[Images: Sebastian Winkler]

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Volkswagen has launched volkswagen-classic.de, a new website for owners of older VWs. Aiming to offer an ‘exciting and fascinating mix of magazine and interactive community’, visitors to the focused portal will find a selection of unpublished photographs, brand new information and comprehensive facts on Volkswagen history and classic models from 1949 to 1999. All the historical Volkswagen activities will be found at volkswagen-classic.de, from events, car collections/tours and even original part sales. A central part of the new website is the official magazine of Volkswagen Classic, which will appear exclusively online. It offers exclusive stories and features articles about classic Volkswagens. In each issue of the magazine there will be a special theme – the star of the first issue is the Golf Cabriolet.

Each individual model also gets its own profile page, complete with detailed chronology, technical specifications and advertising history. The online community will offer a central online platform, where owners and friends of classic Volkswagens are offered numerous opportunities to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, discuss, and to actively communicate with Volkswagen. Registered users can create a personal profile with which to network; brand and specific model clubs get their own website space to present and promote their vehicles and activities. Professional support is provided, too: the Volkswagen Classic online team, support staff and experts will ‘always be ready to answer discussion questions.’

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To celebrate the launch of the 2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI, PoloDriver.com delves into the archives to trace the history of the performance Polo. In the first issue of a special series of digital mini-magazines, we focus on the Series 1 Polo GT of 1979-1981. Each issue will focus on the history of the sports variants – GT, G40, and GTI – of each Polo generation, culminating in the introduction of the current 1.4-litre 178bhp Polo GTI. Read the first of our performance Polo special issues by clicking on the magazine graphic below, or if you can’t see the preview, visit this link. Head over to the PoloDriver virtual bookshelf for our previous titles covering the fifth-generation Polo range (including the TSI and BlueMotion) and the smallest Volkswagen, the Fox.

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