PoloDriver

Further to the announcement of the start of its celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Polo, Volkswagen has released more details of the cars that will be on its stand at the upcoming Bremen Classic Motorshow, from 31 January to 2 February.

The Oceanic Blue Polo L has already appeared in Volkswagen’s press release announcing that the company is marking five decades of its evergreen supermini, but it will be joined by a rare hillclimbing Polo, dating from 1977. We’re unsure as to whether the car is owned by Volkswagen Classic, but whoever’s car it is, excitingly, it’s an early Polo we’ve not seen before. A racer for around 20 years, the Bali Green motorsport machine underwent a two-year restoration before it took to the track again in 2022 at the Osnabrück hillclimb, an event which forms part of the FIA International Hill Climb Cup.

Touch of menace
Devoid of any massive spoilers, the wheelarch extensions really pop against the Polo’s simple
and beautifully drawn lines. The front air dam adds a touch of menace, while inside, although the flock-covered dashboard is (barely) recognisable as that of a first-generation Polo, the tough-looking roll-cage points to this Polo’s non-road car life. Other nods to motorsport include the 107bhp, 1300cc engine – almost as much as an early Polo Coupé GT G40, and nearly double that of the 1979, 60bhp Polo GT – and a top speed of 94mph (believe us, that’s more than enough in a first-generation Polo!). Its lowered ride height – compare the headlamp heights of it and the standard Polo in the first image – and body addenda also give it a much tougher stance.

In contrast, the Polo L looks delicate and elegant. This car is from 1975, the first year of Polo production, and this is also recognisable by the colour. Restored by Volkswagen Classic for the launch of the sixth-generation Polo in 2017, it is a perfect example of an early model in more deluxe L-specification, which included chrome-plated bumpers, side trim and door insert strips, and VW grille badge, as well as reversing lights, a two-speed fan blower, full carpeting – the basic Polo made do with full rubber matting – and a passenger sun visor. Power came from a four-cylinder, 37bhp 895cc engine. Even with a weight of just 685kg, performance was best described as ‘leisurely’. Top speed was 82mph.

Increased popularity
Launched as the final piece of the new water-cooled Volkswagen jigsaw, the Polo followed the Passat, Scirocco, and Golf to market, although had appeared the year prior to its debut as the Audi 50. While the small Audi died a quiet death in 1978, the Polo’s better sales and increased popularity ensured it lived on, but few could have predicted it would still be here 50 years after it arrived. With more than 20 million sales, it must rank as one of the most popular small cars ever, so it’s very pleasing it will see its time in the spotlight online and at events during 2025.

Both the Oceanic Blue Polo L and the hillclimb Polo will be star attractions on the Volkswagen Classic stand – D08 in Hall 5 – at the Bremen Classic Motorshow from 31 January to 2 February. One of the most important events for classic vehicles at the beginning of the year, the show usually attracts numerous visitors from all over Europe. Around 50,000 visitors are expected to take in the classic car atmosphere this year.

For those not in attendance, we hope that Volkswagen brings the cars out once more. And if you can’t venture to northern Germany next weekend, then Volkswagen has produced a celebratory brochure marking the Polo’s big milestone: download here. Further materials can be found in the Volkswagen Newsroom.