500,000th Polo produced at Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage factory
Volkswagen South Africa celebrated the 500,000th Polo to be produced at its Uitenhage factory on 22 October. The jubilee car – a Flash Red Cross Polo to be shipped to an Austrian customer – was met by a number of dignitaries, including the Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa, Thomas Schaefer.
Sole supplier
‘We have also exported over 390,000 vehicles since 2009, with the Uitenhage plant being the worldwide sole supplier of the Cross Polo derivative which coincidentally is the 500,000th vehicle to be manufactured today,’ commented Schaefer.
‘Since being launched in the South African market in January 2010, the Polo has consistently been the second best-selling passenger model after Polo Vivo. We are extremely proud to reach this milestone as 2015 also marks 40 years since the very first Polo was manufactured in 1975 in Germany,’ he added.
All five-door Polos for right-hand-drive markets including Britain, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand are produced at the Uitenhage plant.
The South African-built Polo built has received notable recognition, including the 2011 South African Car of the Year and 2010/2011 Japanese Import Car of the Year. Uitenhage is scheduled to build over 85,000 Polos this year.
Volkswagen: it is a good company produced the car in Uitenhage and increased the economy to our town. Because if this company was not, the people would not get a job. I like to say to Germany good, well done!