PoloDriver

2015 marks 40 years of the Volkswagen Polo and the German company is celebrating with the launch of a new special limited edition. The Polo ‘Original’ costs from €19,950 and comes in six engine/gearbox variations and features a host of extra kit. Only 1,000 Polo Originals will be built.

Five-door body style
Only available with a five-door body style, the Polo Original features ‘Original’ badging on the front wings and door sill trims, 16-inch ‘Portago’ alloy wheels, a gloss black front grille and LED headlights. Other exterior highlights include body-coloured mirror caps and darkened tail lamps.

Six colours are available: Pure White, Titanium Beige Metallic, Reflex Silver Metallic, Deep Black Pearl Effect, Oryx White Pearl Effect, and the one we’d go for, the fantastic Honey Orange Metallic seen on recent CrossPolos.

One of our favourite features is the houdstooth check seat covering, which our 1978 Polo N shared. In the Polo Original, a ‘truffle’/black combination called ‘Splender’ with ‘truffle’ stitching covers the sports seats with faux-leather side bolsters. Aluminium pedals and a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, handbrake grip and gear lever complete the interior upgrades.

On-board technology includes ‘Climatronic’ air-conditioning, Volkswagen’s ‘Front Assist’ anti-collision system with ‘City Emergency Braking’, a rear-view camera and ‘Colour Composition’ infotainment system with six speakers, USB and media-in inputs, as well as mobile telephone connectivity.

TSI and TDI engines
Engines range from the 1.2-litre TSI petrol in 88 and 103bhp guises, as well as TDI units with the same outputs. All feature BlueMotion Technology. The entry-level Polo Original 88bhp TSI costs €19,950, while the range-topping TDI is €22,500. Volkswagen states that buyers save €1,119 over similarly-equipped cars when all the standard kit is taken into account.

To promote the Polo Original, Volkswagen has released a cheeky film (above) featuring the original Polo, the Mk 1 from 1975. We’ve been lucky to drive the featured car (which is owned by Volkswagen Classic), but not quite like that!

The limited edition Polo Original is available to order now in Germany. For more details, visit the special website, and download the brochure here.

Visitors to the Techno Classica classic car show in Essen, Germany from 15-19 April will see seven very special Polos celebrating four decades of the popular model. Volkswagen Classic will showcase the versatility of the Polo and mark its 40th birthday with a host of special brief talks, guided tours and promotions. The ‘40 years of the Polo’ exhibition will feature landmark Polos from the model’s past, both series and prototype cars.

Noted experts and Polo fans from the VW Polo IG Deutschland e.V. club will give the exhibition extra appeal, with knowledgeable guided tours and brief talks in a specially-designated area. Volkswagen Classic says that subjects talked about will range from the Polo’s model history to its motorsport background, as well as technical highlights such as G-Läder or Formel E versions.

THE TECHNO CLASSICA 2015 POLO EXHIBITS

Polo I, 1975, 0.9-litre, four-cylinder, 40bhp
The original 1975 Polo will be represented by an Oceanic Blue top-of-the-range ‘L’ version. Identifiable by its chrome bumpers and matching side trim, this Polo is extra special, as the paint colour was only available at the car’s introduction. The example on display at Essen will also be fresh from restoration. (Image: Volkswagen Classic)

Polo II hatchback, ‘Eco’ model, 1988, 0.9-litre, two-cylinder, 40bhp
The popular second-generation Polo hatchback will be represented by a special ‘Eco’ model prototype, powered by a 0.9-litre two-cylinder diesel with direct fuel-injection. This maximum-efficiency concept also featured exhaust gas recirculation, a system which opened the clutch and allowed the car to freewheel under its own motional energy, a start–stop system, a G-Läder supercharger, and a semi-automatic five-speed gearbox.

Polo II G40 ‘World Record’, 1985, 1.3-litre, four-cylinder, 129bhp
The only surviving prototype from a team of three, this unique Polo has been loaned by the AutoMuseum Volkswagen Foundation. A second-generation coupé, it was used to present the new G-Läder supercharging technology in impressive style in 1985, during a 24-hour world record attempt on Volkswagen’s own test track in Ehra-Lessien. With an average speed of 208km/h, the then record of 168.6km/h in the 1300cc class was shattered.

Polo IIF G40, 1992, 1.3-litre, four-cylinder, 113bhp
As well as the 1985 prototype endurance record car, a later series production Polo G40 Coupé from 1992 will also take pride of place on the Volkswagen Classic stand. The Windsor Blue car was recently used on the new 2015 Polo GTI press presentation.

Polo III Open Air, 1998, 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, 60bhp
The third-generation Polo is showcased by a special edition ‘Open Air’ model, which featured an electrically operated folding canvas sunroof. Large enough for even the rear passengers to feel the sun, this car is also loaned by the Foundation AutoMuseum Volkswagen.

Polo IV GTI Cabriolet, 2007, 1.8-litre, four-cylinder, 150bhp
The fourth-generation Polo arrived in 2001, but this car is from the refreshed series which debuted in 2005. At the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, this car was on the Karmann stand, as the coachbuilder built the concept car to demonstrate its cabriolet expertise. The sloping line of the closed roof gives the Polo GTI a coupé-like silhouette – with an intricate manoeuvre, the open roof disappears completely under the rear shelf. The glass rear window is raised electrically for unrestricted access to the boot.

Polo V R WRC, 2013, 1.6-litre, four cylinder, 300bhp
The latest fifth-generation Polo is represented in World Rally Championship trim. While a concept was shown in 2011, Volkswagen claimed victory in the very first special stage at the Rally Monte Carlo in the Polo R WRC’s debut season in 2013 with Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. At the end of the season, both the constructor’s and the driver’s and co-driver’s titles had been secured. The Polo R WRC on display in Essen features both the design and technology of the first championship-winning model.

We hope to bring you photos and a report from this amazing Polo get-together. As well as the Essen exhibits, Volkswagen Classic will also feature further Polo celebrations with a comprehensive online special at volkswagen-classic.com with stories, interviews and reports to mark the car’s 40th anniversary.

Volkswagen Classic Parts is currently offering a promotion on selected Polo 86 and 86C parts, with price reductions on chosen lines. Running until 18 December, the selected parts will fit all Polos with type numbers 86 and 86C (Mk 1 and Mk 2 cars – and their facelifted variants – produced from 1975 to 1994). We’ve also been contacted by Andy Gregory of VW Heritage in the UK, who says that the company is the UK partner for Volkswagen Classic Parts, and has access to 40,000 lines, many of which are now obsolete. While full listings for Polos are unavailable, Andy and his team can search by part number to check availability. This facility is also available on VW Heritage’s website – click here to look up your part request.

A 1976 Berg Cup-style Series 1 Polo racer will run at the ADAC 24-hour Classic race tomorrow at the Nürburgring. The wide-arch Polo will contest the 1300cc class at the Nordschleife event, and will be decked out in the latest Polo R WRC livery colours. Driven by the father and son pairing of Herbert and Michael Schmitz, the original Polo will be joined by the ex-Group 4, Oettinger 16V-engined 220bhp Mk 1 Golf GTI which starred at the Wörthersee GTI Festival last year, and a 1981 Group 2 Scirocco. More than 180 vintage and classic cars will fight for race positions and championship points at this year’s ADAC 24-hour Classic, which starts on Friday 18 May at 12.55pm.

Remember Michael Dreisbach’s immaculate Riad Yellow 1977 Polo L that we featured recently? Well, now we’ve got a little more information about the exhibition in which it features. In cooperation with German motoring magazine Auto Bild Klassik and 14 car clubs, AutoMuseum Volkswagen is looking for the ‘Super-VW’, a car which is deemed the best out of 14 historic Volkswagens. And Michael’s stunning early Polo is one of the cars in contention.

From 19 November 2011 until 29 February 2012, visitors to the Dieselstrasse museum can choose their favourite ‘Super-VW’, and the readers of Auto Bild Klassik are also eligible to vote – the 14 competition entrants will be profiled in the 01/2012 issue of the magazine, on sale on 2 December. Both air and water-cooled models are represented and are the most orginal examples of their kind, hand-picked from the clubs taking part in the competition.

Michael Dreisbach’s Polo has provided wedding transport for Michael and his bride Heike (they met while at a Polo show in 2001), and the front passenger seat was removed in order to get the bride’s dress inside comfortably. A short friend then drove the pair to the church! The car was owned by the same lady owner for 30 years, and has never been restored. The full list of ‘Super-VW’s includes: 1945 W Porsche Eigenbau, 1955 Beetle 1200 Cabriolet, 1963 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet, 1971 411 E, 1972 Type 2 ‘Fire’ van, 1972 K70 L, 1974 Passat Variant, 1976 Rabbit, 1976 Beetle 1303 Cabriolet, 1977 ‘Black-White’ Scirocco, 1977 Polo L, 1984 Santana CX, and 2003 Beetle 1600i. We’re heading off to Wolfsburg soon, and so hope to see Michael and Heike’s stunning car for ourselves.