PoloDriver

It’s not often gems like this turn up. Currently for sale on autotrader.co.uk is this pristine 1990 Polo Ranger. Totally genuine and unmolested, it may not be the most in demand of Polos, but it’s a unique piece of the small Volkswagen’s history. Finished in Stratos Blue Metallic and complete with its original 55bhp 1.3-litre engine, G108 CDG has covered only 52,000 miles. It comes with full service history with every MoT from new. Standard Ranger kit is all present and correct and includes: twin-light grille, roof rails, sunroof, flush wheel trims and graphics. There’s even the original dealer-supplied numberplates and an unused spare tyre! It really does deserve to be saved as it is and not modified, but at £1675, we’re unsure as to whether it will find many takers. Interested? View the ad and more pictures here.

[Image: autotrader.co.uk]

In its latest batch of historic motorsport titles, motorsport-dvd.de has released a round of the 1980s Volkswagen Polo Cup on DVD. Original uncut footage courtesy of MCN Nuremberg, sees thrilling overtaking moves and numerous position battles, complete with the 28 year-old, 1984 soundtrack. The 65-minute, German-language DVD retails at €16,80 plus postage. Taken from original VHS, S8, and 16mm media, the ‘Uncut’ range is, according to the company’s website, a series of DVDs from the ‘good old days’ of motorsport. motorsport-dvd.de specialises in DVDs with footage and races from the ‘80s and ‘90s from the DRM German Racing Championship and the ‘old’ DTM German Touring Car Championship. Other original Polo Cup races available on DVD include rounds from the Nürburgring in 1987, and the Norisring in 1988.

The time has come. I’m finally selling my 1994 Volkswagen Polo GT coupé that has been a constant and loyal travelling companion for the last 13 years. Bought in January 1999 when it was five years old and had 48,000 miles on the clock, I’ve enjoyed 120,000 miles since then in it, although with a 2001 Polo GTI arriving last September, unfortunately (and very reluctantly), the 75bhp Polo GT has to go. It’s covered less than 6000 miles a year over the last nine years or so, as I worked in London, and so took the train to work.

The car comes with a full service history, and where the service book hasn’t been stamped by a dealer when the car has been DIY-serviced in its later life, I’ve filled in the service stamps manually, and have the complete book pack, complete with previous tax discs and ‘Possession of your new Volkswagen’ booklet. The car has a current MoT until January 2013 (I have all if them from my ownership), and had over £800 spent on it last year when a new alternator was needed and the suspension was completely replaced.

Built in November 1993 and exported to the UK in January 1994, the car is fitted with sought-after factory front fog lights, heated washer jets, tinted glass, and Satin Silver metallic paint, all expensive new official options, specified when the car was ordered by its previous (one of three) owners. A Passat 22mm master cylinder has also been retro-fitted to improve the braking a little. The car comes with its standard steel wheels and wheel trims, as well as some spare parts which include a set of tinted rear light lenses (one is cracked, but they were originally on the car), white front indicators, darkened side repeaters, and a quarterlight window.

The bodywork is in good condition for an 18 year-old car, but there is some tidying up to be done. There is some rust just under the fuel filler flap, the bottom underside of the driver’s door needs some attention, and there is some rust starting to bubble along a small area of the tailgate edge and the front of the nearside wing near the front indicator (though this has been constant through the last 10 years or so, and hasn’t gotten much worse). The roof also has areas where lacquer has peeled, while the bonnet has a few chips.

Overall, though, the car is still one of the best and most original, unmolested examples of this great little VW. A previous concours winner, it is a regular Volkswagen event attendee, and is well-known on the show circuit, having promoted both the VW Polo Register and PoloDriver.com in its time with me. Ideally, I’d like it to go to an enthusiast and be looked after, as it enters the twilight of its life. Email rich@polodriver.com for further information and contact details. No timewasters, please. £1100 or any sensible offers.

Details

• 1994 Volkswagen Polo GT coupé
• 168,000 miles
• Manual five-speed gearbox
• 75bhp, 1272cc engine with multipoint fuel injection
• MoT until January 2013
• Tax until end June 2013

UPDATE, 12 APRIL 2012: the car has now been sold.

Back in 1983, the high performance Polo Sprint was built to provide handling data for Volkswagen engineers, and with the arrival of his Volkswagen UK XDS electronic differential lock-equipped 178bhp Polo GTI, Rich Gooding looks at the important role the Sprint played in the development of modern-day traction control systems

Renault is king of stuffing large engines aft of the front seats into its small hatchbacks, but few people realise that Volkswagen has done it, too. Showing its wild side, VW unveiled the rear-engined Polo Sprint at a company press conference in 1983. The idea was a simple one: to make a small and light, high-performance vehicle built using production components.

A one-off prototype for evaluating handling data and aiding Volkswagen’s computer modelling, the Polo Sprint was rear-wheel drive, and powered by a 1.9-litre, flat-four engine from the Caravelle. Starting life as a 90bhp Caravelle Carat unit, a supercharger (which went to become the G40 blower), fuel injection and an intercooler boosted engine output to 155bhp, more than enough to give the Sprint a sometimes lively rear end.

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This caught our eye. We’re used to modified Polos gracing the pages of UK tuned Volkswagen magazine Performance VW, but maybe none like this. Richard Vale’s modified Polo is no tuning parts special. An early version of the blown coupé, Vale’s white G40 has been built with the sole purpose of taking on hill climbs. Harewood Hill Climb near Leeds being one of them. Competing in class 1B for modified production cars up to 2.0-litres, the 750kg, near-200bhp ex-Polo G40 Cup racer regularly takes on its larger rivals and emerges victorious. Find out what raft of modifications make Vale’s Polo a stripped-out special by grabbing a copy of the latest (July 2010) issue of Performance VW magazine, on sale now from all good stockists. UK readers who prefer to get their modded Volkswagen kicks digitally can read the magazine on their Apple i-devices by visiting the iTunes App Store and downloading the Performance VW app.

[Image: Performance VW]