Volkswagen celebrates 50 years of the Polo, an essential classic in the city

The Volkswagen Polo seems to have always been there. And no wonder, because this year 2025 it celebrates a whopping 50 years on the market. That figure has made it one of the most popular models on the European market. There has always been a Polo close to us, because it has been the first car for many people or has remained that small, reliable and pleasant-to-drive vehicle.

The Volkswagen Polo was born to replace the popular Beetle, alongside other models from the brand that can also be considered classics. In 1973 the Passat arrived, the Golf was born in 1974 and in 1975 the Polo arrived. In this way, there was a model for every segment of the population, and everyone had a model tailored to them.

In 1975 the first unit of the Volkswagen Polo rolled off the assembly line at the Wolfsburg factory. It was based on the Audi 50, a model to which it owed a great deal, and thanks to modifications made to that model, this new model was launched. It featured a clean design and was unveiled as a very functional and practical car.

It was a small, manageable, reliable and, moreover, affordable car. It had everything needed to become a popular car, including low-consumption and efficient engines. Since then, these characteristics have been maintained, making it a best-seller in many countries.

The evolution of the Polo

The first generation of the Polo remained in production until 1981. The Polo II improved in many respects. It gained space and comfort, and its engines became more efficient. The limited special series Polo Coupé GT G40 arrived in 1987 and showed that the model could be something more than a city car.

The third generation arrived in 1994 and brought another improvement to the Polo’s characteristics. New technologies, such as airbags, improved driving safety. In 1998 the GTI variant was launched, making it even more popular.

With the fourth generation, launched in 2002, its size increased, as did driving safety. It already came with power steering and ABS as standard. In 2009 the fifth generation arrived and an infotainment system was added, bringing the Polo into the 21st century without losing a shred of the spirit with which the model was born. It was a unit of this fifth generation that won the World Rally Championship title four consecutive times starting in 2013.

The sixth generation arrived in 2017 and used the popular MQB platform, which allowed greater connectivity, safety and driving dynamics. In 2021 this generation was updated and its features were improved, using the technology that had emerged in those years.

The history of the Polo, in Bremen

The entire history of the Volkswagen Polo will be on show at the Bremen Classic Motor Show, which will take place from 31 January to 2 February 2025. Among the Volkswagen Polos to be exhibited at the event, two units stand out: a 1975 Polo L Oceanic Blue and a unique 1977 Polo hill-climb special.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackVolkswagen Polo7 versions · from 22,325 €