
Volkswagen experienced rapid growth in the late 1940s through to the early ’70s. While the Beetle still proved to be very popular, the company had to rethink its strategy in order to produce more economical cars (as well as recover from the 1974 oil crisis and global recession).
Vehicle layout was a drastic change—from rear-engine and rear-wheel drive to front-engine and front-wheel drive. The new-generation Volkswagen models were led by the Passat in 1973, followed by the Golf in 1974—the much-anticipated successor to the Beetle.
However, Volkswagen still needed a small and more economical model. In March 1975, the Polo was unveiled, entering the small-car segment (also known as the subcompact class).

The first Polo was based on the Audi 50. It was just 3.5m in length, but had a luggage capacity of up to 900L. It had the same cues and characteristics as the Passat and the Golf. Simple design, practical, yet fun to drive.
The Polo has been a versatile model, as a first car or family vehicle to a performance-oriented hot hatch.
The first sporty version of the Polo, the Polo GT, came out in 1979. It was the most powerful Polo from the first generation, with an output of 59hp.


The second-generation Polo had better interior and more standard equipment. A replacement GT model was released in 1985, delivering 74hp.
In 1987, a special performance variant, the Polo GT G40 Coupe, was presented. It had a 1.3-liter supercharged engine delivering 114hp.
For the Mk3 in 1994, features were equivalent with the Golf, such as dual airbags. A four-door version was also available for the first time. In 1998, the Polo GTI made its debut with an output of 118hp.
The Mk4 in 2001 was the first in its segment to feature power steering, ABS, and front and side airbags as standard.






After which, the fifth-generation Polo went from strength to strength, and became the second-best-selling Volkswagen after the Golf. In the World Rally Championship, the Polo R WRC took all the titles four years in a row, from 2013 to 2016.
The Mk6 for 2017 onward is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform, setting new standards in driving dynamics and safety. And for the first time, it only comes as a four-door model.
To start the Polo’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Volkswagen Classic will exhibit two early models—a 1975 Oceanic Blue Polo and a hill-climb Polo from 1977—at the Bremen Classic Motorshow in Germany on January 31 to February 2.
Over six generations of the Polo, 20 million examples have been sold. In our market, the Polo Classic (part of the third generation) was sold between 1996 and 1999. The fifth-generation sedan and hatchback were also sold here in 2014 to 2018, before Volkswagen Philippines switched its strategy to China-specific models.
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