Archive
Press releases
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"2018 Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg": Thousands are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the New Beetle
"2018 Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg" – this was the motto on this Saturday for the 14th great Beetle, New Beetle and Beetle Community gathering. This year's event centred around the 20th anniversary of the New Beetle. A contemporary classic on the way to becoming a genuine classic. Like the original Beetle. Beetle, New Beetle and original Beetle – three generations of a compact, timeless Volkswagen with friends in all four corners of the world. Thousands of these aficionados flocked to Wolfsburg on saturday to celebrate one of the most likeable icons of automotive history. -
Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg 2018: Community celebrates the 20th birthday of the New Beetle
The Beetle Sunshine Tour is the largest meeting of the Beetle, New Beetle and Käfer community in Europe. For the first time, the festival in 2018 will not take place in Lübeck, but in Wolfsburg and thereby in the heart of the Volkswagen world. For good reason, because the New Beetle presented in 1998 is celebrating its 20th birthday and because it was the impetus for the first Beetle Sunshine Tour in 2004. The organisers have therefore moved the meeting to the Autostadt without further ado. That's why the motto is "Beetle Sunshine Tour to Wolfsburg". It starts on 8 September at 10:00 a.m. Highlight: a convoy of all participating Beetles, New Beetles and Käfer right through the centre of the Volkswagen plant. -
Volkswagen at the Bremen Classic Motorshow: happy birthday, Corrado!
Congratulations, Corrado! The sporty coupé is celebrating its 30th birthday in 2018. The Volkswagen brand is presenting two very exclusive models from this series at the Bremen Classic Motorshow, which begins today. -
Volkswagen at the Techno Classica 2017: the best of both worlds
The world's biggest show for classic automobiles is opening its doors: at the Techno Classica, which is being held from 5 until 9 April in Essen, Volkswagen Classic is presenting two different themes on one stand this year. ‘Driven by the future' is showcasing prototypes and small-scale production runs of vehicles with electric drive systems. The exhibits, some of which are being shown in public for the first time, tell an ‘electrifying' story. Volkswagen began conducting research into alternative drive technologies more than 40 years ago. In the second themed area entitled ‘You better look twice', visitors can look forward to sports classics with the ‘wow effect' under the bonnet: on show are fast production models from the 1970s and 1980s, whose mighty horsepower potential only becomes evident upon closer inspection. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: The sixth Golf – leading the way in terms of safety
The countdown is under way: in six days Volkswagen will present a major update of the Golf in Wolfsburg. That will herald the launch of a Golf which will democratise progress yet again. An ongoing tradition since the launch of the first Golf 42 years ago. With the debut of the sixth-generation Golf (2008), more and more luxury class assistance systems found their way into the compact segment – marking the beginning of a silent revolution in automotive safety. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: The fifth Golf – pure dynamism and the comeback of the GTI
The Golf's debut in 2003 left many a competitor from the higher mid-class standing with its comfort, dynamism and quality. Just one year later, a 200-PS Golf with black radiator grille and sports seats in the legendary tartan "Interlagos" fabric heralded the comeback of the GTI. Demand for the Golf, demand for the GTI has never let up since then. To date, the Golf GTI is the most successful sports car in the compact segment. The Golf itself is unassailable as the best-selling European car ever. Now just before the launch of this bestseller update in November, it's time to take a look back. At the Golf MkV and 2003. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: Just as you like it – the unparalleled variety of Golf
When Volkswagen presented the first generation of the Golf in 1974, this was the beginning of an impressive success story. And by this we are not just talking about more than 33 million Golf cars produced since day 1. But rather the unique fact that Volkswagen is the world's first and only automotive manufacturer to offer all currently relevant drive systems in one series – with the Golf. There are also various car bodies and the most individual of equipment lines. The very first Golf in 1974 thus became the catalyst for a vehicle family that meets an unusual number of mobility wishes. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: The fourth Golf – the style icon of the series
In 1997, the Golf MkIV was created under the direction of the Volkswagen Group Head of Design Hartmut Warkuß (1993 to 2003). Today, the fourth generation is considered a style icon – particularly because of its graphic clarity and fundamental C-pillar series design forming a bridge to the 1974 Golf MkI. However, the Golf MkIV was not only pioneering in terms of its looks, it was groundbreaking in its engineering as well. Volkswagen achieved a totally new standard of quality in this market segment with this car and thus became the first manufacturer to overcome vehicle class boundaries. With the debut of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in the Golf (1998), the car continued to democratise safety. By 2003, 4.99 million units of the Golf MkIV, including all of its derivatives, had been produced. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: The third Golf - wedge shaped and heralding a new era of safety
The third Golf came onto the market in August 25 years ago. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear: Volkswagen brought in a new era of safety with this model. On the one hand, the Golf MkIII was the first of the series to have front airbags, starting in 1992, while major advances in car body construction also resulted in significantly improved crash safety. The third generation, however, also made a great design leap: it was the first Golf with a wedge shape that was as dynamic as it was aerodynamic. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: Volkswagen democratises safety with the Golf
For more than four decades, Golf technologies have been mirrored in the automotive world. What's more: Volkswagen has democratised progress with these innovations. In particular, thanks to the Golf, safety systems are no longer the privilege of a few, but an expected feature for all. It started with basics such as appropriate headrests and a secure chassis. This was followed by crash-optimised bodywork, airbags and ABS. Electronic stability control (ESC) first appeared in 1998 and is still helping drivers today to keep control of the vehicle in potentially dangerous situations. The next stage was innovative assistance systems which created a safety revolution: from City Emergency Braking which anticipates dangers in city traffic and prevents collisions, to the Blind Spot Monitor which takes away the threat of the blind spot. The Golf's assistance systems are wide-ranging. Now the countdown for the Golf update is underway – and this will once again make the road safer. -
Countdown for the Golf update in November: The second Golf – the DNA of a worldwide success story
The Golf is unique, forgery-proof. A design icon. In November, Volkswagen will show how this unique gem has evolved with its update of the Golf. A masterpiece in automotive design continuously refined over seven generations. A phenomenon, because the Golf is one of the few affordable cars in the world that is truly classless. Experts agree – the most defining moment in the history of the Golf came in the late 70s when the decision was made to create the Golf MkII by further developing the Golf MkI's design DNA. And so the "Golf Phenomenon" came about – the Volkswagen of all Volkswagen cars; the perfect image of the brand; a compact car with a classless status reaching out to all levels of society. -
Countdown to Golf update in November: The first Golf – birth of an icon
Volkswagen is preparing a major update for the Golf. World premiere coming up in November. It will be the update of a style-icon. Head of Design at Volkswagen Klaus Bischoff says, "there are only a few cars in the world other than the Golf which have so consistently continued to develop their design from generation to generation," Bischoff goes on to explain, "vehicles which successfully manage an evolution of their design over decades have the potential to one day be celebrated as an icon. The most prominent example of such a development is the Porsche 911; in the high volume models segment, however, the Golf is clearly a member of the automobile Hall of Fame." -
World premiere in November: The countdown has begun for an extensive Golf update
The countdown has begun: in early November, Volkswagen will be introducing a major update for its most successful model – the Golf. This bestseller has been around for more than four decades. An entire generation has been named after it as Generation X is known as "Generation Golf" in Germany. No other European car has sold better. By the end of last year, 32,590,025 Golf cars had been sold. In effect, therefore, over the last 42 years someone, somewhere in the world decides to buy a new Golf every 40 seconds. Record-breaking statistics like these have shaped the car's history. And Volkswagen democratises progress to this very day with the Golf. -
Production launch for an icon: The first VW Beetle rolled off the line at the Wolfsburg plant 70 years ago
It was shortly after the first post-war Christmas 1945 that the first of the Volkswagen Type 1 – the model which, as the Beetle, would subsequently be sold more than 21 million times – rolled off the production line. By the end of 1945 only 55 vehicles had been produced in total however. The start of mass production was a highly improvised undertaking, and material shortages hampered operations over the subsequent months. Yet the early vehicles were visible symbols of hope; a new beginning for the car plant under British control. -
Sixty years ago: Volkswagen cracks the threshold of the first million
The first million Volkswagen vehicles were reported ten years after the end of the war. Back then, a respectable record. But Volkswagen was already to celebrate ten million vehicles in 1963. An incomparable success story had started.
Stories
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The California Looker
In the 60s, Ron Fleming was one of the pioneers of the “California Look”, still the most popular style within the Volkswagen tuning scene to this day. An interview about the initial explosion of the international Beetle cult. -
New York says: "bye bye!"
In 2019, the Beetle celebrates its farewell with a final edition. On the occasion, Volkswagen invited guests to a farewell event in New York and explained how the car turned design icon. -
First of May with birthday celebrations
It is probably the biggest event of its kind in the world. For European vin-tage car fans, it has been top of the list for first of May for over three dec-ades: the May Bug Meet in Hannover. Volkswagen Classic and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimer attended the 36th staging. -
The two and the type three
Two apprentices from Volkswagen Osnabrück are restoring a historique automobile, from 1968 for the classic car trade fair Techno-Classica 2019. They are learning the basics of car construction in the process – before they start building the electric cars of the future. -
Cool cult coupe
It was billed as the first “fun car” from Volkswagen for the younger generation: The Scirocco desert wind conquered the hearts of fans in the early 1970s with a combination of Italian design and a completely novel technical concept. Amongst its fans was German rock star Udo Lindenberg. -
Bye bye, Beetle
The New Beetle has united tradition and lifestyle since its launch in 1998. It and its successor, which was introduced in 2011, have attracted millions of fans around the world. The last car will be produced in 2019. -
Secret meeting with the new rally Polo
The Polo GTI R5 – the rally Polo for customer sport – is available now. Future owners were able to experience the hottest Polo up close and personal on a very special taxi ride. -
Three Polos – three times goosebumps
Car enthusiasts amongst themselves: the Polo IG. -
"Goosebumps" at Tor Sandkamp
Entering the plant at Tor Sandkamp -
Three letters. One lake. Since 1982.
Postcard idyll set against an Alpine backdrop, tranquil villages nestling along the shores, but once a year things really start to seethe at Lake Wörth or Wörthersee as it is known in German. Then, the tranquil town of Reifnitz is turned into a giant automobile playground and for days the visitors eyes are lit up with G – T – I. -
Volkswagen Classic at the May Beetle Meeting 2017
Bubbling boxer engines, Beetles, Bullis and plenty of rare models: the 34th outing of the traditional May Beetle Meeting on 1 May once again wowed around 15,000 fans of classic Volkswagen models this year. In bright sunshine, approximately 3,500 air-cooled treasures from all over Europe rolled up onto the eastern car park of the exhibition grounds; a further 5,000 water-cooled Volkswagen classics occupied the neighbouring areas. The one-day event in the state capital of Lower Saxony not only heralded the main 2017 season, but also maintained the cult that has grown around the Beetles, Bullis and other classics over the course of the decades.
Basic Infos
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International Driving Presentation - The new Golf GTI Clubsport S
The Golf GTI Clubsport S breaks the lap record for front-wheel-drive cars on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a time of 07:49:21 This exclusive GTI is a two-seater with a 310 PS engine and newly configured chassis -
The new Polo - International Driving Presentation
Polo is first car in its class with Automatic Post-Collision Braking System as standard More driving fun with electro-mechanical steering and Sport Select suspension -
40 Years of Golf
Best-seller – the Golf was built more than 30 million times until now Trendsetter – the Golf democratised safety, sportiness and sustainability -
International driving presentation of the new e-Golf
Zero-emission e-Golf glides through the day for around €3.30** per 100 km Electric Golf is also available with high-tech assistance systems -
The new Golf R
New TSI propels Golf R with DSG to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds Golf R makes its debut with a new 4MOTION all-wheel drive system and progressive steering -
The cross up! – initial facts
Contains 6 sections: The new cross up!, City specialist with offroad look, Exclusive interior ambience, Individual colour concept, Ample standard features, Powerful engine and Attractive options -
The new e-up!
Contains 6 sections: Summary, Driving the e-up!, Under the bonnet of the e-up!, The features of the e-up!, The e-up! facts in overview, The world of Volkswagen e-mobility -
The new Golf Estate - International Press Presentation
Contains 5 sections: Body and interior, Standard and optional features, Assistance, convenience and infotainment systems, Engines and running gear and Overview – quick facts -
The new Golf GTD - International Press Presentation
Contains 7 sections: Powertrain, Running gear, Exterior, Interior, Features, Technologies and Overview -
New Golf GTI - International Press Presentation
Contains 7 sections: Powertrain, Running gear, Exterior, Interior, Features, Technologies and Overview -
The new Beetle Cabriolet
Contains 7 sections: Exterior, Interior, Equipment versions and special models, Accessories and special equipment, Petrol and diesel engines, Suspension and Overview -
The new Golf R Cabriolet
Contains 6 sections: "R" turbo engine, "R" running gear, "R" standard features, The roof, Safety and Facts summary -
The new Golf. Das Auto. International Driving Presentation
Contains 10 sections: Styling, Engineering, Interior, Infotainment systems, Standard and optional features, Innovations, Powertrain structure, Running gear, Retrospective, Overview -
International Driving Presentation of the new Polo BlueGT
Contains 2 sections: Polo Blue GT and Facts summary -
International Driving Presentation of the new Golf GTI Cabriolet
Contains 3 sections: GTI as a convertible, Golf I, III and IV Cabriolet (history) and Facts summary -
up! four-door – Driving Presentation
Contains 6 sections: up!grade package, up! technologies, up! exterior, up! interior, up! features and Overview -
International Driving Presentation of the new Volkswagen CC
Contains 5 sections: New exterior and interior, New systems and technologies, New standard and optional features, Engines, transmissions and all-wheel drive and Running gear layout -
up! – Driving Presentation
Contains 5 sections: up!grade package, up! technologies, up! exterior, up! interior and up! features -
The Beetle - International Driving Presentation
Contains 4 sections: Exterior, Interior, Customisation and Powertrain and running gear -
The new Golf Cabriolet
Contains 4 sections: The Golf as a cabriolet, Democratisation of the cabriolet, Sustainable performance is attainable and Feature: The cabriolet that was never built -
International Driving Presentation of the new Jetta
Contains 5 sections: Positioning and costs, Body design and function, Interior design and function, Standard and special features, Powertrain and running gear technology -
The new Phaeton - International Driving Presentation in Sanya, China
Contains 4 sections: Exterior, Interior, Assistance Systems, Engines, Air Suspension and All-Wheel Drive, Features, Transparent Factory -
The New Polo GTI
Contains 3 sections: Body and Interior, Engine and Gearbox, Running Gear -
The Golf R - International Driving Presentation, Ellmau 2010
Contains 7 sections: R Concentrate - More power, less fuel, TSI of the Golf R, All-wheel drive, Sport chassis, Exterior features, Interior features and Overview of standard equipment -
The New Golf Estate – International Driving Presentation
Contains 6 sections: Facts summary, Body, Interior, Engines and transmissions, Features, Golf Estate Exclusive -
The New Golf GTD – International Driving Presentation
Contains 6 sections: GTD – Concept, GTD – Drivetrain, GTD – Handling, GTD – Exterior, GTD – Interior and GTD – Fully equipped -
The New Polo – International Driving Presentation
Contains 6 sections: Body, Interior, Engines and transmissions, Chassis, Features and Polo BlueMotion Concept Car -
Golf GTI - International Driving Presentation
Contains 7 sections: Icons of Sportiness, Design as Homage to the First GTI, GTI Phenomenon, Inception of the GTI, History, Exclusive Standard Features of the GTI, Individualized Options on the GTI -
The New Scirocco – International Driving Presentation Portugal, June 2008
Contains 6 sections: Body, Interior, Engines and transmissions Chassis, Standard and optional features and Chronology -
Der Touareg
Enthält 10 Kapitel: Neue Technologien, Design, Karosserie, Interieur, Motoren, Fahrwerk, Allradantrieb, Serienausstattung, Volkswagen Individual, Feature -
The Polo BlueMotion
Contains 7 sections: Market positioning, Modified TDI engine, Modified transmission, Modified body, Interior, Standard equipment, Safety -
The new Eos
Contains 8 sections: Positioning, CSC-Roof, Body, Interior, Equipment, Engines / Gears, Running gear and Trial Phase -
The Polo GTI
Contains 8 sections: Central Aspects, Engine / Gearbox, Chassis / Brakes, Exterior, Interior, Safety, Standard Equipment, Two Decades of Sporty Polos -
The Volkswagen Beetle – A Success Story
Contains 3 sections: Feature – Beetle melancholy, VW Beetle – the real miracle, VW Beetle through the years
