The VW Polo Story

It’s not the first supermini, it’s not the most popular supermini, but the Volkswagen Polo is my favourite supermini. A large part of that is probably that my family owned one in 1977, and I spent my adolescence Youth Hostelling around Britain in one while music blasted out of the windows. The Polo has gone on to be a world car with many variants, but the Polo wasn’t originally a Volkswagen at all, and it wasn’t even conceived by them. And why did Volkswagen launch the Polo just a few months after their slightly larger, but very similar Golf?
More information on the VW Gol: • THIS IS THE VW YOU'VE ...
To get early ad-free access to new videos, or your name at the end of my videos, please consider supporting me using Patreon from just $1 or 80p a month at / bigcar
Support me using PayPal: www.paypal.com...
Big Car Merch (t-shirts, mugs): teespring.com/...
Twitter: / bigcartv
My second channel - Little Car: / littlecar
#VWPolo #VolkswagenPolo #Audi50

[@arthurdanielles4784]

Ah yes our 1984 Polo was one of the most reliable cars we ever owned. Bought with 34,000 miles on the clock, one owner , full service history and immaculate! We did over YES OVER 200,000 miles with it, replacing the timing belt, the wheel bearings and usual items such as oil filter etc etc.. 👀I replaced the FULL set of wheel bearing for under £50 !! 😶 Everything on it was easy to replace (though the alternator was a new version specific to that year model..) In the end I sold it on for a £100 with a hole in the passenger side floor.. ! The mini estate car styling could carry numerous bulky items with ease (our visits to auctions proved that !!) 👍It was an all round basic car but totally reliable AND economical. A classic.

[@mikkokosonen1035]

Oh those days. Even a VW was reliable. 😂

[@tomhart-shea8344]

I believe that VW named many of its cars after winds and other meteorological phenomena. 'Golf 'refers to the Gulf Stream, 'Scirroco' to a desert wind. 'Jetta ' to the jet-stream. 'Passat' to a trade wind and Polo refers to the polar winds . . I enjoy your videos very much.

[@BigCar2]

You're probably right. I found conflicting sources for that and just picked one, but winds make more sense, especially with the Scirocco being launched first.

[@77funtomas]

Next VW model they should name FART it is a type of the wind too...

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

@@77funtomas: In one book I read, the explanation was that it was named the Polo as a pun on the English meaning of Golf, and a lot of German VW executives spoke English, and as Big Car himself noted, the trunked Polo was called the Derby.

[@gilesleggett]

@@77funtomas The FART would definitely be a van. no question.

[@simonlloyd7557]

Yes i think this is correct because VW abandoned it's prototype dubbed Ratten Furz.

[@markusantonio4866]

I appreciate learning alot about the European market on their cars and vehicles. You do a wonderful job explaining.

[@generalsquirrel9548]

I am europeab and i also learned alot. Funfact the american made camero handles poorly on european roads because he have alot of sharp turns. Theres a company that made a limited edition camaro made for the EU. Sadly its no longet available

[@makeIovenotwar]

He's British

[@something2061]

@@makeIovenotwar ok

[@ianedmonds9191]

My grandparents owned one of these. We inherited it. Mum didn't keep it in oil and it died. She bought another. It ran for years. When I left home one of my flatmates had one. Fast forward 20+ years. My new partner has a flatmate who is really attached to an old mk1 POLO. These things haunt me. :-) Luv and Peace.

[@rosiehawtrey]

You need to go chat to Bert Gummer 😁

[@BigCar2]

Errata: The Polo and Golf were named after winds, not sports. Claus Luthe was the main designer of the Audi 50. Gandini also did work on finalising the exterior design. Thanks to everyone for your corrections!

[@bokhans]

Big Car you talked about your family having a Polo in 1977 and I lived with an English family in Farnborough in 1971 your family and my friends had German cars 16 and 22 years after the war with Germany. That gives me hope for the human race to move on, stupid mistakes by our leaders should not make nations population enemies. I hope present mistakes by our leaders will be rectified by our nations populations fairly quick.

[@AJ-Bruno]

The Golf was named after the horse of VW board member Zimmermann, it appears. Polo and Derby derived from there.

[@konzolkal.7786]

@@AJ-BrunoThe origin of the name is variously attributed to the game of golf, the Gulf Stream current (German "Golfstrom") or the name of a horse.

[@konzolkal.7786]

@@AJ-BrunoThe origin of the name is variously attributed to the game of golf, the Gulf Stream current (German "Golfstrom") or the name of a horse.

[@donaldasayers]

Which of course explains the golf ball styled gear knob on the GTi.

[@Kyntteri]

4:07 gotta love how that impact ruined the suspension just enough to leave it stancing in an angle.

[@Commentator541]

Kyntteri Hehe good catch

[@warrenny]

As well, you can just see something flying around the cabin....I think from the back seating area.

[@davidhayes4814]

Like your intro about the Polo. My Mum bought one in Oct 1977 (s reg) to replace her Mini Clubman Estate, which at 3 years old was absolutely riddled with rust. The back seat support, being made of fibreboard had broken too. In contrast, the 900cc green Polo seemed to be out of another age. Peppy, revvy and a great little car. Maybe it wasn’t perfect but it seemed like it to me at 19.

[@BigCar2]

We had water pooling in the floor of the Polo. Germany hadn't yet got bulletproof reliability!

[@Korx11]

Still driving my polo fox 86c (Volkswagen Derby twist), runs like a charm. Got him like 4 years. Its nearly 30 years old :), i hope i can hold this car. Very reliable!

[@veen9667]

I survived a100 kmph car crash in a VW Polo fox , early eighties (1983?) model. The emergency personal couldn't believe we walked out of that car without a scratch . The front of the car was gone yet us inside were unharmed. Bless the Polo !

[@kamenkiranov3923]

Maybe the Polo is not the most appealing supermini, but once you sit in Polo it goes under your skin like no other supermini. We had Mk5 1.2 TSI DSG and it fit me like my pair of old jeans. It seems the car was predicting my intentions and everything was happening instantaneously. This was the most effortless car in any aspect of buying, driving, and owning we've ever had. Who knows - one day I may surprise myself by having another Polo :)

[@welshparamedic]

Thanks for giving such a comprehensive history of what has become a favourite car of mine! My wife has just got a brand new polo and I was surprised to learn it has a 1ltr 3 cylinder engine...but...Turbocharged! this totally gives this car brisk performance which just is amazing that such a small engine can chuck out so much power. handling is good and it has a complete touch screen entertainment system, even has a CD player tucked away in the Glove compartment

[@colinp2238]

Hired a Derby when I was in Germany in the late 70s, a very minimal car but easy to drive, held the road well at speed which was amazing for a small car and I mean high speed because there was norestriction on the autobahn.

[@UlliStein]

Easy to drive is true. I only once drove a Derby and that was the day of the examination for my driving license in Germany. That connects me to the Derby

[@heinrichwolf4869]

FYI, the Audi A2 was the first mass-produced car featuring an aluminum space frame. Body-wise, it had absolutely nothing in common with the Polo platform. It did share the engines and some parts of the drive train though.

[@gcooper642]

I would quite like to see a video on the Audi A2. It's a quite a unique little car.

[@seesaw66]

I had several early ones for years. It turned into my painters van eventually, plenty of room with the back seat down. Reliable and fun to drive.

[@dr_jaymz]

I loved my Polo. I will always remember them fondly.

[@johnhopkins6260]

General rule with old-ish VW (70's- 90's): hard corners=good car, rounded edges=junk

[@Commentator541]

Hahahhaha funny became it's true

[@andrewnorth4857]

So nice to hear a cheerful story of a car that went from strength to strength and continues to do so today. That can't be said about many cars that began life in the 1970s. Thank you once again for another thoroughly enjoyable, first-rate quality video.

[@Wail.Dz.1]

We have a 2013 VW Polo and it's really a cute car that i like a lot ! it's the car that makes you think you don't necessary need a Golf that is too big for some people while the Polo being slightly smaller offers a decent space, nice boot size and a very similar interior quality well finished, definitely better for a smaller price too

[@TheGaryET]

I have literally just got home from a 4,000 mile round trip from Suffolk to the Algarve in Portugal in my Mk2 Polo Coupe S. The car was faultless and at 32 years old, I was so proud of it. Lots of maintenance and tinkering had gone into it, but, it was so worth it. I’m sure if I went out to do it all again it would do it faultlessly. Fantastic little cars! Great video, thanks!!

[@RUfromthe40s]

at the time to go to algarve you had to pass through my town Beja ,hot as hell more 120 km´s of incredible bad road(more like bad alf of a alf of a antique road and in algarve you were) don´t understand how people didn´t crash more at the time, i drove a citroen GS car yellow ,was unique ,hope you had a nice holidays in algarve ,today is not the same you visited,regards

[@strawberryjam3670]

The Polo is the most iconic car I know. Not to mention our current family car being an old mk4.

[@brokenursa9986]

I swear Google can hear my conversations. I've been watching the channel for a while now, but I think KZbin recommended this specific video because I'm working on a car in the game Automation that is basically a Polo with a VR6 engine swap and a Fast and Furious bodykit and livery.

[@MonkeyHunch1]

Mk2 Polo one of the most solid reliable cars VW built. I love 70`s and 80`s Vw`s but not so much these days.

[@MonkeyHunch1]

@Venturi Atlantique I agree

[@thomashughes9916]

I still have a polo C 1988 2 door hatch back wouldnt part with her

[@MonkeyHunch1]

@@thomashughes9916 YUp good cars!

[@fastinradfordable]

My 1981 Vw is literally more reliable than brand new Vw’s. That is so sad.

[@forza223bowe5]

Modern cars are too complicated for their own good.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

My mother had an NSU in 72, father used to call it "no sodding use" he bought her a Beetle later that year..

[@kalleklp7291]

2:54 Fuel gauge is in the bottom of the "combi instrument". Volkswagen group didn't want such a small car to be a Audi as they had plans for making it their luxury brand. So they decided to call it VW instead. That would round off their products: Polo (the Audi 50), Golf, Scirocco, Passat (and later also Jetta).

[@chrisbury4635]

Fascinating story of NSU and Audi/VW in the early days 😎👍🏼

[@JambonJovii]

Just picked up a Mk2f CL Saloon with a 1.3 engine and its unreal how comfortable it is on a country road

[@goatie1822]

I remember most of the adverts you are showing. Ahh, the past, how wonderful

[@lucianstrugaru8777]

I have a 2008 polo 1.9 l ! Is my first car and i love it ! Is fast safe tuned up by my adopted Father and i love it!

[@94vrcommodore]

I own a MK5 Polo. A 2017 model comfortline. Beautiful car to drive and hasn’t let me down. Proud to own it

[@kevintynan796]

Rented a Polo in Mendoza Argentina, drove over the Andes to Santiago Chile (and back again) Great car handled the mountain road and altitude fine.

[@rabbitboy008]

7 years in now and 185K on the clock and 20 years old, still does the figures and burns no oil, think I should keep her!!

[@MaxPowweer1]

Love your videos - always well researched and well narrated.

[@heiner71]

Wow, just found this video. Very nice. Invokes memories. My wife's first car was an orange Audi 50 in the early 90's. It looked like new because she inherited it from her sister who barely drove and always kept it garaged. I remember driving with this thing from the middle of Germany to Southern France with a blown out front shock. I myself owned a gen 2 50HP Polo and my wife replaced her Polo 50 with a gen 2 Polo Coupe GT. This thing was a lot of fun. Only 75HP but very light.

[@BOABModels]

The Polo is my favourite supermini too as my first ever car was a black 1997 MK3 Polo. It's funny that the Polo was meant as a reference to sport since Golf was originally a reference to the Gulf stream as there were other cars which were named after wind - Bora, Scirroco and Passat all were too.

[@ericgeorge5483]

What a fantastic history lesson, I loved it.

[@RCmadness888]

I just bought a polo 86C from first owner since new 66k km, the car is like new, hardly driven, never in snow, absolutely no rust, all original , its so simple and fuel consumption is really good.

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

My very first car was a 1981 polo MK1 and i can't emphasize enough how much fan to drive it was , even if it was when I bought it 3 years older than me it still felt like a " cart " ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@jensschroder8214]

My first car VW Polo mark 1 from 1981. With 40 HP and 0.9 L machine. Almost 10 years old when I bought it. This car stayed in our family for 10 years and served as my and my two brother's first car. My friends also had Polo and Derby. The cars were cheap, reliable, and didn't consume much. Every workshop could offer repairs and the parts were cheap. My brother sold the old Polo for a Skoda Felicia, but it rusted faster than it drove.

[@JeffKing310]

This channel feels familiar :) I think I’m going to love it.

[@adamv242]

Always been a VAG guy. Of the 32 cars I've owned, 10 of them have been old-school VW or Audi. Two Porsches if you want to throw them in. 70s-90s German engineering could not be beat.

[@DrLoverLover]

Japan begs to differ

[@andrewstones2921]

I’ve had lots and lots of cars from just about every brand except VW. 3 years ago we relocated to Ireland and my wife had to start again with zero no claims bonus on her insurance and with Irish insurance costing an arm and a leg we bought her a 9 year old low mileage polo with the expectation that when she had some NCB we would get something bigger. Well what a surprise the little Polo turned out to be, it’s never missed a beat and the only thing to fail was a window motor that cost 100 quid fitted at a VW dealer. It gets frequent oil and filter changes but it’s been a great little car. It’s lively given the engine size, it’s comfortable and quite practical too.. I’d defiantly consider new one now.

[@ravim7821]

Good explanation of history of Polo ........I have a Red color Polo 2011 Model and it's ruling on Indian highways with 245000 km completed and still giving fantastic driving pleasure on highways !

[@miaugato93]

Two memories pop up with the Polo. First is my dad renting one back in 2003 or so when they were new. And then in 2020 i got my hands on my own, a 2002 model. Loving every bit of it. Amazing how it manages to feel tout and solid even after 18 years of abuse. My previous Peugeot 106 felt like it was old when it was new and definitely falling apart.

[@enes_karaca]

I got a mk4 facelift polo (it was 5 doors though) in 2008, I loved that car. It was manual transmission and i did the LPG conversion on it. Fuel price was not a concern then, i put about 300k kilometers on it. Had to move on to bigger cars, so i sold it. I did not like the smaller mk5s, they were more compact than the mk4 facelift versions. BUT got a 2021 polo for my wife about 2 months ago. It's big. Bigger than the 2018 mk4s. It's interior space is almost as large as my c180, and all the new tech in the car makes it a joy to drive. (my wife likes the apple carplay and 4x usb-c ports the most though). Even though 1.0 tsi leaves a bit to be desired, I love to drive it too, it's like my old beloved polo but super high tech.

[@djc6394]

I need to double check, but I think a version of the Polo platform was sold in the USA in the late 80s as the VW Fox (as opposed to the Audi 80/90 that was sold as the Fox in the 70s). It was manufactured in Brazil. The US got the version with a boot and a wagon (not the hatchback/ coupe). Thanks for this video, which answered my question as to why VW sold both the Golf and Polo, which to me competed in the same market segment.

[@BigCar2]

Correct - it was a VW Gol: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Fox#North_America_(1987%E2%80%931993)

[@duosonic391]

The Fox sold in North America was the Brazilian designed and developed VW Voyage, a VW Gol with a boot. This was on the BX platform, meaning longitudinal engine and transmission layout like the Audi B1 and B2, while the rear was similar to an A2 Golf torsion beam but narrower. The Polo and Audi 50 were on the A0 platform, meaning transverse engine and transmission configuration. So really, the VW Fox and Polo are largely unrelated from a platform standpoint and share little if at all, other than their position in the range of their respective markets.

[@fsll1575]

Bought in 1997 a Polo Classic 1992 named VolksWagen Fox in Canada. It's 1.8L engin was so frugal, I could do more than 700Km on a gas tank! Thought confort, equipments were very minimum.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

You also have the grandfather of the Passat, also from NSU, the K-70. We had one from 1977-82.

[@idakay5347]

I drive an 86c and he's 30yrs now, I love him and I will care fo my little bud ❤️

[@thomashughes9916]

Ida kay l think l have the same as you mine is a E reg polo c 2 door hatchback 30 yrs old

[@idakay5347]

@@thomashughes9916 mine is a fancy, please Google it ✌️ in tornado red and everything original. I hope my little love will last a long time!

[@thomashughes9916]

Ida kay l have the same model only I call it a square back it’s in dark blue

[@mibfox]

Used to have VW Polo kombi (estate) 1.9 TDi 81kw (110 HP). It was fantastic fast, reliable and fuel economical kombi. After some modifications done (chip tuning and exhaust tuning) my Polo had 97kw and 380Nm torque. Because the car was light (1100 kg), acceleration was good all up the 5th gear. Fuel consumptio Diesel 5,5 L per 100km (1 and 1 quarter of gallon per 60 Miles) when pressing hard on pedal. It was great car and I had a lot of fun with it, without ruining my cash for fuel.

[@nimeshchokshi1921]

This video make me think of Italdesign, since Italdesign designed the original VW Golf. Italdesign was also responsible for the Maserati Bora, BMW M1, Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Audi 80, Delorean DMC-12, and Subaru SVX. I knew about the Delorean, but I didn’t know about the others until I got the book A-Z European Coachbuilders.

[@jebsails2837]

At the time (on this side of the Pond) I could get a rabbit, the US production closed down. Then I seem to recall we were offered the "Fox" was that a Polo. Have always been a diesel fan and drool when I visit friends on the Isle of Jersey. Thank you. Narragansett Bay

[@Fulano-bo8vc]

No, the VW Fox sold in the USA was a Brazilian made car, it was the sedan version of the VW Gol. It was sold in Brazil as VW Voyage.

[@stavrosk.2868]

The best docus on cars on youtube. Very well made and interesting.

[@pdwcave]

My father went from Morris Minors to Polos and a rather lovely red Polo Coupe of his was passed on to me. It wasn't as fast as I had hoped and had few modern comforts like power steering and servo assisted brakes, but it was the first car I did not feel embarrassed to admit owning. Only mechanical issue I had was when the rubber ball on the gear linkage perished and gear changes became more and more challenging. When first child came along it was changed for a 4 door ... Golf! After Golfs, Civics, BMWs and MGs we again have a Polo. At the size of an old Golf, this is probably all the car you will ever need. Anything else is a waste of money, materials and fuel.

[@dgirllamius____x]

I have a 2012 Polo and she's my baby. 10 years old with 207k km on the clock, still going strong and hopefully for many years to come.

[@deaddoll1361]

The latest models certainly are big. I mistook one for a Golf and subsequently sought out a Golf for reference. They now seem huge compared to the original model.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Mini Clubfoot bigger than my dad's 2004 Mercedes C estate with the 3.2 litre diesel - that thing is a ballistic missile

[@decnijfkris3706]

simple and strong car. Sticked to the road.

[@thomasavenhaus2308]

I like your channel a lot. My Polo 6N2 has 244.000 km on the clock and still drives nicely.

[@Michaeltje89]

Loved it, i still have a polo II coupe (1994) and the newer golf V (2004). They both drive amazing in there own ways.

[@carl_marks1626]

I owned a blue breadvan for 5 years. Ran it into the ground and every year couldn’t believe it passed it’s mot. Bulletproof

[@13rosiel13]

Proud Polo owner here. Learned to drive in a golf 2 1991 and my first own car was a polo 6n 1996, now i upgade to a 2017 model

[@dazspurs9899]

So Your a supporter for a company to illegally use software to rig emissions results and lie to it's own customers to make money?

[@anthonymills2952]

I work for a VW dealership and brought the MK 6 Polo GTI+. It's more fun to drive then the Golf GTI and has a lot to offer. I'd recommend Polo over the Golf any time they are rarer and seem to feel more exciting. Every time you take them out they always bring a smile to the face of the driver.

[@victorvance2573]

A green 1992 VW Polo coupe was my first car. Drove it from 2000 to 2003 and still miss it.

[@johnburns6422]

HI there , I had a polo MK2 in the mid 80s very reliable car clocked up over 100,000 miles never gave any trouble from day 1 ,When asked what is it like i would say ,You put fuel in the back and a fool in the front and it will go anywhere and i,m living proof. Thanks for the video .

[@patrickbrady447]

I always enjoy your no nonsence reviews on cars. You also go to great lenghts to give us the history of the car and the company. Thank you.

[@BigCar2]

Glad you enjoy the videos Patrick.

[@rogermolineux9741]

My first Polo was a Mark 1 second hand in 1983, followed by the Mk 2 model, being used as a garage dealers' car for 2 years, in 1991. A weak part on both was the positioning of the alternator getting oil contamination, which required replacement. In 2005 I bought a new Lupo, which is so like the basic Polo that it was soon phased out, and in a way was a limited edition. After only 39,000 miles, I still have it!

[@bhsbass]

I had a 2001 polo gti and loved it, i hope to buy a brand new one someday!

[@N0rdman]

In Swedish, a lavatory outside is call a "dass", pronounced exactly like the German "das" certainly spins the VW advertisment "das auto" to a more meaningful understanding on how the quality of a previous simple and reliable car has come to be a true crapper.

[@paultasker7788]

Mum had the mark 2 (3 examples) and was basic and slow (one didn't even have a clock) but reliable especially compared to our neighbours cars (fiat Uno and Austin metro) which often took 12 attempts to fire up. The polo nearly always went on the first turn of the key. I then had the mark 3 and it was solid, again reliable and quite nice to drive with power steering especially compared to the Corsa I learnt to drive in. With 55hp from the 1.3 it was slow. Quicker than the 1 litre mark 2 by a huge margin but still not something you want to overtake or join a busy motorway slip road in! I hired a mark 5 abroad and really liked it. Solid, refined, well built. In many ways it was nicer than the Alfa MiTo I had at the time. Mark 7 looks a little bland. Ibiza smarter and drives really nice too. But polo is better quality inside.

[@eperot]

now do the even smaller Lupo!

[@olmaBLN]

Or the small but ugly FOX

[@robtyman4281]

Don't you mean the VW 'Up!' (v small electric city car)

[@Papinak2]

Lupo was interesting - while it was small, it still shared many parts with 6n Polo, including GTI engine.

[@adamv242]

Same door handles as my '87 Porsche 924S. Love it.

[@albertgrover2735]

Got a 2006 1.4 Tdi with 175,000 on the clock and absolutely love it. I've had it 12 years and have no plans to get rid of it anytime soon . . . 😉

[@eaglemihnea]

Wow, such a well made video. Love it

[@alanmay1945]

Superb video; all your videos are superb. You are clearly an expert at this, the intricate details step by step, the tv ads clips are brilliant, all the facts are presented here, really fantastic, very well balanced with dialogue to camera not too much and plenty of pictures and diagrams relating to each model and perceptive comparisons too. Real nostalgia (I'm now 64, so a young adult in the 70's) combined with how it got to now. Could'nt be any better than this, well done that man! best wishes Alan, in Norwich.

[@BigCar2]

Thanks for the kind words, but I'm in no way an expert! I'm just collating knowledge from other brilliant sources. Thanks Alan!

[@dr.wianmeintjes9028]

I really do enjoy your videos. I grew up in South Africa. In the 1970 to the 1990, we received cars without this information. Thx

[@michaelkeen5010]

Bought my first Polo N in late 1975, superb small car, followed this with a 1976,77,78 and a 1979 facelifted model. Then a couple of years later I ran a low mileage 1979 GLS. The Polo to me was the best small car around at that time, with legendary VW build quality and great engines.

[@dazspurs9899]

VW deliberately and intentionally used software illegally to meet safety standards! I couldn't support a manufacturer that acts this way no matter how much i like there product

[@monibstar]

Nice VW Polo car history 🙂🙏 Thank you for making it 👍 🚗

[@johndoyle4723]

Thanks, love the old adverts, no CGI in the those days, all done for real. Cannot imagine a Geoff Capes style advert these days. Yes the Polo has a very interesting history, I did not know it originated in NSU, but I remember the Prinz, (Spelling). Thanks again for your research. OH, I forgot, a 3 cylinder diesel? What where they thinking.

[@torstenscholz6243]

Yeah, that's really interesting. I didn't know that the Polo originated at NSU as well. I know that the larger K70 was originally from NSU and was meant to be produced by them, but when VW purchased them it eventually became a VW and was also produced at a VW plant. Ironic how the small NSU already knew the advances of front-engine-fwd cars when VW preferred rear-engine layouts for way too long. Even the Beetle successor that in the end became the Golf was originally planned to be rear-engine. Luckily under new ownership VW finally began producing front-engine cars in the early 70s, otherwise they certainly wouldn't have survived throughout the 70s.

[@frederickevans4113]

On your mentions of the Golf Mk1, not only did it have the name "Rabbit" in the USA and Canada, but in Mexico, it was known as the "Caribe." I learned how to drive in my dad's 1980 Rabbit diesel with the 1.5L normally-aspirated indirect-injection diesel which was rated at just over 40 horses and at least as many miles per gallon (US gallon, only 3.8L, approximately), highway. All my dad's Rabbits were the "5-door" variety (4-door hatchback). From about 1979 until 1984, the Golf/Rabbit-based "Caddy" pickup was also sold here in North America as the "Rabbit Pickup." And, if I recall correctly, the German phrase is golf strom, for the gulf stream, and that is what the VW Golf is named after (or so I've been told). Some might say that the physical shape of the Golf Mk1/Rabbit had a passing resemblance to a cartoon rabbit drawn with straight lines. Here is a link to an online marketplace with VW Rabbit badges. www.2040-parts.com/volkswagen-vw-rabbit-2pc-badge-emblem-trunk-rear-hatch-set-factory-oem-i1337688/ In North America, we never got the Polo. On the subject of small Volkswagen vehicles with different names in different countries/markets, from 1987 until 1993, we did have the Volkswagen Fox which was the North-American market Volkswagen Gol from Brazil. I had a 1989 model 4-door sedan (saloon) with the same 1.8L 4-banger which was in the Golf and Jetta, but in the Fox it was de-tuned to produce only about 83 horses. CIS-E fuel injection. 4-speed manual gearbox with a very tall, overdrive 4th gear. Also, let's not forget the Volkswagen Type 181, called the "Thing" here in North America and a few other parts of the world. In other parts of the world, it was called the "Safari." Should I step away from VW for a moment and mention the Chevrolet Nova? In order to sell the small car in Spanish-speaking countries, General Motors had to rename the car. In English, we think of the cosmic event, supernova when we hear "Chevy Nova." In Spanish, the two words "no va" basically translates "it doesn't go." Not exactly the thing you want your car's name to convey. Just don't ask me how the Spanish verb "ir" (to go) gets conjugated into words which begin with "v" instead of "i" (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van).

[@MonkeyHunch1]

Geoff Capes flipping the Polo:) That brings back some memories.

[@markusantonio4866]

Is he a famous futbol player, and what club?

[@MonkeyHunch1]

@@markusantonio4866 lol you kidding right ? If not he was a British strong man back in the day :)

[@phhu7554]

I had completely forgotten about that advert.

[@ijustfelldown]

The 2014 version looks the best among all revisions since the 2000s started.

[@loddude5706]

Best small car I ever owned, 1997 Polo with the 1.4 AEX engine, absolutely superb machine, brilliant design.

[@simonlangner]

I really enjoy your presentation style, very relaxed, unemotional and objective - keep up this awesome work, you are a true car historian, sir!👍

[@BigCar2]

Thank you Simon!

[@simonlangner]

@@BigCar2 You certainly deserved my patreon support! One little favor: Could you turn off the automatic subtitles, please? It is kind of annoying to do it everytime by myself... Thank you!

[@davidjackson2524]

My elder sister has a 2010 Polo and also a 95 Polo which she inherited from out late father.

[@ursutapan2098]

glad to hear you had your first car a Polo❤️ my first car car is a 2000 polo 6n2 1.4 tdi 75hp 3cylinder and just bought a 9n 2007 1.9 tdi 130hp. in the future hope to buy a 6n polo harlekin. ❤️ from Romania

[@welshparamedic]

Just subscribed...thank you for brilliant video histories of some much loved cars!

[@radomguy9678]

Wow, I had never heard of this model before. I live in the United States. I have followed the VW Rabbit and Golf and the Beetle as that's all my parents drove for 30 years. Fascinating!

[@SshiggyY]

really? u havent heard of a polo???

[@radomguy9678]

@@SshiggyY yes, that’s why I said it when I commented a year ago.

[@vitorandrade3762]

Another suggestion: Ford fiesta story

[@olli-pekkapauna8079]

@Dust My Broom ok

[@baronvonjo1929]

Do they even sale them in Europe anymore? I know they dont for the NA market.

[@mafiousbj]

This was my favourite car growing up in the 90's and always begged my parents to get one...mostly because the VW team was running the local version of the car in the Argentina TC2000 (similar to the BTCC). However our Polo had nothing to do with the cars you showed. It kind of had a trunk and was a saloon, with a flat or squared back end (but still different from the Derby model you show here too!). Should send you photos to show you!

[@ilovetotri23]

I have owned many VW's back in the day. I went from air-cooled VW's in the 70's to a later cooled Rabbit in the the 80's

[@derek-press]

I had a MK1 and a MK2 and currently own (bought from new in 2000) a 6n2 built in Spain and she just keeps going and going

[@minidriversouthsweden5137]

Sweet my mum and dad had a mark 2 VW polo 1981 with the straight tailgate in the early 90’s Sweden and it was a little hard to drive in today’s standards due to lack of power steering. Once the window on the tailgate went out and shared in a billion pieces weak window was the blame. My dad sold the polo in 93 and got a Volvo 245 GL estate 82 with automatic gearbox that car was a tank he had it for years never any problems because the boot didn’t fit a stroller and 4 passengers. I have so many great memories from the polo

[@michaelsinclair8018]

My first new car was a Polo 16V here in Australia. It had the best textured plastics I have felt in any car.

[@1PotatoeMasher1]

I’ve seen a Mk5 a couple times in Oklahoma, it had Mexican tags. Pretty cool car!

[@paullacey2999]

Had a Polo Coffin Estate once!Could carry loads but the lack of brakes were scary,VW didnt fit brake servos to the early ones in RHD!Imagine trying that nowadays!

[@russcattell955i]

I owned a mk1 Polo, later used a mk2 "breadvan" as back up parts delivery to the type 2, 80 working at a VAG dealer. Later my wife had a Derby for banger racing on grass, with light weight & M&S tyres she won many races. When the bodyshell cried enough we pulled the motor & trans & sold it, on good working order.

[@dvilduck1]

Nice video! I have had sevral. I have had a mk1 that we built an golf mk2 full subframe and gti engine in (budget rallycross) have also had a mk1 gt but it was way to rotted so i got a 2007 gti cup edition 1.8t 180hp tuned to 205hp was so mutch fun, regret selling that. Now i have gotten my hands on a mk1 0.9L 39hp that i am going to have as a sunday car!

[@ForeverNeverwhere1]

the supercharged one was called a g40, not gt 40, i had 4 of them, one of my favorite cars from my youth and the only car i ever bought new.

[@kennybmx7215]

6:28 I have this in my garage. Reconditioning soon!

[@vivamalta127]

WRX 588T was my yellow 1979 runabout in 1994-- only a fuel gauge and few warning lights, thats how spartan they were but never had trouble with it--sold it a year later , was using too much fuel ( I know now it was the carb needed tuning ) and didnt want to risk it failing MOT. Great story on a wonderful car which is still being built!!

[@jbmcdoogle]

Back in the 70s a friend in high school had an Audi Fox which I think you guys called the Audi 80. It was a great car. I loved going out in it. Lots of fun.