After a three-year break,Volkswagen will be at this year’s Techno Classica from 12 up to 16 April, presenting its historic models as a brand “with a heart”. The appearance in Essen is all about the Passat. An every-day hero and a design classic, the car will be marking half a century of success.
In 1973, the Passat represented the start of a major Volkswagen product campaign and signalled the dawn of a new era for automotive technology. It was the Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro who was responsible for the design of the new family – although his original design, referred to as the EA 272, was scrapped at the last minute for cost reasons. But Giugiaro went on to develop a more rational model on the basis of the Audi 80 B1, featuring a shapely hatchback and a modified front section. The original Passat remains a design icon to this day. Giugiaro’s creations also include the Scirocco I and Golf I, which were both launched the following year. The Volkswagen Passat made its debut in 1973 as a two- and four-door hatchback sedan. The estate version followed in January 1974.
“Immer wieder neu”: always reinventing itself – this is the motto Volkswagen Classic have chosen to mark the anniversary. The Passat is and has always been a car for a lifetime. Right from the start, customers appreciated its all-round qualities, and the car has continued to improve and develop across eight generations. Time and again over the decades, the Passat has showcased bold new design ideas, whilst passing on its tried and tested strengths from one generation to the next – as it will continue to do in the future.
The Volkswagen Classic stand will feature five vehicles that represent the historic origins of the Passat: