For the market launch of the T-Cross, Volkswagen is embarking on a campaign for its latest SUV in Europe. The integrated 360° campaign includes a TV spot, printed and billboard advertisements as well as digital and social media content. The campaign face and testimonial of the T-Cross is Cara Delevingne. The claim #MoreThan1Thing describes the versatility of both the vehicle and its testimonial.

For Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales, the 26-year-old Briton with her many and varied professions and passions is the ideal choice: “Cara Delevingne and the T-Cross are a perfect match: both are multi-faceted all-rounders – young, cool and versatile. Cara is the personification of the claim that we have developed for the T-Cross– ‘More than one thing‘. I am very pleased about this cooperation.“

Cara Delevingne has been among the best-known models for almost a decade and was also enjoyed success as a singer, actress, activist and businesswoman. In her private life, she enjoys surfing, is passionate about playing the drums and takes photographs. In Volkswagen’s new campaign, her versatility makes the T-Cross her ideal companion and she presents the multi-faceted nature of the vehicle in a creative and lively way.

Cara Delevingne says about the T-Cross: “I think the T-Cross reflects me and my personality in the way that it’s fun, it’s young, it’s diverse, it’s versatile, it can go from one thing to another as quick as you need it to go. … It’s fast and sleek and I mean…It’s everything.”

The new T-Cross is the latest addition to Volkswagen’s SUV family. Since its world premiere last fall, it has rounded off the brand’s SUV range in the small car segment. With its marked style, practicality, flexibility, connectivity and economics, the urban crossover model breaks new ground in its class in many respects. This versatility is the main focus of the 360° campaign under the hash tag #MoreThan1Thing. The campaign has been created and is being implemented by the agencies DDB Berlin, DDB Hamburg and adam&eve/DDB London.

The TV spot is to be shown throughout Europe from April. Selected content of the campaign can be found on the Volkswagen websites for the markets concerned.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

On April 3, the Passat broke the 30-million-model mark for production in the Volkswagen plant at Emden, with the result that the bestseller set a new record in its segment: no other mid-range model and no other business vehicle globally has been sold more often than the Passat. The 30,000,000th vehicle – a Passat GTE Variant with a plug-in hybrid drive and a Pyrite Silver Metallic exterior – is already one of the first models in a new evolutionary stage to feature an extensive technical update (European presales will begin in May). The 30 millionth Passat will be used as a press and test vehicle for the international media over the coming months.

Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Volkswagen: “The Passat is one of Volkswagen’s most important and most successful cars – since its launch 46 years ago, 30 million customers have had confidence in this Volkswagen vehicle. As a result, the Passat has become one of the world’s greats; a car which today is as much at home in Beijing as it is in Berlin, Sydney, Johannesburg or on the streets of San Francisco. At Volkswagen we are proud of this successful model, which is still the benchmark within its class today.”

Dr. Andreas Tostmann, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Production for the Volkswagen brand: “We currently produce the Passat on three continents in 10 plants for over 100 markets. That makes the Passat a true global bestseller.” 

Volkswagen offers the Passat in various independent versions, depending on the continent. The eighth generation of the European model will be launched early this year as a saloon and a variant with a new technical setup. Thanks to the “Travel Assist” system – a new IQ.DRIVE system, to use the Volkswagen name for intelligent drive systems – the Passat is the first Volkswagen vehicle that can be partially driven with assisted driving if desired, and at any speed (0 to 210 km/h). The new model also includes features such as interactive IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlights and the MIB3 modular infotainment module applications with constant online access. 

The enhanced Passat GTE will also be of particular importance within the model range as, just like the 30 millionth vehicle, the plug-in hybrid models to come will offer significantly more electrical range in the future2. This is currently at up to 55 km measured using the new WLTP cycle, which corresponds to around 70 km2 according to the NEDC. The new Passat GTE (160 kW/218 PS system output) already achieves the limits set out in the Euro 6d emissions standard, which will apply to new vehicles from 2021.

Volkswagen launched production of the first Passat models in its Wolfsburg plant on 14 May 1973, under the motto “The beginning of a new VW era”. The model heralded a completely new family of vehicles containing water-cooled engines, front-wheel drive and ultra-modern all-steel chassis. Positioned as a mid-range model, the Passat was the successor to the VW 1600 (Type 3 with air-cooled rear engines and rear-wheel drive). In that May 46 years ago, no one in Wolfsburg could have guessed that the Passat would sell 30 million and as such would even outdo the legendary Beetle (21.5 million). Together with the Golf (35 million) and the Beetle, the Passat is one of the three best-selling Volkswagen vehicles of all time.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen Classic is presenting three themed areas at the world’s largest fair for vintage automobiles. Six unique record breakers and a 68-page booklet recount superlative achievements from the world of Volkswagen. “Summer Forever” honours 70 years of the Beetle Cabriolet with two rare exhibits. “Youth at Work” displays a special apprentice project: trainees from Volkswagen Osnabrück will complete the restoration of a classic in Hall 4.0.

Record breakers – legendary Volkswagen vehicles
They have set the benchmark with their speed, endurance or economy: Volkswagen Classic presents six exhibits from three decades of Volkswagen record breaking. 

The most recent record-breaking car is a thoroughbred racer: the Volkswagen W12 set ten international records at the high-speed circuit in Nardò (Italy) in 2001. The following year, the 400-kW (600-PS) experimental vehicle bettered all of its own records and set a new 24-hour world record with an average speed of 322.89 km/h. The W12 Nardo’s records still stand to this day. 

Back in 2000, the Lupo 3L TDI “80 Days” set out to set an economy record: under the motto “Around the World in 80 Days”, two Lupo 3L TDI covered exactly 33,333 kilometres on their journey through 22 countries. The average consumption of just 2.38 litres per 100 kilometres earned the car its place in the Guinness Book of Records – as the most economic production car in the world.

In 1988, two pilot-series Corrado G60 set six class records at the Volkswagen test facility in Ehra-Lessien. Visitors to Essen can see one of the 162-kW (220-PS) sports coupés from 1987.

A three-wheel prototype generating 0.2 kW (0.272 PS) set a consumption world record in 1982: the SMVW (Volkswagen Ecomobile) completed a 1,491-kilometre route on just one litre of diesel. 

Built in 1974, the Golf I “Alaska-Tierra del Fuego” is one of the oldest production Golf. In October 1974, together with another bright-yellow Golf I, this car undertook what is probably the longest test drive by a new model: 30,517 kilometres, from Fairbanks (Alaska) to Ushuaia (Argentina). 

On 17 February 1972, the Beetle became the most-built car in the world. To mark this production record, Volkswagen released its first special edition: the Beetle 1302 S “World Champion”. 

Mission Maximum – page after page of records
The new booklet “Mission Maximum” is packed with intriguing stories from the world of Volkswagen. You can pick up the 68-page booklet free of charge from the Volkswagen Classic exhibition stand.

Summer Forever – 70 years of the Beetle Cabriolet
In 1949, Volkswagen launched its first topless production version of the Type 1 (“Beetle”). To mark the 70th anniversary, Volkswagen Classic is proud to present to extremely rare models: a Karmann Cabriolet (Type 151) from 1949, the first year of production, and a 1950 Hebmüller Cabriolet (Type 14A), one of only 696 cars built.

Youth at Work – the Volkswagen Osnabrück trainee project
An extraordinary internship: since December 2018, Fábio Lopes and Marvin Wiethölter have been restoring a Type 3 TL, including an engine upgrade to Type 4. The trainee auto mechanics in the field of system and high-voltage technology at Volkswagen Osnabrück will complete their assembly of the 1968 classic at the Techno Classica.

The world of Volkswagen Classic
Volkswagen Classic is showing nine models from its own collection, Volkswagen AutoMuseum foundation and Autostadt Wolfsburg. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimer will also be present in Hall 4.0, marking the 40th anniversary of the T3 and 60 years of civil speed control. You can find information regarding original spare parts at the Volkswagen Classic Parts stand.

Over 1,250 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and over 200 clubs and international communities are expected at the 120,000-m² site of the 31st Techno Classica in Essen. 2,700 collector’s items will also be up for sale. In 2018 the world’s leading fair for the vintage car sector was visited by 188,000 people from 41 countries.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The Golf, the most successful European car, is turning 45. On 29 March 1974, the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg officially started production of what would become its bestseller. Back then, nobody at Volkswagen had any idea that the successor to the legendary Beetle would end up selling more than 35 million units all over the world – and still selling to this day. In purely mathematical terms, a new Golf has been ordered somewhere in the world every 41 seconds, every day, without interruption, since the start of production (SOP) 45 years ago. That is an average of around 780,000 vehicles per year.

Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen: “The Golf is at the very heart of our brand. It stands for progress and technology like no other car. For example, the Golf made safety technology affordable for millions of people for the first time. Thanks to this, it made its mark on an entire generation.” Brandstätter went on to emphasise: “For seven generations, the Golf has made a contribution to the development of Volkswagen as a brand and as a group – into one of the most important automotive producers in the world.”

Dr. Stefan Loth, Plant Manager at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg: “In 1974, our employees were facing the challenge of switching from the Beetle to the Golf. Since then, we have consistently continued to develop our main plant and today, in addition to the Golf, we produce the e-Golf1, the Golf GTE2, the Golf Sportsvan, and three additional models here in Wolfsburg.”

As one of the compact models on the global market that most defies classification, the Golf is set to remain a key product pillar of the Volkswagen brand. With its state-of-the-art drive, assist systems, Infotainment and operating systems, it will provide a decisive impetus for the future of mobility.

Important data on the debut of the Golf I:

29 March 1974: First Golf rolls off the assembly line – Start of series production
8 July 1974: Golf is available in showrooms of Volkswagen dealerships
5 August 1974: Delivery of the new Golf to customers begins

The 1974 Golf I

Design: 2-door and 4-door vehicles with boot lid
Interior: Five-seater, 300-litre luggage compartment, foldable rear bench seat
Engines: 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 37 kW / 50 PS; 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 51 kW / 7 0 PS
Drive: Front-wheel drive, four-speed manual gearbox, three-speed automatic available as an option
Maximum speed: 140 km/h (50 PS, manual gearbox); 160 km/h (70 PS, manual gearbox)
Models: Golf and Golf L (both 50 PS); Golf S and Golf LS (both 70 PS)

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com