El Polo says goodbye to Pamplona four decades later

next week, before Sanfermin, will come out from lines installation of the newest Volkswagen Navarra car models Polo forty years later that this emblematic tourist product began to be produced in a factory in Pamplona, ​​making this “bestseller” one of its calling cards.

He poleof which a total of six redesigns -five of them were made in Pamplona – they are no longer assembled at the Pamplona plant, and doesn’t disappear market, because will continue to be produced at the German multinational plant in the city of South Africa.

In just these forty years Volkswagen Navarra produced more than 8.4 million. units of this model (8,421,145 as of 6:00 a.m. Friday, June 28).

Polo’s farewell in Pamplona has a very specific reason: include space on assembly lines for the next production Two electric Volkswagen models.

SUCCESS FROM DAY ONE

He first Volkswagen Polo (A01) Born in 1975 How two-door passenger car segment B. It was launched on the market as a more economical version of the Audi 50 and was produced exclusively in Russia. Wolfsburg (Germany).

This car, the first generation of which was produced until 1981, was Commercial success from the very first moment, with sales of millions of units worldwide. The small size (length 3.5 meters) and the Volkswagen engine guarantee were its calling cards.

A March 20, 1984thanks to agreement between INI and Volkswagenleft lines of the Pamplona plant, then SEATHe the first of Polo from second generation (A02). At that time, no one could have imagined that this small car would become one of the plant’s strengths when it had to survive the difficult times that the Spanish automotive sector experienced.

Polo A02 was equipped four-cylinder engines and reached maximum speed 154 kilometers per hour. Advertisements at the time offered it from 547,700 pesetas (today 3,291 euros) under the slogan “The Volkswagen Polo is already Spanish: let it go.” The advertisement described it as “the youngest Volkswagen, meeting modern requirements in price, technology, safety, power, performance and comfort.”

IN In June 1992, the millionth Polo was produced in Pamplona. and in September of the same year, the Navarre plant became the only manufacturer of this model in the world. This exclusivity has been the basis of the plant’s expansion for decades.

MORE MODERN AND SOPHISTICATED

Almost a decade until May 1994lasted production A02 in Pamplona, ​​of which 1,351,373 were produced. Was replaced by A03, more aerodynamic and with a wider range of colors. And for the first time, it was available with four doors.

A few months later, in December 1994, following the takeover of SEAT by the German multinational, the Pamplona company acquired the name Volkswagen Navarra SA.

It was the 90s in Spain, with all its the burden of renewal, creativity and transgression. In this innovative context, in 1994 Harlequin Polowhere different body parts are painted in different colors. “The spirit of the 90s,” the advertising said at the time. It was a limited edition version of the high-end Polo, planned to be released in only 1,000 units, but about 3,800 of these colorful cars were built by 1998.

IN September 1999 a new one was launched Polo A03 GPwhich was replaced in 2001 by the A04, a completely new, longer and more sophisticated car. This model continued to be the basis of Volkswagen Navarra, where the 4 millionth Polo was produced in September 2004.

A new optionHe Polo Crosswas transferred exclusively to the Landaben plant in January 2008, and in March 2009 the Polo A05 was launched, a 3.91 metre long version that was already close in size and performance to its big brother, the Volkswagen Golf.

milestones Things have been happening around this model for years: Polo peaked in 2011 with 356,356 units, in March 2012 the 6 millionth Polo was produced, in March 2015 this model turned 40 years old, in August Polo 7 million, and in June 2017 the new A07 was introduced (someone decided to skip the A06) and the figure of 8 million units was reached.

WORLD CHAMPION 4 TIMES

Throughout its history and six generations, the company pole received four world rally championships in a row, from 2013 to 2016. The Polo R WRC has achieved 43 wins out of a possible 52 and is the car with the highest winning percentage in the history of the World Rally Championship.

body The Polos for the World Championship were manufactured at the Volkswagen Navarra plant. Since the FIA ​​requires a minimum of 2,500 cars of the participating models to be produced in series, that is the number of units that the limited edition Polo R WRC with a 1.6 liter engine was built, and it sold out immediately. Along with the Harlequin, it is one of the Polo variants most coveted by fans right now.