The Volkswagen Type 3 and Type 4 were the company’s first forays into the saloon market. The Type 3 sold very well in its 12-year production run, while the Type 4 had a much shorter run, but sold equally well. But by the early 1970s, both cars were ageing and so, Volkswagen decided to create a new car to replace both models.
To create the car, Volkswagen would call upon legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was also busy at the time designing the Golf. Giugiaro designed the car to have a more modern take on the styling of the Type 4. It’s boxy shape helped it fit into the design trends of the time. The Passat was also one of the first Volkswagens to feature a water-cooled engine, at a time when Volkswagen was transitioning away from their legendary air-cooled boxer engine.
Releasing in 1973, the Passat became an instant hit. The front-wheel drive, water-cooled, front-engined VW was one of the most modern cars on the market when it was launched. It also destroyed rivals such as the Renault 16 and Austin Maxi in terms of sales. The car was available as a saloon or an estate, with two or four doors, all of which sold very well.
The Passat received a facelift in 1977, with positive changes to the interior and the exterior of the car. The car also received newer, more powerful, and more efficient engines with this facelift. But by 1980, the car was starting to show its age and to make sure that the Passat didn’t lag behind its rivals, Volkswagen replaced the first-generation Passat (B1) with the second-generation version (B2).
The B1 Passat’s success was the result of Volkswagen’s labours. The car was launched at a time when the brand’s whole identity was changing. Before the Passat was launched, Volkswagen had been making cars designed 15-20 years earlier. However, the Passat, and subsequently the Golf, helped show the motoring world that Volkswagen was a modern brand and capable of designing and building cars from the ground up.
The Passat continues to sell in big numbers in many markets to this day. It is the bestselling car of all time in its class, with over 30 million produced to date. However, the car’s time at the helm of Volkswagen is coming to an end. With changing trends and electrification on the horizon, the Passat ended production last year. But the Passat will live on in the memory that it was the first Volkswagen of a new era
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