Volkswagen Polo Turns 50

Volkswagen is celebrating 50 years of the Polo, the little car that was first seen back in May 1975. What began as a simple two-door hatchback has evolved into one of the most successful small cars of all time, with more than 20 million units sold across six generations.

Back in the mid-70s, Volkswagen promoted the Polo with the tagline, “Small on the outside. Big on the inside.” That promise of practicality, affordability, and clever engineering has stayed with the model throughout its lifetime. Fitting in alongside the Passat and Golf in VW’s then-new generation of water-cooled cars, the Polo gave buyers an entry-level option that didn’t feel like a compromise compared to the more expensive cars.

Each new generation has pushed the boundaries for what a small car can do. From its relatively basic beginning, the Polo grew to include the sporty GTI and R WRC models, fuel-efficient BlueMotion models, and design specials like the Harlequin. It’s also won several awards during the last 50 years, including Car of the Year 2010, World Car of the Year 2010 and World Urban Car 2018.

Across its six generations, the Polo has introduced a range of safety and tech features previously only seen on larger vehicles. Front and side airbags, ABS, power steering, and later on in its life, digital cockpit displays and advanced driver assistance systems could all be found in the Polo.

Built initially in Wolfsburg, Germany, the Polo’s production has expanded globally to meet demand, with manufacturing sites in Spain, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, and more.

The Polo remains a benchmark in its class with further updates planned for 2025.

Congratulations to Volkswagen for reaching half a century of the Polo.

• Polo I (1975–1981): Launched as a basic but practical two-door. Also sold as the Derby with a notchback boot. Over 1.1 million built.
• Polo II (1981–1994): Added estate and coupé styles, plus the first diesel and sporty GT versions. Sales topped 2.7 million.
• Polo III (1994–2001): Bigger, safer, and offered as a five-door for the first time. Included the quirky multi-coloured Harlequin edition and the debut GTI.
• Polo IV (2001–2009): Brought sharper styling and more space, with innovations like the off-road-style CrossPolo and ultra-efficient BlueMotion.
• Polo V (2009–2017): Introduced a sleek, clean design and continued the GTI and WRC performance legacy. 6.3 million units sold.
• Polo VI (2017–present): Built on VW’s MQB platform, it’s the most tech-packed Polo yet. Includes high-end features like adaptive cruise control, digital displays, and wireless smartphone integration.