Volkswagen Celebrates 50 Years of Passat at Techno Classica Car Show in Essen

After a three-year break, Volkswagen will make its return to the Techno Classica this year. The world’s largest classic car fair will be an opportunity for Volkswagen Classic to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Passat using the slogan “Immer wieder neu” (“Always reinventing itself”).

The year 1973 saw the launch of the Passat, a brand new model family equipped with a water-cooled engine. It was the start of a global success story that continues to this day. To mark this milestone, five specially selected Passat exhibits will be on show in Essen from 12 up to 16 April.

The Passat was launched as Volkswagen's flagship model and was part of its strategy to transform its post-Beetle lineup. The Passat shared many components and styling with the Audi 80, which were both designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was offered as a sedan, wagon, or liftback and was one of the most modern European family cars of its time, featuring front-wheel drive and fuel injection.

The second-generation Passat debuted in 1980 and still shared most of its components with the Audi 80. Top-of-the-line models received the Audi five-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, which Volkswagen called the Syncro. The Passat was manufactured in China, Mexico, South America, and South Africa and sold on six continents, increasing its production.

Several changes were made with the third-generation Passat, including moving it over to a VW platform shared with the Golf. Styling also departed from Audi and featured a unique front end that recalled air-cooled VWs of the past. It is the only generation with that unusual styling. A facelift was engineered in 1993, and styling returned to its more traditional Audi-like look from then on.

For the Techno Classica, Volkswagen has given the Passat the motto "Immer weider neu" or "always reinventing itself" to mark the car's anniversary. The Passat has been appreciated by customers from the beginning for its value and engineering, and each of the eight generations has built on those strengths while adapting to the changing times.

However, Volkswagen has made recent changes to the Passat lineup, including dropping the model from the US lineup and ending production of the sedan. The 2024 Passat model will be a wagon-only model sharing a platform with Skoda, while the sedan version will be replaced with a new EV.

Source: Volkswagen