Volkswagen Polo wins Best Car of the Half Century – what’s your Car of the Century + 25?
The Volkswagen Polo has been crowned Best Car of the Half Century as part of the Best Cars of the Year – The New Car World Championships. The award, announced ahead of this year’s British Motor Show, marks the Polo’s 50th birthday and follows the same honour given to the Golf last year.
The judging panel included designers, engineers, motorsport personalities, journalists and assorted automotive big cheeses. According to award founder Mike Rutherford (no, not that one), ‘The 20 million motorists who have been buying Volkswagen Polos since 1975 cannot be wrong. It’s the most consistently credible supermini of the past 50 years.’
Since the first Mk1 Polo appeared in 1975, the supermini has grown in size, quality and ambition. These days it’s closer to a small family hatchback than a city runabout, and it remains one of Europe’s best-selling cars. With rally titles, GTI credentials and more than 20 million sales under its belt, the Polo’s ‘small but mighty’ reputation seems well deserved.
Earlier this year, Petrolblog revisited the original 1999 Car of the Century award. Back then, the Polo wasn’t in the running, but now it has half-century bragging rights. That's well mint, or something.
Which raises the question: if the Polo is the Best Car of the Half Century, what’s your Car of the Century + 25?
Petrolblog’s money would still be on the Saab 96, Renault 16, Toyota Corolla, Renault 5, Peugeot 205 or Renault Espace (none of which are likely to trouble a judging panel).
Send us a fax, or scribble your nomination on the back of a stamped addressed envelope and post it to the usual address. We’ll keep an eye out for the pigeon.
