Have We Really Come All That Far in 35 Years?

This is a large format brochure for the original VW Polo from 1975 (11 x 17 inches, 8 pages). I spent a few months in Germany during my senior year in high school, on an exchange program. My class went to several cool places, and several great cities, for cultural, educational and social reasons. I, of course, found my way to every car dealer I saw, lol. I loved this tiny little VW, which was also sold as an Audi, the 50 model. 

Notice that the cover shows the base model at the top, with the black rubber trim around the windows, and plain body sides, and the "L" model at the bottom with chrome window reveals and a mid-height chrome/rubber body molding. The German translates to "Small on the Outside, Big on the Inside," not exactly a new PR theme, even 35 years ago. Cars have been advertised that way since the beginning of the industry in the early 1900s, the Rambler making it quite a famous motif in the 1950s and '60s.

Also notice the proportions of this small front-wheel drive car. The wheels are fairly well forward, almost rear-wheel drive in looks. Perhaps that's why I find it so appealing. I don't think VW has improved upon this Giugiaro design since. Georgetto Giugiaro was truly at the height of his game with all of the cars he designed in the 1970s.

Nothing says the 1970s more in this brochure than these exterior and interior color selections. We're so used to having tasteful, nondescript exterior colors these days, and it's extremely rare that an interior is anything other than 3 shades of gray. I would love VW to come out with a 'heritage' color option for their new cars, and use these colors. They've done that with the New Beetle, but the colors they chose were from the fifties and early sixties. I could really get into a VW Golf with a cinnamon and black houndstooth cloth interior. I wouldn't mind seeing more primary colors on cars' exteriors either.