Interesting Facts about the Volkswagen Scirocco
Posted by admin at 22 June 2013, at 20 : 18 PM
The old and the new
We often tend to refer to the Sciroccos as the old one and the new one. In reality, there are 3 generations of Volkswagen Scirocco. The first one made appearance in 1974 and was produced until the 1981. The 2nd generation lasted until 1992 and then the car fell into a 16-year hiatus. Finally, after a long deliberation, it was decided to resurrect the brand in 2006 with the 3rd generation Scirocco hitting the dealerships in 2008.
Mutually compatible
Both MK1 and MK2 Volkswagen Sciroccos are based on the famous A1 platform of Golf. When the time came for the MK2 to replace the first generation, the A2 platform wasn’t ready yet so it was decided to keep the A1 platform. Because the cars share the same underpinning, they also share many other parts that’s why it’s so easy to find cheap spare parts for restoration projects. Although the cars are based on the Golf, they don’t drive like a Golf. Not only they look sporty, they also feel sporty!
Outsourced production
Just like many other special projects, the Scirocco was outsourced to the famous Karmann factory, where it was assembled along other sporty Volkswagens – such as Beetle Cabrio, Golf Cabrio and Karmann Ghia. The Karmann factory is a world-renowned specialist in open-top vehicle production.
In-house design wins
The first generation was designed by the famous Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. With the forthcoming update, it was decided to entrust the work to an in-house design team. The overall feedback from both the motoring press and the buyers is that the cheaper in-house design is a more accomplished work. Although some say that it borrows too many elements from the DeLorean DMC-12.
Faster than the wind
Its name is derived from the Greek sirokos, which is a name for a warm and dry Mediterranean wind. Scirocco is one of the least-used variations of spelling of this wind.
Over a million produced
If you’re following the news from the automotive industry, you will know how difficult it is to sell sporty models. It has been a challenge since the 1970’s fuel crisis. People are getting more practical and pragmatical about their cars and they will often choose a hatchback. It has to be something special in order to get a mainstream recognition, and apparently the Scirocco is special.
The first generation saw 504,000 cars produced. There were 291,000 2nd generation cars made and finally, the new model has found 220,000 owners since its 2008 debut. Yes, you’ve calculated it right – that’s more than 1 million cars in total. Very few cars have achieved the coveted magic million mark but Volkswagen has done it more than once.
Tuner’s delight
All 3 generations are favourites among the semi-professional car-tuners. There are many companies out there producing tuning parts for all Sciroccos. In 2009 VW had a go at tuning their new Scirocco themselves. The resulting Model R is a 261 BHP beast with double tailpipes and 18-inch alloys.