VW Polo becomes 35: Employees remember hard times and success!

VW Polo becomes 35: Employees remember hard times and success!

In the small but fine Zwickau, a very special anniversary is celebrated today: Exactly 35 years ago, the first VW Polo ran off the assembly line and opened a new chapter in the history of the automobile plant. At the beginning when the polo rolled over the conveyor belt in a bright alpine white, many employees remember with a smile. The 1.3-liter engine with 55 HP is now a real collector's item and tells the story of a remarkable development in Saxon region. According to news38 Legendary Trabants, which was a central part of the car culture in the GDR until the turn.

To celebrate the day, long -time employees reported their experiences over the years. "Our heart was tuned," says a colleague who witnessed the challenges at that time and also the ups and downs in the company. The hard working conditions, especially for the layers of the weekend and at night, often created a negative mood. At that time, some had the courage to quit while others were doing it to build the cars from the wooden boxes in which the parts from the West were delivered. Today you are optimistic, the future of the work looks better than some think.

a look back and forward

The beginning of modern automotive production in Zwickau marked the year 1990 when the first VW Polos and later also models such as Golf and Passat were produced in the Moselle plant. Jörn Kaiser and Udo Friedrich, two mechanical engineers who were already active as a body builder at VEB Sachsenring, are proud to have witnessed the development from the Trabant to today's e-mobility. According to mdr Both have installed all models at VW Saxony and can go well to the transitional time to fully electric variants such as ID.3 and ID.4 remember that have been manufactured in the Zwickau plant since 2020.

In today's world, in which sustainability and climate goals are urgently on the table, the image of the automotive industry has changed significantly. Cars are still indispensable for many commuters and vacationers, while in urban rooms, possession of a car is more and more questioned. The challenge of the traffic turnaround is noticeable everywhere and is also discussed in the plant in Zwickau. The opinion is shared: "The young people find the new models great, while the elderly often hold on to their combustion," reveals Udo.

Together into the future

While the workforce in Zwickau's work looks full of hope for the future, the industry must face the increasing challenges, as is already outlined in the history of the automobile. Historical turning points such as the oil crisis or the German reunification have repeatedly put the automotive business to the test, and the ongoing discussion about electromobility could be the next big wave. As can be seen from a contribution of the Federal Center for Political Education , even if environmental concerns are increasingly being discussed in the discussion with flow in.

The employees in the Zwickau plant agree: Despite all the challenges, work continues to work on innovative solutions, and they firmly believe in the continued existence of automotive production in their homeland. "There is something," is the motto for the coming years, and with the concentrated know-how and the passion that the Zwickauer put in work, the success story of the VW Polos and the entire work could not be over.