Editing Volkswagen (section)

===1974–1990: Product line expansion===
[[File:VW Polo I front 20090810.jpg|thumb|[[Volkswagen Polo Mk1|Volkswagen Polo]] (1975–1979 model)]]

While Volkswagen's range of cars soon became similar to that of other large European car makers, the Golf has been the mainstay of the Volkswagen line-up since its introduction, and the mechanical basis for several other cars of the company. There have been eight generations of the [[Volkswagen Golf]], the first of which was produced from the summer of 1974 until the autumn of 1983 (sold as the Rabbit in the United States and Canada and as the Caribe in Latin America). Its chassis also spawned the [[Volkswagen Scirocco]] sport [[coupe]], [[Volkswagen Jetta]] saloon/sedan, Volkswagen Golf [[Cabriolet (automobile)|Cabriolet]] convertible, and [[Volkswagen Caddy]] pick-up. North American production of the Rabbit commenced at the [[Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant]] near [[New Stanton, Pennsylvania]] in 1978. It would be produced in the United States as the Rabbit until the spring of 1984.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} The second-generation Golf hatchback/Jetta sedan ran from October 1983 until the autumn of 1991, and a North American version produced at Westmoreland Assembly went on sale at the start of the 1985 model year. The production numbers of the first-generation Golf has continued to grow annually in South Africa as the [[Volkswagen Citi Golf|Citi Golf]], with only minor modifications to the interior, engine and chassis, using tooling relocated from the [[New Stanton, Pennsylvania]] plant when that site began to build the Second Generation car.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

In the 1980s, Volkswagen's sales in the United States and Canada fell dramatically, despite the success of models like the Golf elsewhere. Sales in the United States were 293,595 in 1980, but by 1984 they were down to 177,709.<ref>Flammang, James, ''Volkswagen: Beetles, Buses and Beyond,'' Krause Publications, 1996</ref> The introduction of the second-generation Golf, GTI and Jetta models helped Volkswagen briefly in North America. [[Motor Trend]] named the GTI its Car of the Year for 1985, and Volkswagen rose in the J.D. Power buyer satisfaction ratings to eighth place in 1985, up from 22nd a year earlier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kiley|first=David|title=Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall and Comeback of Volkswagen in America|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|date=2001}}</ref> VW's American sales broke 200,000 in 1985 and 1986 before resuming the downward trend from earlier in the decade. Chairman [[Carl Hahn]] decided to expand the company elsewhere (mostly in developing countries), and the New Stanton, Pennsylvania factory closed on 14 July 1988.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7D6113DF932A15752C1A961948260 | title=Volkswagen to Shut U.S. Plant | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | first=John | last=Holusha | date=21 November 1987 | access-date=17 May 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206165847/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7D6113DF932A15752C1A961948260 | archive-date=6 December 2008 | url-status=live }}</ref> Meanwhile, four years after signing a cooperation agreement with the Spanish car maker SEAT in 1982, Hahn expanded the company by purchasing a majority share of SEAT up to 75% by the end of 1986, which VW bought outright in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.seat.com/en/company/368-seat-hoy.html |title=A look at SEAT's time line 2008-1950 |website=seat.com |publisher=SEAT S.A. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718053942/http://media.seat.com/en/company/368-seat-hoy.html |archive-date=18 July 2009 }}</ref> On 4 July 1985, ''Volkswagenwerk AG'' was renamed to ''Volkswagen AG''.

Volkswagen entered the supermini market in 1975 with the [[Volkswagen Polo]], a stylish and spacious three-door hatchback designed by [[Gruppo Bertone|Bertone]]. It was a strong seller in West Germany and most of the rest of Western Europe, being one of the first foreign small cars to prove popular in Britain. It had started out in 1974 as the [[Audi 50]], which was only available in certain markets and was less popular. The Polo entered a market sector already being dominated by the [[Fiat 127]] and [[Renault 5]], and which before long would also include the [[Austin Metro]] and [[Ford Fiesta]].{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

In 1981, the second-generation Polo launched as a hatchback (resembling a small estate car). In 1983 the range was expanded, with the introduction of a Coupe (similar to a conventional hatchback), and the Classic (a 2-door saloon).<ref>{{cite web |title=Series 2 Polo: 1981–1994 |url=http://www.polodriver.com/heritage/series-2-polo-1981-1994/ |website=polodriver.com/ |date=6 September 2009 |publisher=Polo Driver}}</ref> The Polo's practicality, despite the lack of a five-door version, helped ensure even stronger sales than its predecessor. It continued to sell well after a makeover in 1990, finally being replaced by an all-new version in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Series 3 Polo: 1994–2001 |url=http://www.polodriver.com/heritage/series-3-polo-1994-2001/ |website=www.polodriver.com |date=15 September 2009 |publisher=Polo Driver}}</ref> Also arriving in 1981 were the second generation of the larger Passat and a second generation of the [[Volkswagen Scirocco]] coupe.

In 1983 the MK2 Golf was launched. At the beginning of 1988, the third generation Passat was the next major car launch and Volkswagen did not produce a hatchback version of this Passat, despite the rising popularity of the hatchback body style throughout Europe.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} Just after launching the B3 Passat, Volkswagen launched the [[Volkswagen Corrado|Corrado]], analogous to the [[Volkswagen Scirocco|Scirocco]], although the Scirocco remained in production until 1992; a third generation of Scirocco was in production 2008–17.<ref>Rob Stumpf, "The Volkswagen Scirocco is Dead (Again)", ''The Drive'' (12 October 2017): online at https://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/15084/the-volkswagen-scirocco-is-dead-again</ref>