by Phil Matthews
1996
Inchcape creates and publishes the www.volkswagen.com.au website for the first
time.
The Golf Diesel returns to Australia, for the first time since 1981. The turbocharged 66 kW 1.9-litre Golf 3 GL TDI is priced at $36,000 for the manual and $39,000 for the auto.
The budget Golf CL is also introduced, with a 66 kW 1.8-litre engine, and retailing for $26,990 for the manual, or $29,090 for the auto. Options such as air conditioning, ABS and metallic paint were available if desired.
Australian VW enthusiasts are sad to learn of the death of Gene Berg. The perpetual ‘Gene Berg Trophy’ is established for the fastest street-registered VW at future Club Veedub-sanctioned Australian drag race events.
The Mk 3 VW Polo GL is displayed, for the first time in Australia, at the Sydney Motor Show. It is released for sale at the end of the year, with a 55 kW 1.6-litre engine, with a base price of $19,990. It becomes the first Polo to be sold in Australia, and also the first Spanish-made Volkswagen to be sold in Australia (not counting SEATs).
Club Veedub Sydney creates their own website, www.clubvw.org.au, one of the first Australian Volkswagen clubs to do so.
4,473 Volkswagens are sold – 47 Polos, 1,502 Golfs, 136 VR6s, 250 Cabrios, 255 Ventos, 346 Passats, 49 Caravelles and 1,888 Transporters.
1997
UK-based Inchcape, owners of the Australian VW importer TKM Automotive Australia,
change the business name to ‘Volkswagen Distributors’. They appoint
UK motoring executive Ewan Ramsey as the Managing Director of the VW division.
Bruce Meyers and his wife Winnie visit Australia and attend the VW Nationals. Bruce was the American inventor of the Meyers Manx dune buggy in the late 1960s.
The Polo GL is an instant hit in Australia and the first four shipments are sold out, leaving a 3-month waiting list. As a result, the unpopular Vento, the booted version of the Golf, is discontinued.
The B4 Passat is discontinued. The new B5 Passat is shown at the Sydney Motor Show but is not due for release until the new year.
The Caravelle is upgraded with a redesigned nose, ‘plus’ suspension, rear discs, new colours and trim and choice of a 103 kW VR6 engine. Syncro options are also available, with 2.4-litre diesel or 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine. The base Transporters are also updated, with four-wheel disc brakes, driver’s side airbag and revised nose.
One example of the LT van is also displayed at the Sydney show, pending a possible Australian release later, but the LT does not go on sale (yet).
Dave Butler breaks Peter Keegan’s 1976 Australian VW drag racing record of 10.29 sec with a pass of 10.22 sec in his 2400cc supercharged Beetle. This was broken only a few months later by Rod Penrose, with a 10.1 sec @ 218 km/h pass at Eastern Creek.
6,941 Volkswagens are sold – 1,711 Polos, 2,472 Golfs, 100 VR6s, 289 Cabrios, 4 Ventos, 8 Passats, 84 Caravelles and 2,273 Transporters.
1998
Australia’s biggest VW show, the VW Nationals, is moved from
Parklea to a new venue at the Fairfield Showgrounds. The show area is completely
undercover, so any rainfall does not affect the show. Traders, swappers and
show cars are all together, not in separate buildings, and the food and drink
facilities are much better.
The Polo range is expanded with the Open Air, full-length electric sliding roof version. Three colours are available – Flash Red, Fjord Blue and Bright Green. Priced at $22,090, the Polo Open Air is only $1,500 more than the usual hardtop version. Likewise, the Polo Trek model now comes with a free Trek 4500 24-speed Mountain Bike as standard, which is roof-mounted via a special roof rack and bike mounting system.
After being shown at the Sydney Motor Show, the Golf 4 is released. The base GL has a 74 kW 1.6-litre engine, and choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. Prices start at $29,800. The higher-spec Golf GLE has a bigger 92 kW 2.0-litre engine and more luxurious interior, and costs $34,990, some $5,000 more than the GL.
The updated ‘Mk3½’ Golf Cabriolet is released. Still a Golf 3 Cabrio, but with a new nose that matches the Golf 4, smoked taillights, sports seats and leather trim. The 1.8-litre is $42,390, and the higher spec 2.0-litre is $51,390.
The latest fifth generation Passat (B5) is released. Prices range from $39,990 for the 92 kW 20V; through $49,190 for the 20V turbo ‘Anniversary’, up to $54,990 for the 142 kW V6 with 5-speed DSP Tiptronic gearbox and syncro 4WD. Sedan and Variant (station wagon) bodies are available for the top two models.
The New Beetle is displayed for the first time, in yellow left-hand drive form, at the Sydney Motor Show in order to test market acceptance. No plans for local release are announced.
7,375 Volkswagens are sold – 1,391 Polos, 2,405 Golfs, 59 VR6s, 217 Cabrios, 1,317 Passats, 218 Caravelles and 1,768 Transporters.
1999
Inchcape retires the ‘TKM’ name, and renames the ‘Volkswagen
Distributors’ division to ‘Inchcape Distributors Australia Pty Ltd.’
Technically there is no such thing as ‘Volkswagen Australia’ any
more.
Club Veedub Sydney moves to its current monthly meeting venue, the Greyhound Social Club, located at 140 Rookwood Rd at Yagoona.
The VW ‘W12’ $200,000 supercar is displayed at the Melbourne Motor Show. This car never makes production and is destined for the Wolfsburg museum, but its engine is later used in the Phaeton (never sold in Australia).
Joining the other Golf Mk4s, the Golf GTI is released; the first GTI model sold in Australia since the Mk2 8V in 1992. It comes with a 110 kW 1.8-litre turbo engine, and sells for $43,990 (four-door models only for Australia).
The booted Golf 4, now called the Bora, is released. Two versions are offered: the 85 kW 2.0-litre four, and the unique 110 kW 15-degree V5, the first five-cylinder VW sold in Australia (not including Audis).
The New Beetle display at the Sydney Motor Show is expanded. Pre-release right-hand drive models are shown, with plenty of promotional material available and an extensive accessory list prepared. Release is planned for the new year.
The NSW Ambulance service buys 65 VW T4 Ambulances, locally converted with tall fibreglass roofs and twin sliding doors, for $4 million. They are found to be too narrow and cramped, and unsuitable for front-line duty. They are eventually replaced by larger Mercedes Sprinter vans (as the equivalent VW LT is not available in Australia) .
Inchcape stops importing the VW-owned SEAT brand of vehicles into Australia.
6,214 Volkswagens are sold – 1,054 Polos, 2,807 Golfs, 253 Cabrios, 72 Boras, 1,153 Passats, 105 Caravelles and 770 Transporters.
2000
The New Beetle is officially launched in Australia at a razzle-dazzle evening
function at Darling Harbour in Sydney, called ‘Beetlemania 2000’.
George Smilovich is the host and it features a VIP cocktail party, Club Veedub
and Flat 4 beer drinking, old and new VW show cars, and the Beatles rock band
look-alikes ‘the Beatels’. A club vehicle outdoor display continues
the following day.
The New Beetle goes on sale, with an 85 kW 2.0-litre engine, for $34,690 for the 5-speed manual and another $2,000 for the 4-speed auto. It becomes the first Mexican-made Volkswagen to be sold in Australia. A ‘Sunshine’ edition appears later in the year, with bright yellow paint, allow wheels, sunroof and different trim.
The updated Polo is released, with new nose and front bodywork, redesigned interior and more luxurious trim. Only the 16V version is available, with 55 kW 1.4-litre engine. It is priced at $22,490 for the manual, and $2,000 more for the 4-speed auto.
A limited edition ‘Rally’ version of the Golf is announced, in celebration of the Golf winning the Australian F2 Rally Championship in 1999. The Golf Rally has the 1.6-litre engine, 15” Amaroo alloy wheels, dark taillights and special badges.
A limited edition ‘20V Turbo Sport’ version of the Passat is announced. It has sports seats with leather upholstery, 16” Montreal alloy wheels and special badges, $4,000 worth of extras for $45,490, only $500 more than the Passat 20V’s usual price. The Passat is awarded the NRMA Best Car Award for Best Luxury Car under $56,000.
The name ‘4Motion’ replaces ‘syncro’ across the VW’s 4WD range worldwide, due to Steyr Daimler Puch losing the VW 4WD contract. All of VW’s future 4WDs will be designed in house and will carry the ‘4Motion’ name. For Australia this only affects the Passat and Transporter/Caravelle. The Caravelle V6 is discontinued, with a 5-cylinder 75kW TDI option joining the 2.5-litre petrol engine.
8,216 Volkswagens are sold – 811 Polos, 3,519 Golfs, 155 Cabrios, 692
Boras, 1,328 New Beetles, 756 Passats, 90 Caravelles and 865 Transporters.