- A tiny car carrier with 70 Polo models debuts at Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland.
- The display is part of the celebrations for 50 years since the debut of the original Polo.
- The current sixth generation of the supermini will receive an extensive updated in 2025.
Half a century in the auto world is no small feat, especially for a model that was never meant to be flashy but ended up becoming a quiet icon. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Polo, and Volkswagen is celebrating the legacy of its supermini with a fitting tribute: a miniature car carrier train, built to a 1:87 scale and fully loaded with tiny Polo models.
The display is part of ‘Miniatur Wunderland,’ a famous attraction located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt district in Germany. Known worldwide for its intricate and ultra-detailed miniature exhibits, the venue features everything from buildings and bridges to cars, trucks, airplanes, and ships, all rendered with stunning realism. It has long been a must-visit destination for scale model enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.
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The new Polo-themed train has 12 carriages, carrying a total of 70 Polo models in a range of colors. Most of them are fifth-generation versions, the ones sold between 2009 and 2017. However, sharp-eyed visitors will spot a blue first-generation Polo from 1975 tucked among them. The absence of the latest sixth-generation Polo likely comes down to the limited availability of 1:87 scale replicas.
The train is part of the miniature “City of Hamburg” section, which features scaled-down versions of local landmarks like the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, the Elbe bridges, and the bustling port. To add to the celebration, the model train stations along the route are decked out with “50 Years of Polo” billboards
A Supermini Turns 50
The Polo has now been on sale for five decades, making it one of the oldest and most familiar names in the supermini segment. Alongside the Golf and the Passat, it stands as one of Volkswagen’s most recognizable badges. Over six generations, introduced in 1975, 1981, 1994, 2001, 2009, and 2017, the Polo has achieved cumulative sales of more than 20 million units worldwide.
Volkswagen has confirmed that the Polo will receive an “extensive update” in 2025, marking the second facelift of the sixth-generation after the 2021 refresh. This will ensure compatibility with the stricter Euro 7 emission regulations, securing the Polo’s future in the Old Continent – at least for a few more years.
The refreshed Polo will continue to be powered by internal combustion engines, but it will soon share showroom space with Volkswagen’s new generation of electric hatchbacks. The fully electric ID.2 is set to arrive in 2026, followed by the even smaller ID.1 in 2027.