Prizegiving in Wolfsburg. Volkswagen kingdom

Volkswagen was proud to celebrate the Polo's win of Car of the Year 2010 award in their own headquarters. The imposing complex made of classic and modern buildings where the big VW factory stands in Wolfsburg, was the venue for this prize giving event. The appealing and ever-changing exhibit Autostadt was, as usual, another point of interest close by.
The manufacturer was again at the top of this contest, 18 years after the Golf III got the coveted trophy in Madrid. Plenty of top Volkswagen executives were in Wolfsburg representing the distinguished team of specialists behind the development and production of the Polo and the rest of a wide model range that explains the current success of the manufacturer in spite of a global economic crisis.
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, head of Volkswagen AG, was there to collect the trophy from the hands of Hakan Matson, president of CotY Jury.
Prior to this event, the General Assembly of CotY Jury elected a new Secretary General, Frank Janssen, as a successor to Eduardo Azpilicueta, who has retired from the Jury after 25 years of membership.

Speech by Hakan Matson, President of Car of the Year Jury:
"The Polo was launched in a year of dramatic changes for the industry and it is a credible answer to all the challenges of the future."

Ladies and gentlemen,

Looking out over the guests here tonight I believe it is fair to say that most of us would remember the 70s.
In many ways it was NOT a decade worth remembering.
Not like the swinging 60s with free love, hippies, Flower Power and the Beatles.
Or like the glamorous 80s, with yuppies, greed, Gordon Gekko and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Those were decades that made us either happy or rich.
The 70s were darker, very much characterized by two oil crises, little of an aftermath after the 60s.
Being Swedish I would love to claim that the most important thing with the 70s was the break-through for ABBA.
Well, maybe it was not.
So let me point out a few other things about the 70s.
In 1973 a book was published, that drew much attention. The title was "Small is beautiful" – with a sub-title which must not be forgotten: "Economics as if people mattered".
The author was the Ernst Friedrich Schumacher, who was born here in Germany.
But he borrowed the title from his teacher Leopold Kohr, born in Austria.
The ideas launched in the book were radical, yet appealing.

Work should not only be about earning money, but also personal development and satisfaction.
A large organization must behave like a group of many small ones to function.
Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology, towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and the beautiful.

In contrast to bigger is always better, small was supposed to be beautiful.
I believe we all have something to learn from that, also the automotive industry.
Two years later, in 1975, Volkswagen launched the Polo.
The first Polo’s were manufactured here in Wolfsburg, but soon also worldwide.
At the end of the 70s sales figures for the Polo reached an annual rate of 500 000 cars, which of course was a success.
The first Polo was heavily based on the Audi 50, being a budget alternative with a basic spec, less options and a low price.
Polo was a car typical for its time.
Small – yes.
Beautiful – well, perhaps not in all respects.
But small cars have improved much more during the last 30 years than larger cars.
The leap from the Polo of 1975 to the Polo of today, the Car of the Year 2010, is just impressing.
The new Polo has a high level of comfort, it is fun to drive, especially with the Double Clutch Gearbox, it is one of the safest cars in its class, its interior is premium and the styling is – at least in my eyes – just spot on.
We are celebrating tonight a car that has all the qualities reserved for larger cars only in the 70s.
Now the Polo was launched in a year when the automotive industry went through dramatic changes and the car is a credible answer to all the challenges of the future with rising demands on the automobile from the society.
Our Jury, 59 members from 23 countries, acknowledged all this, and more. The yet-to-be-launched version with CO2-emissions of only 87 grams is a remarkable technical achievement.
All Jury members gave points to the winner and no less than 25 Jurors had the Polo as their favourite.
Reading the comments from the Jury confirms the impression that what we have here is something beyond just another small car.
Just a few quotes:
"The Polo is really a small car close to perfection".
Next:
"It is all about quality, from the solid and roomy interior to the sporty handling, which yet does not compromise on a comfortable ride".
And how about this:
"It’s built like the Bismarck, yet drives with the fluidity that previous Polo owners could only dream of".
And the last one – and this is the complete comment:
"All you need."
On behalf of the Jury I would like to thank the organizers of this event, our friends at Autopista, a team headed by Maria Wandosell and of course our Secretary General and executive vice president of the Jury this year, Eduardo Azpilicueta, who during his last year in the Jury has doubled his efforts, with more energy than ever.

Gracias por todo!

And we did elect a new Secretary General during our General Assembly earlier today – Mr Frank Jansson from Germany.

The winner was, again thanks to Autopista, announced at a first-ever live-broadcasted press conference in Madrid, where I had the pleasure to open the magical envelope and declare Volkswagen Polo Car of the Year 2010.

What I did not say then, but will tonight is the following.

Small has finally, and 37 years after that famous book was published, become truly beautiful.
And coming back to the principles in the book I would like to remind you about this, and at the same time ask you to picture the new Volkswagen Polo.

"Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology, towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and the beautiful."

Isn’t that the perfect description of the new Polo?
This small car, that has became so beautiful, gave Volkswagen the greatest and only victory since 1992, when the Golf was named Car of the Year – and finally I just cannot avoid quoting ABBA.
Take it easy – I will not sing.
But there is a similarity between one of their songs and Car of the Year.
We award just one car, we have no subcategories, we deal with the winner only – and the winner takes it all.
Thank You!

The retiring Jury members received a nice souvenir from Walter de Silva, VW Design boss.

Speech by Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Board of Volkswagen AG:
"The Polo proves that one-hundred percent focus on the product remains key to success in our industry. Especially in times like these."

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for this wonderful award. And for your kind words.
I am pleased to welcome you to Wolfsburg. First, because you have brought one of the most important prizes in our industry. And second, because you belong to Europe’s leading car experts.
Everyone here tonight shares the same passion: A passion for cars!
For fascinating and emotional vehicles, cutting-edge technology, outstanding design,
and – of course – top quality.
And that brings me to the star of this evening: The new Polo.
This car makes cutting-edge technology, quality and safety affordable for everyone. It is a real eye catcher on the covers of your magazines. And the Polo BlueMotion is the champion in terms of sustainability.
All in all, our new Polo is a Volkswagen in every sense of the word.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me put it this way:
The COTY jury made a perfect decision! And we are proud that all jury members voted for this car.
Moreover, the Polo is not only a big hit with the experts but also with our customers.
That means the Polo stays number one in Germany. It is well on track to the top in Europe.
And now, a special version is conquering the boom market India, too.
The Polo proves one fundamental principle: One-hundred percent focus on the product is and remains key to success in our industry. Especially in times like these.
That is why Volkswagen is coping with the crisis better than many others.
And that is why we are facing the difficult year 2010 with energy and confidence.
At the same time, one thing is for sure: It takes a great team to build winners like the Polo!
I am proud to have such a strong and motivated team in the Volkswagen Group.
From Wolfsburg to Barcelona, from Ingoldstadt to Södertälje: we have the right people in the right places. People with great know-how and dedication for "Das Auto."
And, ladies and gentlemen, I promise you: This team will keep the speed up!
In 2010, we will launch over 60 new models, successors and upgrades. The Volkswagen brand alone will be shouldering half of these.
These cars are made to meet our customers’ needs and dreams! And possibly even go beyond!
You see that Volkswagen will be really busy this year. And for sure, we will keep you on your toes, too.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, we are looking forward to a good cooperation. And to many great new innovations like the Polo.

Thank you very much!