Volkswagen’s Brazilian subsidiary, the automaker’s first operation outside Germany, has just completed 60 years of activity here. It has produced over 20m vehicles in Brazil and is the auto sector’s biggest exporter, with over 3m units shipped to 147 countries.
The make has enjoyed 50 years of best-selling models. In 2012, the Gol, introduced in 1980 ranked first for the 26th continuous year since 1987. The Beetle, built last in Brazil, had a 24-year run as number one from 1958.
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Last year, Volkswagen produced a record 852,086 units, CKD kits included, which consolidated it as the country’s largest producer and runner up in domestic sales.
The current line-up comprises 22 models and the dealer network exceeds 600 outlets. It employs 22,500 workers at four manufacturing plants in São Bernardo do Campo, Taubaté and São Carlos, the latter making engines only, all in the state of São Paulo, and in São José dos Pinhais, state of Paraná.
Volkswagen announced last month the Gol family – compact two- and four-door hatchback, Voyage saloon, Saveiro light pick-up and the recently phased-out Parati estate – had reached 10m units, a record for local automakers.
The Gol is currently in its fifth generation and accounts for 71% of family production, leaving 11% for the Voyage and 18% for Saveiro and Parati together.
Among the subsidiary’s firsts in Brazil are the petrol fuel-injected engine (Gol, 1988), ABS brakes and exhaust catalyst (Santana, 1991), small-displacement, one-litre turbo engine (Gol and Parati, 2000), flex-fuel engine (Gol, 2003) and others.
The subsidiary’s total, ongoing investment by 2016 will be BRL8.7bn/US$4.4bn for new products and capacity boost.
