Today I think we’re all familiar with the award winning Volkswagen Passat. But did you know the Passat was originally known in North America as the VW Dasher?
The very first Passat came to be in 1973, and was one of the most modern European family vehicles one could buy.
But here in the US, the Passat launched as the Volkswagen Dasher – available in three and five door hatchback and station wagon models.
Ok, now that you’re loaded up with a brief history of the Passat / Dasher, let’s throw it back to 1975 and take a look at this vintage magazine ad for the 1975 Volkswagen Dasher.
Dasher, A New Kind of Volkswagen
No other wagon has all this, or is likely to. Not for years.
Volkswagen calls it the perfect station wagon for its time. Dasher is a powerful car that also gets about 25 miles to the gallon.
It’s small enough to be a cinch to park, bug enough to come with a specially designed rear suspension for taking heave loads. (And a low loading platform means no muscle required for loading groceries, bicycles, etc.).
Dasher has front wheel drive that does some nifty road-holding, loaded or unloaded, we roads and dry.
It only needs maintenance once every 10,000 miles. And it has the amazing Skidbreaker: when one side of the car is riding on a wet or slippery surface, Skidbreaker forces Dasher to move in a straight line as you brake.
If the Dasher wagon sounds ahead of its time, you’re right, it is. But it’s at your nearest Volkswagen dealer now.
More Vintage Ads
Don’t forget, each and every Thursday we post a new vintage magazine ad here on FamilyDealBlog.com.
Be sure to sign up to recieve email updates so you never miss the chance to enjoy some fascinating automotive marketing history.
Do you like this ad for the 1975 VW Dasher? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
