The US-spec Volkswagen Passat (see video) has been around for a decade already, being longer than its EU cousin, but technically simpler and therefore, cheaper. The Limited Edition announced today will finally send it to retirement.
A total of 1,973 Limited Edition Passats will roll off the assembly lines before the production end set for later this year. The number references the year when the first generation came out, but the symbolism is a fair bit more complicated than that, so read on.
Specifically, the carmaker intends to produce 411 red cars with black interiors, referencing the internal factory designation of the Gen.1 Passat. Another 423 will be dark green with a brown cabin, a nod to the phone code of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the VW factory resides.
There will be 524 white cars with brown interiors to reference the launch date of the Chattanooga factory: May 24. Finally, 615 vehicles will be grey with a black trim to reflect 6 total Passat generations imported into the USA, 1 generation developed domestically in North America, and nearly 5 decades of presence on the US market.
All cars will feature special 18-inch wheels, black side mirrors, heated seats wrapped in perforated leather, commemorative badges, and detailed cup holder bases with the Chattanooga map and the layout of the factory embossed in them.