Volkswagen is paying tribute to its revered and legendary, Citi Golf model with the introduction of the limited edition Citi Vivo.
Citi Vivo is bringing back the ubiquitous three colours of Red, Yellow and Blue which were used to launch the original Citi Golf in 1984.
The now discontinued Volkswagen CitiGolf still tugs at the heartstrings of many South Africans, but despite its lack of airbags and ABS, for example, the model is sought after in the used car market. In 2010, the Polo Vivo became Volkswagen’s modern entry-level offering and much like the CitiGolf it replaced, the Vivo has topped the sales charts locally ever since. 377 000 Citi Golfs found their way to homes in South Africa. In comparison, almost 230 000 Vivos have been sold.
Volkswagen is now offering a special edition Polo Citi Vivo in South Africa, which draws inspiration from the original CitiGolf, which debuted in 1984 replete with a carburettor-fed 1.3-litre engine, white striping (and painted wheels), 4 doors and windows.
“There is no better way to celebrate the success of the Polo Vivo as the best-selling passenger car in South Africa than to pay homage to its iconic predecessor, Citi Golf. The three colours of Red, Yellow and Blue are synonymous with the classic Citi Golf and it was fitting for us to use them as the only colours for Citi Vivo. Citi Vivo is a special edition with about 2 000 units planned,” said Stefan Mecha, Director: Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen Group South Africa.
The new Citi Vivo retails for R177,300.
The production of the iconic Citi Golf at the Volkswagen manufacturing factory in Uitenhage ended in 2009 after 25 years of giving mobility freedom to many South African customers.
Volkswagen’s Citi was the best selling car in South Africa’s history and an irreplaceable part of South African culture. So in 2009, when Volkswagen announced that the car was to be discontinued, it was heartbreaking news for everyone. Ogilvy was briefed to create a farewell campaign so thousands of Citi lovers in SA could find closure as well as create demand for the last few thousand Citis.
Their idea was to send the last Citi ever made on a farewell journey around the country. People could say goodbye to the car and sign it like a giant farewell card.
A website was created where people could follow the journey live and they opened social media pages for people to say goodbye online.
The campaign turned a negative situation – the loss of a South African icon – into a positive celebration of the meaning of Citi to the country’s people. Almost every major SA newspaper, blogger, TV station and radio station covered it.
Watch the ad campaign below:
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