What's the news?
Volkswagen's 313mpg XL1 took to the streets of London last week; seeing the XL1 against familiar surroundings emphasises the compact and futuristic nature of the car. Two examples are in the UK, appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Buckingham Palace for the Coronation Festival.
The Coronation Festival is a four-day event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Queen's Coronation. Taking place within the grounds of Buckingham Palace it is organised by the Royal Warrant Holders Association; visitors will be able to explore the palace grounds and learn more about the companies that hold Royal Warrants of Approval. Over 200 companies are gathered together including Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley and Volkswagen Group UK, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary.
In 1953 Volkswagen offered one model, the Beetle, which came in Standard and De Luxe forms. These days Volkswagen's passenger car range numbers 21 vehicles, not counting the XL1, which is now in production at Volkswagen's Osnabruck factory. Sixty years ago the same plant built convertible Beetles; today it is home to the Golf Cabriolet and Porsche Boxster production lines. Each XL1 will be 'handcrafted' using small series production techniques and the initial production run is 250 cars. The entire run will be built in left-hand drive only; prices and sales channels are still to be announced.
Anything else?
The Coronation Festival runs until 14th July with entry exclusively for ticket holders; for more information go to www.coronationfestival.com. A video of the XL1 in London is available at Volkswagen's YouTube channel:
John Lambert - 16 Jul 2013