Volkswagen Passat (B1)

The Volkswagen Passat (B1) is a large family car that Volkswagen produced in West Germany from 1973 to 1981. It was launched in 1973 as two- and four-door fastback sedans, joined in January 1975 by identically profiled three- and five-door hatchbacks and in 1974 by a five-door station wagon. All shared a modern design by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and in essence the first Passat was a fastback version of the mechanically identical Audi 80, introduced a year earlier. It was meant to replace the aging Type 3 and Type 4. Wheels magazine named it Car of the Year for 1974, although the European motor press considered it a facelifted Audi and ineligible for its own award. The first engines were the four-cylinder OHC 1.3 litre of 55 PS and a 1.5 litre of 75 or 85 PS.