Only nine months after the North American Passat went on sale in the U.S., Volkswagen is celebrating its first important milestone with the production of the 100,000th car at its new $1 billion Chattanooga factory.
According to the German automaker, the 100,000 Passat sedans include pre-series cars, technical training vehicles, dealer experience cars, U.S. customer cars and export models to Mexico, Canada, South Korea and the Middle East.
Volkswagen said that the first customer car was delivered on April 18, 2011, the 10,000th Passat on Sept. 8, 2011 and the 50,000th Passat on Feb. 7, 2012.
The 100,000th Passat was a Night Blue Metallic 2.0-liter TDI SEL Premium with six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission that was handed over to its new owner Joanne Benante, who had come from Atlanta, Georgia, to take delivery at the factory.
“Producing 100,000 Passats so soon after the vehicle went on sale in September 2011 is a testament to all the hard work that has gone into making our LEED-certified Chattanooga plant and the Passat such a success, both here and abroad,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen of America.
He continued: “It is further evidence that our momentum in the U.S. market is continuing and we are appreciative of our growing customer base, which has been drawn to the Passat’s outstanding fuel economy, German engineering and value.”
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