Volkswagen Passat B1
The Volkswagen Passat B1 is built by spring 1973 to autumn 1980, the first generation of the VW Passat, a model of the middle class. He was largely identical to the one years older Audi 80 B1. In the U.S., the car was under the name Volkswagen Dasher (1974), offered the combination as the Audi Fox.
In October 1980, the series was replaced by the successor model Passat B2. In Brazil, they remained parallel to B2 to December 1988 production.
The first generation of the Passat (VW internal designation Type 32 Sedan/Type 33 Combi) was derived from the Audi 80 B1. With an identical front of the car, he differed from it by the all-new rear end and a specially for the Passat newly designed rear axle. The Passat had for the replacement of the previous model VW 1600 for the first time in a Volkswagen front longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine with toothed belt driven overhead camshaft. This engine by building type gasoline base engine (EA827) took over the Passat unchanged from the introduced 1972 Audi 80 Compared to the aggregate of the in 1970 introduced and developed at NSU K70, the camshaft was driven by a duplex chain, turned the engine of the Audi a completely new development is.
The front suspension of the Passat consisted of MacPherson struts with wishbones that were attached as the engine on an auxiliary frame. The steering rack was mounted in front of the bulkhead. Back a Torsionskurbelachse was installed. Because this requires a relatively large amount of space, were under the boot floor of the tank (for the sedan from model year 77, the Variant since the start of production plastic) and housed the spare wheel well behind the axle. During the Audi 80 decreed rear struts on the rear dampers and springs were mounted side by side so as not to restrict the width of the trunk on the Passat. Thus, the estate version was technically possible, the new VW Variant, a name which was common in the VW 1500 and VW 1600 since 1961.
In May 1973, the production of the Passat started. First, the model in the main Wolfsburg plant was produced. The Italian designer Giugiaro revised the original Audi design and was the first Passat by an independent appearance. The new car was immediately well received by the audience.
In January 1974, presented to the Variant a wagon version (type 33). In addition, there was from the outset the hatchback as a two and four-door with a small trunk lid, which additionally with a large hatchback was available in January 1975.
On offer were, with prices starting at DM 9060, the equipment base and L, each with a 55-hp 1.3 – were combined or a 75 PS-1,5-liter engine. These came as a top model of the Passat TS with 75 or 85hp, especially externally recognizable by the dual round headlights. Inside, there was a three pitches sports steering wheel and a center console with three additional instruments. In August 1975, the 1.5-liter engines were 1.6-liter four-cylinder replaced the same power.
In August 1977, a major facelift was made on Passat (name now: type 32A and 33A type (combi)), simultaneously launched production at the Volkswagen plant in Emden.
The facelift related primarily to the front section, the rear, the exhaust system (silencer their now “invisible” was) and the instrument panel. It was succeeded by the modified bonnet and wings, both now positioned obliquely above, slightly improving the poor drag coefficient of the trade body. Through the use of plastic bumpers, the revised car seemed more modern, her black plastic led the era to the 1980s and thus to a formal language, losing in the chrome elements more and more important, to have been in almost any shape sprayable plastics, however, make it big, to prevail in the 1980s in the automotive industry. Interestingly, retained the right-hand drive (for example, for the UK market), the old instrument panel until the end of production in 1980.
During the production period of the B1 could be incorporated numerous technical innovations in the ongoing series. Worth mentioning the 1975 self adjusting handbrake, the introduction of hydraulic bucket tappets for automatic valve clearance compensation and the use of hardened valve seats (as a prerequisite for the use of unleaded gasoline) in the last year of production. The rust protection was also improved, mainly because the built up the summer of 1977 the first series of Passat B1 is considered very susceptible to corrosion by the use of strong copper-containing recycled steel.
As of July 1978, the Passat with the 1.5-liter diesel engine from the Golf was available, but in contrast to the Gulf installed in this longitudinally.
In February 1979, Volkswagen introduced the Passat GLI before finally with the engine of the Golf GTI. The new engine, now fitted as opposed to injection engine in the predecessor model VW Type 3 with a purely mechanical injection type K-Jetronic from Bosch, caused at a curb weight of still far below 900kg for remarkable performance. The hatchback models of the GLI possessed as a recognition among other things, a rear spoiler. Originally it was even planned this Variant to sell as Passat GTI, but this was classified as a non-market policy makes sense on the part of the former CEOs Toni Schmücker. The prototype had been made in December 1976, but only came to Measure used.
From June 1974 to December 1988, this type was also manufactured in Brazil, beginning with the throttled to 48 kW/65hp 1.5-liter engine and two-and four-door sedan (ie without large tailgate).
In 1976, the local Passat TS with 59 kW/80hp 1.6-liter. From 1978 onwards the Brazilian Passat was the front end of the Audi 80 B1 with rectangular headlights, and as Passat LS/LSE was now the three-door hatchback version available.
A large contingent of Brazilian production came in 1985 for delivery to Iraq. There the vehicles today (2014) are in large numbers as a taxi in use. They were there not available on the open market. Instead, they were at the behest of Saddam Hussein imported at government expense and delivered to families who had lost relatives in the First Gulf War. Therefore, the Passat is charged politically and there is considered Martyrs vehicle.
85