In 1973, Volkswagen launched the first generation of the Passat.
At first, it showed only the sedan with four-doors and the liftback with three and five doors. One year later, a station wagon version appeared. From the mechanical point of view it was just like an Audi 80, but with a different badge and not the same options. It was intended to be a car for the masses, just like the carmaker’s name suggested: Volkswagen (car of the people).

The station wagon Passat received a longer rear overhang to accommodate a bigger trunk. In the U.S. the car was known as the Volkswagen Dasher. It had only one engine available, a 1.5-liter unit. Two years later, a 1.6-liter fuel injected engine was introduced. The transmissions available were a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic.

The interior features were limited. Neither central locking, power window or air-conditioning were available. At that time, most American cars already had air conditioning and bigger engines. That said, the Passat was very fuel-efficient. In the late ’70s it received a 1.5-liter diesel unit, which was very slow with a 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) acceleration time of 19.4 seconds.

In 1978, the Passat received a facelift and it wasn’t until 1982 when a new generation for the Passat was introduced. For today’s standards, the first-generation Passat was smaller even for the compact segment, but it was sold as a medium-sized station wagon.