What is the prototype of Santana 2000?

The first domestically produced Santana rolled off the production line in the form of CKD (completely assembled) at the Shanghai Automobile Factory on April 11, 1983. So far, more than an astonishing 3.5 million units have been sold in China.

In the 1980s, this car was an advanced model used by high-ranking officials to replace Japanese imported cars. Until the late 1990s, simple Chinese people still mistakenly believed that VW was the symbol of Santana rather than the symbol of Volkswagen. At that time, it was common to see people pointing at a brand-new Passat or Beetle and saying "Wow, Santana has a new model!" This shows Santana's profound influence on the Chinese people.

However, after nearly 30 years of ups and downs, when people now mention the word "Santana", concepts such as "old, backward, boxy, and not fashionable enough" immediately come to mind. However, how many people know that Santana was a strategic model for German Volkswagen to conquer the Asian market?

In 1981, Volkswagen of Germany launched the most high-end model in its product line at the time: the second-generation Passat, but it only had hatchback and station wagon versions in Europe. At this time, Germany's Volkswagen had just launched its Eastern strategy, vowing to occupy a place in Asia where Japanese cars were absolutely dominant. As a result, Volkswagen designed a sedan version of Passat specifically for the Asian market and named it Santana. Volkswagen came to Asia, lowered its dignity and successfully negotiated with the Chinese government, which had proposed harsh cooperation conditions. On April 11, 1983, the first Santana was successfully assembled at the Shanghai Automobile Factory in China. Subsequently, Volkswagen successfully cooperated with Japan's Nissan Motor Company. The first Santana sedan produced by Nissan's factory rolled off Nissan's production line in February 1984.

Subsequently, Santana blossomed all over the world. Because the German public is willing to lower their stature and accept the harsh and even somewhat unequal conditions for joint ventures and cooperation imposed by governments and companies of various countries, from Germany and Spain in Europe, to China and Japan in Asia, to Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina in the Americas, to those in Africa In South Africa, Volkswagen quickly established several Santana production lines on four continents around the world, quickly occupying the traditional markets of Japanese and American cars.

The first Chinese version of Santana rolled off the production line in Shanghai in 1983

Santana travel model

Santana hatchback model

Santana two-door Coupe model

This classic Santana was discontinued in South Africa in 1987, in Europe and Mexico in 1988, in Japan in 1990, in Argentina in 1991, and in Brazil in 1994. The production stoppage in China was in 2013, which spanned the century!

Santana was definitely considered a world-leading model when it was first launched in 1981, but by the early 1990s its styling and technology were a bit outdated. As a result, Brazilian Volkswagen redesigned the exterior and interior of the old Santana, developed an improved Santana, and put it into production in Brazil in 1991, named "Quantum".

Shanghai Volkswagen introduced this model in 1995 and named it Santana 2000. Since Volkswagen of Brazil and Ford of Brazil have established a joint venture relationship since 1987, Santana 2000 is not only sold in the South American market under the Volkswagen brand, but also in many South American countries under the Ford brand.