Time-Capsule '89 VW Polo: When the Car Finds You

To your average European, a 1989 VW Polo is background noise. But take that car and plop it in America, and suddenly you've got something pretty special.

[CARISMA is The Drive's new series exploring the connection between enthusiasts and their cars. See the full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHa6PXrV-yIjdroCPPYISm4OyNQOV6z4V ]

"I think the car truly finds you. You can look all you want, but it'll find you without a doubt," owner Johnny says. "They'll be signs the universe will give you, and it's like, that's it."

Built from 1981 to 1994, the second-gen VW Polo supermini is a tiny car with a tiny 1.0 liter four-cylinder engine. Design-wise it has the face of an 80s Golf with the kammback shape of, among other things, the Ferrari 250 GT Breadvan. It all comes together in the kind of practical, no-nonsense package VW used to excel at making. It wasn't sold here for obvious reasons.

With an artist's eye, Johnny was immediately taken the first time he saw a Polo, in a Facebook Marketplace listing. That one didn't work out, but his sudden obsession led him to a guy who eventually helped him import his own from the UK.

It's a true survivor, with the only period-correct modifications like those rally wheels and a vintage OEM roof rack. It's like driving a time capsule down the road, one that landed in Johnny's life with its own history and stories to unpack.

"To me, the car is complete. There's nothing else I want to change or adjust with it. It's just perfect for me," Johnny says. "Older things in general, there's something about them that feels really real, and that just resonates with me. It's this desire to search for quality, that classic 'they don't make them like the used to.'"

Produced, shot, and edited by https://www.instagram.com/tomgorelik/

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