On July 2, 1979 the Volkswagen Jetta was officially unveiled. The name of the car comes from the name of the Atlantic wind. The need to create a Jetta arose due to the unexpected increase in demand for sedans in the United States. In fact, the model was a Golf with a tailgate attached to the back, for which it was nicknamed «the ugly duckling». The first generation was produced in «sedan» and «coupe» bodies. The exterior design of the car was worked by Italian car-body designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Jetta under the name «Atlantic» has become one of the best-selling European cars in the North-American market. Buyers were attracted by the modern appearance of the car and its practicality. Jetta had one of the largest luggage racks in the class — 377 liters. Outwardly, the American and European versions differed in the shape of the headlights.
From 1979 to 2009, five generations of the car were produced, which in the European market were named Jetta I, Jetta II, Vento, Bora and Jetta V. In other markets, the car was called Atlantic, Fox, City Jetta, GLI, Sagitar. In 2010, the sixth generation, Jetta VI, was introduced.
Cover: VW Vortex
