The Volkswagen Fox Page

The Volkswagen Fox

With it's heritage including Beetles, Microbuses, and Rabbits, the Volkswagen Fox reflected back to the premise of it's ancestors' design; an economic car that is inexpensive to purchase and yet enjoyable to the driving masses. Formost, the Fox was inexpensive to purchase and operate. In 1987, a 2-Door Fox could be purchased for less than $6,000 and could attain 30 miles on a gallon of gas (highway driving).

Despite it's low cost, the Fox was given ample interior space and more that a modest offering of equipment. The driving characteristics were sporty and the suspension reflected that of a European sports car. The engine was small, but surprisingly capable in the Fox.

One of the best features of the Fox was it's reliability. They are durable and dependable, rarely breaking down or expierencing any major mechanical malfunctions. As with any Volkswagen, Foxes are easier to repair than vehicles of other makes.

Like other VW's of the late 80s, the Fox was given a square cut, boxy body design. It was a comfortable shape, familiar of the earlier parts of that decade. However, most other makers were shifting to a more curved, aerodynamic shape for their cars. This made the fox look shorter, slower, and mildly behind-the-times. The body did maintain a classy, simpler look than other cars.

The Volkswagen Fox was a charming little car and filled it's niche well. It was appealing to many people and still has scores of fans and drivers today. However, it was never the sales hit that the Bug or Rabbit was, so the Fox was only marketed for a seven year span.

History of the Fox

The Volkswagen Fox was first built in 1987 by VW in Brazil. The Fox was intended to serve as a small, inexpesive car with pseudo-sports economy in mind. The entire Production run lasted 7 years (1987-1993), seeing 7 different body styles and one redesign.

The Fox was shipped to the US and Canada in '87 equipped with a 1.8-liter [1781cc], 4-cylinder, longitudinally mounted, 81-horse power, fuel-injected, single-overhead-cam gasoline engine (Adam's VW Fox Page). The Fox carried the same engine throughout it's production run.

The Fox was first introduced with three body styles; a two-door, a four-door, and a wagon. All vehicles had a 4 speed manual transmission. An optional 5 speed manual was introduced in 1988 and was standard only on the GLS (sport) series.

For the 1991 model year, the Fox was given a redesign. Most of the mechanical aspects of the little car stayed the same, as the changes were (for the most part) strictly aestetic. The headlights were changed, sporting a wider light. The turn signals in the front bumper were done away with and the headlight mounted signals had a lighter tint. Also, different hubcaps were used.

After the redesign, the wagon was no longer imported into North America and the 4-door only made it to the United States, never reaching Canada. A pickup truck version of the Fox was also made. The truck, the Volkswagen Saveiro, was never introduced to North America either, partly because of the dismal sales of the VW Caddy. The Saveiro is still in production in South America and can be purchased in Brazil or Argentina for between fourteen and seventeen thousand dollars.

Unfortunately, the 1990s saw Fox sales trailing off. 1993 saw the last Fox roll off the assembly line in Brazil. Although the Fox never enjoyed the 60+ year run of the beetle, several examples were produced. Even though it was not the same smash success as some of it's predecessors, many owners and drivers are now loyal, dedicated fans to the Volkswagen Fox.