No, it’s not the name of a new model, the VW Ketchup is actually ketchup! You might have no idea, but VW has been involved in producing this tasty sauce for over a decade! And this year in Techno Classica Show in Essen, they revealed the new version which is limited to 1,000 bottles and runs for €3 a pop. Last year they sold 425,000 bottles of the Ketchup. The story after the jump.

VW Ketchup:

It’s well known that Volkswagen builds bestsellers. Automotive bestsellers. A less well known fact is that successful culinary recipes are advancing to become bestsellers in the Volkswagen World. Number 1 in this area is the coveted Volkswagen Ketchup. Back in the 1970s, it was developed with the ketchup specialist Kraft to complement the taste of the legendary Volkswagen curry sausage. Yes, it too is a bestseller – at first it was only popular in the Volkswagen plant at Wolfsburg, but today it has long become part of the overall Volkswagen scene. Now, at the Techno Classica 2010 we are finally bringing together those things that belong together: Volkswagen Ketchup and the classic scene. Because the oldtimer and youngtimer specialists at Volkswagen Classic are introducing the new “Volkswagen Classic Ketchup” to the market in a world premiere in Essen. With a distinctive taste, it is initially limited to 1,000 bottles. They have their own label. And it shows – clearly – a Beetle (from the 1950s). So, “Volkswagen Classic Ketchup” will be a souvenir of the culinary type; at the Techno Classica it can be purchased at a price of 3.00 Euros.

In addition, Volkswagen will be offering the new ketchup at future classic events. Those visiting Wolfsburg can of course also purchase it – at the Volkswagen Shop at Plant Gate 17 (near the Wolfsburg train station).

Volkswagen spiced ketchup – bottled since 1997

The career of Volkswagen Ketchup began, as mentioned, back in the 1970s. Volkswagen was looking for a ketchup that would harmonise especially well with its own curry sausage production. So, its consistency has a thicker “viscosity” than conventional ketchup; in addition, its taste was tuned to the taste of Volkswagen curry sausage with spices that remain a strict trade secret even today. And with this sausage, a perfect taste unfolds. Volkswagen spiced ketchup has been offered in bottles since 1997.

Proving that the new Volkswagen Classic Ketchup is anything but a late April Fool’s Day joke, are the statistics on how much Volkswagen spiced ketchup is enjoyed. In 1997, Volkswagen launched its ketchup with an annual volume of 20,000 bottles. From that point on, volumes rose year by year. In 2009, over 425,000 (!) bottles were sold. 100,000 bottles have already been sold in the first ten weeks of 2010.

That leaves one question unanswered: How do Volkswagen Spiced Ketchup and Volkswagen Classic Ketchup differ in taste? Let us answer that with another question: How does a first generation Golf GTI differ from a sixth generation Golf GTI in handling and design? The answer: Give it a try!