Rare Car Archive

Makes › Volkswagen Germany › Chico · Prototype Ultra Rare

Volkswagen
Chico

Hybrid city-car prototype from the period of VW's involvement in the later Smart project.

Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

Volkswagen Chico (Wikimedia Commons: Volkswagen Chico)
Volkswagen Chico (Wikimedia Commons: Volkswagen Chico)
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 4.0
3BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
3 Built
Years
Not yet verified
Engine
Two-cylinder petrol engine plus electric motor (hybrid, 2+2)
Power
25.4 kW / 34.5 PSFactory: 34 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Chico was a small hybrid concept of the early 1990s, pushed by then VW chief Carl Hahn, combining a small petrol engine with an electric motor. It never went beyond prototype status and was dropped when Ferdinand Piech took over.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 3 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionprototypes built (page wording "Drei Prototypen") 31 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The Chico was a tiny two-plus-two with a 34 hp two-cylinder engine and an 8 hp electric motor, which could work together for extra power. Piech, on becoming CEO, ended the Chico and the Swatch-car project that VW had been developing with the watchmaker.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Chico.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutTwo-cylinder petrol engine plus electric motor (hybrid, 2+2)2 Independently researched
Cylinders22 Independently researched
DisplacementNot yet verified
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemNot yet verified
Power 25.4 kW / 34.5 PSFactory: 34 hp · converted2 Independently researchedPetrol engine only; an 8 hp electric motor is also fitted and both can work in tandem.
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    10 seltene Fahrzeuge aus dem VW-Werksmuseum (Motor1.com Deutschland) Level C
    • 3 prototypes built (page wording "Drei Prototypen")
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    From Beetle to Up!: a brief history of Volkswagen's entry-level cars Level C Car and Driver blog (Wayback capture) · 2015-11-15
    • tiny two-plus-two powered by a 34-hp two-cylinder engine and an 8-hp electric motor
    • 34-hp two-cylinder engine
    • 34-hp two-cylinder engine and an 8-hp electric motor
    Accessed 2026-11-13

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