VW sells more sausages than cars: a record year for branded Currywurst
Volkswagen has celebrated a new sales record, except not for cars, but for its signature sausages. In 2024, the company sold 8.55 million VW Currywurst, which is 220,000 units more than in the previous record year of 2022. By comparison, Volkswagen cars sold "only" 5.2 million during the same period.
Here's What We Know
"With more than 8 million original Volkswagen Currywursts sold, we are celebrating a new sales record," Volkswagen's human resources director Gunnar Kilian wrote on LinkedIn.
VW Currywurst. Illustration: Volkswagen
A key role in the record was played by a line-up refresh - VW introduced a hot dog version of the Currywurst in 2021, which sold 2 million units in 2024. The classic Currywurst still leads the way, although its sales are down slightly from 2019, when 7 million sausages were sold.
A branded sausage with its own part number
VW Currywurst has become so embedded in the brand's DNA that it has its own part number in the Volkswagen catalogue: '199 398 500 A'.
Where did it all begin?
Volkswagen started making sausages back in 1950 for its factory workers. In addition to Currywurst, the factory produced several other sausage items.
In 1973, VW introduced its signature Currywurst, which is made from a secret recipe from Raps in Kulmbach. Today it is made from locally sourced meat, is phosphate, dairy protein and glutamate free and has a reduced fat content.
Although VW is primarily a car company, Currywurst remains an integral part of its culture. And while electric cars may change the group's model range, it looks like the branded sausages will remain on Volkswagen's "menu" for a long time to come.
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
