If you're a regular CompleteCar reader, you might remember Paul Healy's (formerly of this parish etc) review of VW's Mk1 Golf. The fact that this review was written in 2014, rather than 1974, is somewhat less chronologically confusing when you realise that for the Golf's 40th birthday in 2014, Volkswagen Ireland restored a bright green Mk1 and let us loose on very modern Irish roads with it. All-but inevitably, thanks to its hue, the car became nicknamed Kermit, and now it's leaping to the assistance of Volkswagen Ireland's charity partner Women's Aid.
1.1-litre, 50hp engine
Kermit, or KZN 712 to give it its official registration, is a 1977 Mk1 Golf with the 1.1-litre 50hp engine. Although VW Ireland says that the car is now 'showing signs of age' it's been a bit of a legend in Irish VW circles, not least thanks to an appearance in the 2015 St Patrick's Day Parade.
Kermit (the official paint name is 'Bali Green') will be raffled off to raise funds for Women's Aid on Wednesday the 9th of March, the day after International Women's Day.
Rodolfo Calixto, Brand Director for Volkswagen Ireland, says: "We are sad to see Kermit go but confident he will be happy in his new habitat. Women's Aid Ireland does wonderful work and we are delighted to support our charity partner via this unique auction."
Volkswagen Ireland is also pointing out that it's doing more to support the position of women in Irish society than just donating to charity. The company says that it's actively trying to 'narrow the automotive gender gap' and has publicised the case of Victoria Halton as an example.
Narrowing the automotive gender gap
Halton, from Drogheda, is the newly appointed Head of Group Technical Services for Volkswagen Group Ireland. She oversees a team of technicians working across six brands, including Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Cupra, Volkswagen Commercial and Skoda. It's a role that sees her responsible for around 530,000 of the estimated 2.3m vehicles on Irish roads. Halton readily acknowledges the responsibility riding on her shoulders. But, she is happy to be a role model to other women looking to follow in her footsteps.
"I consider myself extremely lucky to have this job," she says. "There's a massive amount of responsibility because, ultimately, these machines are bought by people who put their lives in your hands."
Halton kicked off her motoring career in a small dealership in Kells, Co. Meath, in 2013, having left a theoretically much more sensible bank-based job to do so. "My mother was incredibly proud when I landed that job," she says "But one day they put a letter on my desk informing me I was due to retire in 2046. I was in my early 20s at the time and I thought, 'I can't do this'."
After a year out, spent travelling Europe, Halton saw a screening of the classic movie The Italian Job at a local cinema, and her mind was set - she wanted to work with cars. Under the tutelage of Michael McKeon of McKeon Motors in Kells, Co Meath, she learned to trust her instincts. After completing her "apprenticeship", she moved to Dublin to work for the Frank Keane Group before moving to Joe Duffy where she spent seven years under the guidance of CEO and mentor Gavin Hydes.
"Gavin gave me a real understanding of the business and made sure I wasn't pigeon holed," says Halton. "One day he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to be a manager in sales or finance and within six weeks I was appointed as Sales Manager for SEAT and Business Manager for Porsche in their Rochestown Avenue dealership.
"There was always this impression that the female in the business was either the receptionist, the host or the administration person," says Halton "At Joe Duffy, I was the only female staff member of 13. Everyone who worked there was fine with that but people visiting the showroom were genuinely surprised to see the sales manager was a woman."
President Mary Robinson
Halton, who cites President Mary Robinson and former Facebook boss Sheryl Sandberg among her personal role models, is well aware of the responsibility on her shoulders.
"When you see a woman running a business the size of Facebook or being president of a country you think there's nothing you cannot do," she says. "In her book, Lean In, Sandberg talks about how women are more inclined to sit back in meetings and let men do the talking. Instead we need to lean in, speak up and be heard. There are still pay gaps between the sexes but having females in positions of power changes everything."
Volkswagen Group Ireland Managing Director Carla Wentzel was appointed head of the group's Irish operation in December 2018. Previously voted the Most Influential Woman in Business and Government in her native South Africa, she is responsible for Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Cupra and Volkswagen Commercial, collectively the largest automotive company in Ireland with a combined 31 per cent market share.
"It is very encouraging to see an increasing number of women in the motor industry," says Wentzel. "My congratulations to Vicky on her appointment. She is a role model for anyone looking to break through the glass ceiling. I firmly believe that having more women in the industry will bring a level of diversity to the workforce from which we can all benefit."
"The motor industry is embracing electrification and digitalisation and these things offer exciting opportunities for reducing our carbon footprint," says Halton. "We are in the process of up-skilling our technicians so they can carry out the highly skilled work that in turn reduces expenses, miles travelled and downtime for customers."