Volkswagen has apologized for posting a racist video for its new Golf 8 car on its Instagram page. Social media got ahold of the video before it was taken down, DW reports.
What’s the news:
Volkswagen posted a video to Instagram that showed a big white hand pushing a black man away from the company’s VW Golf car. The finger then flicked the man into a restaurant called Petit Colon, which is translated as “Little Colonist or Little Settler,” according to CNN.
Volkswagen apologized in a statement: “It does not tolerate any form of racism, xenophobia or discrimination.”
Jürgen Stackmann, the VW brand’s head of sales and marketing, and Elke Heitmüller, head of diversity, apologized for the video on social media:
- “We posted a racist advertising video on Volkswagen’s Instagram channel. We understand the public outrage at this. Because we’re horrified, too.”
- “On behalf of Volkswagen AG, we apologize to the public at large for this film. And we apologize in particular to those who feel personally hurt by the racist content because of their own history.”
- “We’re ashamed of it and cannot explain how it came about. All the more reason for us to make sure we clear this up. And we will make the results and consequences of the investigation public.”
Some additional context:
CNN said: “The company was founded in 1937 under the Nazi regime and used slave labor from concentration camps to build vehicles in its early years. It is now the world’s biggest automaker, delivering nearly 11 million vehicles in 2019. The group makes cars under the VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Porsche brands.”