Remember when Volkswagen built a London taxi?

Looks familiar doesn’t it? That’s because this car is based on what was, at the time, the forthcoming Volkswagen Up.

While the Up went on to become one of the world’s best small cars, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept didn’t make it off the rank, let alone south of the river.

Here’s a brief history of the black cab you can’t hail.

A conceptual twist

Volkswagen called the Taxi Concept ‘a conceptual twist on a British institution’. It was unveiled in December 2010, less than a year ahead of the official launch of the Volkswagen Up at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. It followed similar taxi concepts for Hong Kong, Berlin and Milan.

One of many concepts

Like the Uber that seems to take an age to arrive, the Volkswagen Up was a long time coming. It debuted as the Up concept in 2007, with power sourced from either a two- or three-cylinder rear-mounted petrol engine. Unfortunately, hopes of a rear-wheel drive production version failed to materialise, but the Up did go on to become the benchmark city car for an entire decade.

Volkswagen Space Up concept

Other cars followed. The Space Up concept was a stretched version of the original concept, with the same rear-engined configuration. This one took us closer to the Taxi Concept, but it was still 150mm shorter than the Fox, which was Volkswagen’s small car at the time. Note the ‘suicide’ doors, which were designed for easy access to the cabin.

Ahead of its time?

Today, the UK is gearing up for the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. This means the Volkswagen Taxi Concept was ahead of the curve, as it looked to deal with tighter restrictions on space and emissions.

Zero emissions in 2010

Electric cars weren’t really a thing in 2010. The Nissan Leaf was barely out of nappies, while the Mitsubishi i-MiEV was woefully short of range. Just 167 electric cars were sold that year. To prove how much has changed in a decade, when the Taxi Concept was unveiled in London, it was still possible to buy a new Saab, Bristol, Cadillac, Daihatsu or Dodge in the UK. And Kia was still making dull cars.

186 miles of range

All of which means the idea of a small London taxi powered by a 45kWh lithium-ion battery was as unlikely as it was innovative. In reality, Volkswagen’s claim of 186 miles between charges was probably optimistic, but it showed ambition. The Taxi Concept had a claimed top speed of 74mph, but good luck getting anywhere close to that in London.

Cool Britannia

The country was riding on a wave of optimism ahead of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Volkswagen tapped into this by giving the Taxi Concept a silver Union Flag on the roof. The City of London’s coat of arms was printed on the side and on the dashboard.

Space invader

Although it was shorter than the Volkswagen Fox, and roughly the same size as the Fiat 500, the Taxi Concept offered a remarkable level of interior space. A long wheelbase and short overhangs meant two people could sit in comfort, with plenty of space for their luggage.

Simple and clutter-free

The dashboard wouldn’t look out of place in 2020. The major functions of the vehicle, including climate control, entertainment and fare information, are included on a single touchscreen mounted next to the driver. Innovative at the time, but standard, ahem… fare in 2020.

City lights

Daytime running lights were mounted within the headlights. Meanwhile, a ‘Taxi’ light on the roof featured two settings: green for when the car is free and red for when it’s not. Volkswagen ditched the ‘suicide’ doors of the Space Up concept, giving the Taxi Concept a pair of sliding doors. Gwyneth Paltrow would have loved them.

London sightseeing

Note the glazed areas in the roof. Tomasz Bachorski, Volkswagen’s head of interior design, told Hilton Holloway he couldn’t believe London’s black cabs didn’t have clear roof panels, to allow tourists to see the city’s landmarks. He had a point.

Barn doors

This style of rear doors will be familiar to Mini Clubman owners. At 1,500kg, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept was far from lightweight, but the need for zero emission black cabs was a hot topic for the Mayor of London in 2010, Boris Johnson.

A feasible product

Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen’s design chief, was present for the car’s unveiling. He had high hopes of the Taxi Concept making production. “This car is made under a lot of technical restrictions and it is a feasible product. If someone wanted, we could make it,” he said.

The most convincing taxi

“For me London has the most convincing taxi in the world,” said Bischoff. “The New York taxi is nice, but not as comfortable as the London cab. It gives the urban setting a unique character, and we wanted to pay tribute to this.” Klaus Bischoff is now Volkswagen Group head of design. The Volkswagen Taxi Concept was last seen south of the river in search of fares. Probably.

ALSO READ

The history of the BMW 8 Series

Lotus Esprit Turbo: ready for business

Seat Toledo Mk3: sticking the boot in