The Volkswagen team made motorsport history in Argentina by claiming the first diesel-powered victory in the history of the world's toughest motorsport event, the Dakar Rally. Not only that, but the team's South African driver, Giniel de Villiers, led home a Volkswagen 1-2 finish.
After more than 5000km of competitive rallying, De Villiers and his German co-driver, Dirk von Zitzewitz, took their TDI-engined Race Touareg across the finish line in Buenos Aires nearly 9min ahead of the sister Volkswagen of USA/South Africa pairing Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford.
Third place went to American Hummer pilot Robby Gordon, who was more than 100 minutes adrift.
De Villiers was ecstatic: "I'm so happy to have clinched it for Volkswagen. This victory is worth more to me than any of the titles I won in touring car racing. The key to our success was the Race Touareg, which ran like a charm throughout, and I want to thank everyone at Volkswagen for that. I won the first Dakar Rally not staged in Africa, and it was the toughest event I have ever contested."
Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, added: "We did it. We wanted to be the first manufacturer to win the Dakar Rally with diesel power, and we have achieved that. And with a one-two victory, beating our strongest rivals Mitsubishi and BMW."
Carlos Sainz, who took six of Volkswagen's ten special stage victories before crashing out of the rally while leading, paid tribute: "Giniel and Dirk deserved to win this tough rally. One must never underestimate the Dakar Rally; you must prevail against it to win."
There was also jubilation that the Race Touareg of German pairing Dieter Depping and Timo Gottschalk made it to the finish; after several setbacks they placed sixth overall, eight hours behind.
Volkswagen's 2009 Dakar Rally achievement is the second time the manufacturer has claimed a 1-2: in 1980, Swede Freddy Kotulinsky and Frenchman Patrick Zaniroli raced their Iltis machines to the top two places overall. The Volkswagen win brings to a close seven years of domination by Mitsubishi.
Dakar Rally provisional final standings
| 1 | Giniel de Villiers (RSA) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (GER) | Volkswagen | 48h 10m 57s |
| 2 | Mark Miller (USA) / Ralph Pitchford (RSA) | Volkswagen | +8m 59s |
| 3 | Robby Gordon (USA) / Andy Grider (USA) | Hummer | +1h 46m 15s |
| 4 | Ivar Tollefsen (NOR) / Quin Evans (GB) | Nissan | +6h 04m 34s |
| 5 | Krzysztof Holowczyz (PL) / Jean-Marc Fortin (B) | Nissan | +6h 37m 49s |
| 6 | Dieter Depping / Timo Gottschalk (GER) | Volkswagen | +8h 43m 29s |