Last night Olympic sponsor Volkswagen celebrated our Olympic heroes Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, Alison Shanks, Nathan Cohen, Blair Tuke, Peter Burling and Aaron Gate with an event at Giltrap Prestige. They were also on hand to launch the new 21st Beetle, which officially arrives on our shores in December.
Audience members were treated to an exclusive Q&A session, hosted by sports commentator Stephen McIvor, where they heard exclusive tales about the Olympians journey to and at the London games. Understanding Kiwis love of sport, Volkswagen has made a four year commitment to our sporting heroes, starting with the London 2012 Olympics and extending right through to the Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro in 2016.
Sir Colin Giltrap, chairman of Volkswagen New Zealand, (a subsidiary of the Giltrap Group), said of the partnership, The Giltrap Group has a long standing interest in New Zealand sport, particularly with Motorsport and Football. We are passionate about doing our bit to help develop Kiwi talent to compete on the world stage, both now and in the future. This partnership simply reinforces our commitment to Kiwi sport by backing all our Olympic athletes as they compete in the ultimate of all sporting events. Echoing Sir Colins sentiments, General Manager of Volkswagen New Zealand, Tom Ruddenklau, says, Through the popularity of the Small Whites, weve recognised the importance of Volkswagen continuing to support Kiwis in sport and helping to build generations of future Olympic champions.
Guests were also excited to get up close and personal with the new Beetle. Completely redesigned, the Beetle has outgrown its playful curves and is now a more distinctive, sporty and masculine reinvention of the original whilst still retaining its unique charm.