For what I've seen so far the Classic name is used almost everywhere, except Mexico, where it's called
Derby.
Mexico is the first market to have received it in late 1994, moreover it seems that this badge-engineering operation was prompted if not even directed by same Volkswagen do Mexico. The very first units were imported from Spain, most probably as pure Seat Cordobas, which received some VW details and a local built 1.8 engine in Mexico. Mexican assembly at Puebla began a couple of months later.
The 1995-97 model is thus
a simplier rebadge of the Seat Cordoba, with less differences than the European Classic, which was debuting in late 1996. On that occasion, the Mexican assembly stopped, and the lineup was replaced starting from 1998 by Argentinian-sourced vehicles,
based on the more modified European model. The evolution of the Latin American models
followed the one of the European Classic until 2001, when it was discontinued in Europe. In Latin America the production went on, with other updates in
2002 and
2006, until 2008.
In
China it was done practically the same operation as in Mexico in 1995, by FAW-VW. The car was again a very simple rebadge of the Seat Cordoba without any other modifications, sold there as
City Golf and exported to
Philippines and
Russia as
Polo Classic S
Yes, I can confirm that it was never sold in Italy.
