Volkswagen is the embodiment of German engineering: precision, restraint, the steady rhythm of factory life. So, you might be surprised to learn that VW makes a famous currywurst. Not sponsors one or just serves it in a cafeteria. VW manufactures its own branded sausage and ketchup, complete with official part numbers, because of course it does!
And yes, it’s wildly popular with the masses.
Volkswagen currywurst has become one of those quietly iconic German cultural exports: beloved, a little funny, and strangely emblematic of the country’s relationship with industry. It’s a sausage with a corporate identity, and arguably the most famous in-house food product made by any car company in the world.
So what exactly is VW currywurst? And why do people care so much about a sausage made by the company that gave the world the Beetle, the Golf, and, of course, the iconic VW Bus.
WTF is Volkswagen currywurst?
Volkswagen currywurst is a pork sausage produced by Volkswagen’s own meat-processing unit (yes, that’s a real thing!), originally created to feed workers at VW’s massive Wolfsburg plant. The wurst is served with traditional curry ketchup and curry powder as it has been for generations.
The VW currywurst isn’t just a fun novelty item. It’s a serious product, made to consistent standards, and the sausage has been sold not only in factory cafeterias but also in supermarkets in Germany. Over the years, it’s become a cult favorite among workers, Volkswagen fans, and currywurst lovers in general.
When people ask, “What is Volkswagen currywurst?” what they’re really asking is: How did a car manufacturer end up producing one of the most famous sausages in Germany?
The answer is simple: branding and scale. “Volkswagen” means, “the people’s car,” and in Germany currywurst is the people’s food.
When you’re feeding tens of thousands of German factory workers a day, you don’t mess around with logistics or tradition. You control supply, quality, and cost, and you give the people what they want. The solution wasn’t to outsource massive meat orders or import pasta from Italy. Instead, they wisely decided to manufacture the traditional sausage in-house with German engineering, tradition, and pride.
Question: If Fahrvergnügen means, “driving enjoyment,” then what German word means “currywurst enjoyment”?
Why is VW currywurst so popular?
To understand the popularity of Volkswagen currywurst, it helps to understand currywurst itself. Currywurst is Germany’s greatest street food. Invented in the ashes of WWII, it’s fast, warm, savory, slightly sweet, and a little spicy. It’s the kind of meal you eat standing up outside a kiosk, or in a canteen on a tight schedule, or during a rainy afternoon when you want something comforting and uncomplicated.
Volkswagen currywurst became popular for the same reasons Volkswagen cars once dominated: reliability, familiarity, and a certain working-class pride. For factory employees, it was more than a lunch. It was their lunch, and deeply connected to the identity of the plant and the daily life of the workforce.
Over time, word spread. People outside the Volkswagen factories wanted to try it. It became a fun “insider” product, a kind of delicious corporate trivia.
Volkswagen currywurst has a part number
One of the most charming details about VW currywurst is that it has an official Volkswagen part number, just like a car component. It’s the kind of story that sounds made up, until you realize Volkswagen probably does paperwork better than anyone on Earth.
The curry ketchup also has its own part number.
This is the essence of the VW currywurst mystique: a blue-collar food treated with corporate seriousness, made by an industrial giant, eaten by people building German-engineered machines that travel the world.
What is the Volkswagen currywurst part number? The bratwurst is part number 199 398 500 A, while the VW ketchup is part number 199 398 500 B
Is Volkswagen currywurst still made today?
Yes, Volkswagen currywurst is still produced and incredibly popular, particularly because it has become a symbol in larger conversations about tradition, modern corporate identity, and even plant-based food transitions.
At times, changes to cafeteria menus have sparked surprisingly emotional reactions, including from high-profile German public figures, because Germans, it turns out, can be intensely sentimental about their sausage.
And maybe that’s the whole point.
Where is VW currywurst sold? Sorry Americans, but you can only get Volkswagen currywurst in Europe. Specifically, it’s sold in VW cafeterias, dealerships, and select stores.
Related: Factor meals coupon here!
The reason VW currywurst matters
Volkswagen currywurst isn’t just a quirky fad. It’s a reminder that companies aren’t only brands; they’re communities, ecosystems, and habits. And sometimes the most enduring symbol of a global manufacturer isn’t the product on the showroom floor.
So, what’s next, Tesla Brisket?
Anyway, Volkswagen makes good cars, but I heard their sausage is the wurst!