17. Volkswagen Taro
The Volkswagen Taro is a little-known chapter in VW’s history, born from a collaboration with Toyota in the late 1980s and 90s. Essentially a rebadged Toyota Hilux, the Taro allowed Volkswagen to offer a rugged, proven pickup to European markets. It was a bold move for a company best known for cars, showing VW’s willingness to embrace the workhorse segment when needed. Today, the Taro stands as a curious badge-engineering experiment in Volkswagen’s diverse past.