The first generation of the Scirocco was launched in 1974 and ended its production in 1981. In the same year, Volkswagen released the 2nd generation intended to last until 1988 when they proposed the Corrado. As the Corrado was not a very successful model, they continued to sell the Scirocco second generation until 1992.

Volkswagen introduced the third generation of the Scirocco in 2008 and enchanted its fans the following year when it unveiled its sportiest version, the Scirocco R.