Volkswagen has launched a new version of its best-selling product and it has the potential to dramatically increase revenues and profitability – but it’s nothing to do with cars.

In a twist that might make even the most seasoned automotive analyst do a double-take, one of the firm’s most important product lines isn’t a vehicle, or even a vehicle component, but a traditional type of German sausage.

The world’s second-largest car maker is also a heavyweight in the processed meat business, and its famed Volkswagen currywurst is now heading for the ready meal aisle in supermarkets.

First grilled into existence in 1973 at the company’s own butchery in Wolfsburg, the sausage was originally intended for internal use only, fuelling staff in Volkswagen’s canteens, but it soon escaped the factory gates and quickly attained cult status among the German public.

In 2024 alone, Volkswagen sold close to 8.6 million currywursts, comfortably eclipsing the 5.2m Volkswagen-branded cars and commercial vehicles it delivered globally. Even counting all Volkswagen Group brands combined (9.03m), currywurst runs a close second.

From June 2025, it’s getting the full ready meal supermarket treatment, with a microwave-ready version launching at retailers such as Edeka and Netto in northern and eastern Germany. A national rollout is reportedly in the works.

While microwave currywurst trays have been available since the early 2000s, Volkswagen’s version has a factory-fresh twist: no sachet of curry powder for the tomato sauce, which Dietmar Schulz, head of Volkswagen’s in-house meat department, says is because “there’s already enough curry in there – in the sausage and in the sauce”.

Currywurst isn’t just a PR novelty: it’s big business. Although Volkswagen doesn’t specifically detail its sausage sales in its annual report, estimates suggest its processed meat operation generates seven-figure annual revenues in euros.

The currywurst even has an official Volkswagen part number: 199 398 500 A.

Over the decades, currywurst has become part of Volkswagen folklore. When the German car maker attempted to replace it with a vegetarian alternative in one factory canteen, the backlash was swift and fierce. “No Volkswagen sausage? No way!” became the rallying cry.

Now, with the new microwave-ready version, Volkswagen is keeping things properly seasoned and aiming for even bigger sales.