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Wolfsburg (pte020/26.01.2005/11:30) - Car manufacturer Volkswagen is to take legal action against the creators of a controversial suicide bomber advert that apparently shows an Arab blowing himself up in a Polo car. As the Media Guardian http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk reports, after a week of consideration, the German car giant has decided to sue the people behind the advert on the grounds that it was damaging its reputation around the world and falsely linked the Volkswagen with terrorism.
"We are taking legal action but because it's early stages we cannot comment further," said a spokesman for Volkswagen. However, the company has admitted that it cannot locate Lee and Dan, the pair that thought up the short film, which has already been seen around the world via the Internet. "We are prepared to pursue the two individuals but need to locate them to ensure the success of our legal claim," the company said in a memo.
The advert shows a man getting into a car wearing the distinctive back and white kaffiyeh scarf commonly worn in the Arab world and made famous by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The man drives around London streets before apparently blowing himself up outside a busy restaurant. Then the slogan "Polo: small but tough" appears.
Volkswagen officials have said that no one from Volkswagen or any of its advertising agencies cooperated or was involved in the production of the video. Both Lee and Dan have apologised for the film, which they said had a 40,000 pound (around 58,000 euro) budget, but have refused to identify themselves or explain how it was funded.
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