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Volkswagen has won the Dakar Rally for the second time in succession and, including 1980, for a third time.
The TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one-two-three podium at the finish of the world's toughest motor sport challenge.
In the process Spaniards Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and Timo Gottschalk of Germany in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 km sprint on the 14th and final rally day.
Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/South Africa) claimed third position. Last year's winners Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and Dirk von Zitzewitz (Germany) finished seventh.
Volkswagen Motorsport director Kris Nissen explains: "Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the Dakar title won last year.
"Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world's hardest rally up to now with diesel technology.
"The Volkswagen drivers fought among themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag sometimes by hard but fair means.
"This is exactly how we imagine motor sport to be. My congratulations therefore go to each Volkswagen team which would all have been worthy winners."
Giniel de Villiers added: "The operation ‘title defence' was already over on the third day of the rally for my co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz and I when we lost several hours due to an electrical problem after an end-over-end.
"From then on we put ourselves at the service of the team, as others also did for us in 2009. This is natural.
"First, second and third - this is an exceptional result for Volkswagen. Everybody in the squad deserved victory. Without question it is the best team in the world."
France's Cyril Despres (KTM) finished more than an hour ahead of his nearest competitor, Pal Anders Ullevalseter (KTM), of Norway in the motorcycle section.
