Hailstorm damages thousands of new Volkswagen cars
Emblems of VW Golf VII car on a production line at the plant of German carmaker Volkswagen in Wolfsburg (Reuters)

Hailstorms in northern Germany have damaged up to 28,000 brand new Volkswagen cars at the company's Wolfsburg headquarters. The German carmaker has appealed to customers to be patient, as the storm has delayed the delivery of new cars.

The golf-ball sized hail stones wreaked havoc, smashing windscreens and denting bodywork. The company said it was undertaking time-consuming checks on the damaged vehicles to ensure all possible repairs have been completed.

According to Deutsche Welle, the company said no cars will be handed to customers without a through quality check and damage control.

Customers have been offered the repaired vehicles at discounted prices. They will also be allowed to take possession of freshly produced cars but at a later date.

About 3,800 new vehicles leave the German carmaker's plant every day. The carmaker says, about its plant: "Various models can be built right after one another on the same line with no major modifications or delay."

The cost of damage from the hailstorm is likely to run into millions of pounds but Volkswagen say they hope to recover the full amount from insurance. They have reportedly employed external workers to refurbish the damaged cars, in order not to affect regular production.

In 2008, nearly 30,000 cars were damaged by a hailstorm at the company's Emden plant.

Germany Storm