Frankfurt — Volkswagen (VW) apologised on Thursday for posting an advert widely criticised as “racist” on its Instagram page last month, and said it was published because of a lack of cultural sensitivity.

In the clip of a few seconds, a black man is depicted next to a new VW Golf, being pushed around by an oversized white hand, meant to be that of his girlfriend, which then flicks him into a building bearing the sign “Petit Colón”...

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