November 2008, Los Angeles, California,

Journalist Ron Cogan stands in front of a wall of blue drapes at the LA Auto Show.

He's about to make a major announcement.

And the winner for Green Car of the Year is

the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

For the first time ever, the award is going to a diesel vehicle.

Diesel?

A notoriously dirty fuel known for its sky-high nitrogen oxide emissions.

But not anymore. Volkswagen's state-of-the-art new technology cuts pollution so well

the 2009 JETA TDI meets the most stringent emission standards in the world.

The JETA raises the bar in environmental performance, and at 41 miles per gallon, it rivals the fuel efficiency of a hybrid.

Ladies and gentlemen, Clean Diesel has arrived.

Stefan Jacoby, the CEO for Volkswagen North America, bounds onto the stage.

This is a breakthrough for clean diesel as a real alternative to hybrids.

It brings fuel consumption down.

It's environmentally friendly.

And most of all, it's fun to drive.

This is Jacobi's victory map.

It's the Great Recession.

Car sales are nose diving.

Every other major automaker is in a tailspin, but Volkswagen is on the rise.

In the three months since the new Jetta hit the market, 8,000 have already been sold in the

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