Volkswagen

The “Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagen mbH” was founded on 28th May 1937 and the name was changed to “Volkswagenwerk GmbH” in September 1938.

The success was beginning with the intention to provide affordable cars for the German people.

After years of developing further models, acquisitions of other car manufacturers such as Audi and SEAT, and starting international operations, the Volkswagen has become the largest automobile manufacturer in Europe and one of the leading car producers worldwide.

In 1934 Chancellor Hitler commissions the Porsche Design Bureau to build a Volkswagen or People’s Car for less than 1000 Reichsmarks, or USD142.

It was given ten months to complete the work. By 1937 Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, little known designer had built three prototypes and put total of 100,000 miles on the three.

In the same year Hitler announced that the Volkswagen will be both financed and built by the German Reich as a national project.

With the design finalized by 1938, a factory site was chosen in northern Germany, on the bank of the Mitteland Canal, which joins the rivers Rhine and Elbe.

The first Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line on August 15, 1940, less than a year after World War II started.

Production continued throughout the war, but most resources going to defense factories.

In 1947, the Beetle was first offered to the public. Also in 1947, the Beetle made its first border crossing, when 56 cars were exported to the Netherlands, and made its first appearance American, brought across the Atlantic by a few returning soldiers.

Volkswagen was first imported into the United States in 1949. In 1973, Volkswagen announced that would be marketing its own version of the Audi 80 under the name Passat. The Scirocco was launched in March 1974 and was well received.

It was followed in July that year by the three-door Golf, which was then joined one month later by a five doors version.

Today, Volkswagen’s largest shareholder is the German car manufacturer Porsche with a share of 18.5 percent, while 40 percent are still state owned.
Volkswagen