top of page

Volkswagen-VW

Volkswagen, sometimes known as VW, is a German automaker with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. It was established in 1937 by the German Labour Front, a branch of the Nazi Party, and was resurrected as a major brand after World War II by British Army Officer Ivan Hirst. It is best known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, which was the largest automaker by global sales in 2016 and 2017 thanks to its production of the VW Beetle. China is the group's largest market, accounting for 40% of sales and profits. Its name is taken from the German words Volk and Wagen, which together mean "people's automobile.

Volkswagen-VW

The German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront) in Berlin founded Volkswagen in 1937. Cars were a luxury in the early 1930s; the majority of Germans could only afford motorcycles, and only one German in every 50 had a vehicle. Some automakers started their own "people's vehicle" initiatives in search of a possible new market. Examples include the Mercedes 170H, BMW 3/15, Adler AutoBahn, Steyr 55, and Hanomag 1.3L.

The developing tendency wasn't new; Béla Barényi, a trailblazing automotive engineer, is credited with coming up with the fundamental idea in the middle of the 1920s. The Standard Superior was created by Josef Ganz (going as far as advertising it as the "German Volkswagen"). From 1925 to 1928, the German business Hanomag mass-produced the 2/10 PS "Kommissbrot," a little, inexpensive rear-engined vehicle. [6] Additionally, the Tatra T77, which was created by Hans Ledwinka and was a favorite among the German aristocracy, was getting smaller and more inexpensive with each version in Czechoslovakia.

Ferdinand Porsche, a renowned designer of luxury automobiles and racing cars, had been attempting for years to pique a manufacturer's interest in a compact family-friendly car. In 1933, he started from scratch and created the "Volksauto," an automobile featuring an air-cooled rear engine, torsion bar suspension, and a "beetle" design, the front bonnet of which was rounded for improved aerodynamics (necessary as it had a small engine).

VW's emblem from the 1930s included its initials encircled by a stylized cogwheel and a propeller that spun like a Hakenkreuz (Swastika)
Adolf Hitler got engaged in 1934, while many of the aforementioned concepts were still in research or the beginning phases of manufacturing, and he ordered the creation of a basic vehicle capable of carrying two adults and three children at 100 km/h (62 mph). He desired a vehicle that every German family could afford. The "People's Car" would cost 990 RM ($396 in 1938), which is around the price of a small motorbike (the average weekly salary was about 32 RM at the time).


VW.com | Official Home of Volkswagen Cars & SUVs
https://www.vw.com

bottom of page