THE VOLKSWAGEN

HISTORYThe legendary "people's car", Volkswagen of meaning in German, was born in 1937 and is based in Wolfsburg, in the state of Lower Saxony. Currently this is one of the brands cars with higher sales volume in the world.

The first model to be launched by Volkswagen was the worldwide known Beetle. Created in 1934 by Ferdinand Porsche is designed to be a car for the German people. It was then that Ferdinand created the Beetle, a car equipped with a rear air-cooled engine and rear wheel drive. This was also one of the first cars to be designed with the help of a wind tunnel and it would be a success.

At that time, Hitler also showed great interest in cars and demanded the car designer Porsche completed the Beetle, the only car of VW at the time, and prepare for a better efficiency in the fuel level and to be economical and practical for German workers.

In 1938 it was built the first factory in Wolfsburg's Volkswagen. That same year offered Hitler a Type 1 Cabriolet, on her fiftieth birthday. Volkswagen still produced a small number of cars when World War II began in 1939. The war meant the production of vehicles would be converted for the production of military vehicles: the Type 81 Kbelwagen, utility vehicle, was the most common model in the VW wartime.

The Volkswagen company remained active after the war thanks to Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army (1916-2000), which controlled the plant after it has been captured by the Americans in 1945 and gave it to the British to manage.

Initially aimed to serve as a place to do the maintenance of military vehicles rather than a trading company to sell cars. Feeling that there was any lack of light transport, the British Army ordered Hirst to start producing cars at an early stage, were intended for group of the occupation forces in Germany.

In 1946 the factory was producing 1000 cars a month. It was then that the factory took the name "Volkswagen" and production rates began to increase. At that time, almost the entire automotive industry thought that the plant would not survive much longer and claimed that the car they produced was "very ugly and noisy." These critics included representatives of Ford also said Wolfsburg was too close to the border with East Germany.

In 1946 the factory was producing 1000 cars a month. It was then that the factory took the name "Volkswagen" and production rates began to increase. At that time, almost the entire automotive industry thought that the plant would not survive much longer and claimed that the car they produced was "very ugly and noisy." These critics included representatives of Ford also said Wolfsburg was too close to the border with East Germany.

In 1948 the production of the Beetle was renewed and Volkswagen became the symbol of the regeneration of West Germany. In addition, the company was now controlled by the background the West German government.

A year later, Volkswagen began to exhibit and sell in the United States. The introduction of the Beetle in the US market in the 1950s included a great deal of publicity and has evolved a great hesitation on the part of the general public for a wide acceptance and increased sales.

From 1950 to Volkswagen began, finally, to produce new models, starting with the Transporter, intended for the transport of goods. By the late 60s, the company has committed to the one-version production policy, which included almost all models, with the exception of Type 2 and Karmann Ghia, which existed in a few different versions.

Sales of Type 1 Beetle reached the first million units in 1954. Officially the car's name was only Type 1, although it was known in general by Beetle, with various translations for different countries. VW's Wolfsburg plant would only adopt this name in 1998 when it launched the new Beetle based on Golf. In April 1955 the Volkswagen of America was created to track sales and services in the United States.

Later, in 1964, Volkswagen Audi buys with extensive experience in front-drive units and cooled engines and water that would eventually become the savior of the VW Group. The company's product line expanded in 1967 with the introduction of various models Type 3 with basically changes the level of the body, then in 1969 the few popular models Type 4, 411 and 412. The Type 4 was however, much more sophisticated than all the others due to its innovations to the mechanical level.

In 1971, Volkswagen has added to its collection the Type 113, or the "Super Beetle" that was different because it had a McPherson strut front suspension, had a good additional space in the trunk and expanded the front section. The following year, the VW Beetle broke the record production of the Model T Ford, with over 16 million units. The Beetle has also passed assitia to increase their production thanks to American exports, advertising and reputation as a reliable car.

The VW Golf turned out to be the VW model accounts for much of the success of the brand and best-selling model in Europe. The Golf has replaced the production of the Beetle in Wolfsburg and was marketed in the US and Canadian markets initially as VW Rabbit, and from the 80s as Golf. Both visually and to the mechanical level, the Golf was in no way similar to the Beetle, especially due to its water-cooled engine in the front, front-wheel drive and typical hatchback body that has become so popular since. The production of the Beetle, which obviously greatly diminished, moved to Brazil and Mexico.

Since then, the Golf has presented itself as the mechanical and technological basis for other various models of the Volkswagen Group, including brands other than Volkswagen, as well as the main source of production and sales of Volkswagen. This means that its chassis has also been used to give other models.

It was only in 1976 that VW produced its first diesel engine. Then, in 1985, Volkswagen launched the powerful Polo G40, a coupe of 129 hp with a top speed of 218 km / h (135 miles / h).

The company acquires Seat and Skoda in 1990 in 1991. In the 90 Audi rises to the level of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which enables Volkswagen to rise to the old Audi's market position and allowing the Seat and Skoda to occupy the former place of VW. In 1994 Volkswagen launches the Lupo, a car capable to travel 1000 km (620 miles) with a 34-liter tank.

In 1997, J. Mays secretly develops the Concept One, a car "retro" very similar to the old Beetle. Although management of Volkswagen has opposed to its release, also could not ignore the positive reaction of the public and then it launched the new version of Beetle (New Beetle), technology and chassis Golf. The car has, however, been more popular in the US than in Europe.

In 1998 VW acquires luxury brand Bentley and Lamborghini and Bugatti sports brands, expanding in this way, the Volkswagen Group.

The new W8 and Phaeton are launched in 2001: the W8 is the first 8-cylinder VW and Phaeton is the first luxury VW. The Touareg SUV is released the following year, sharing the same chassis with the Porsche Cayenne.

LogoThe Volkswagen logo is quite simple: a V over a W, surrounded by a circle and a blue background. Still, this is one of the most famous symbols in the world.

The history of the Volkswagen logo is actually the subject of some controversy. The official history tells us that this logo was supposedly the result of a competition between VW office staff, in which the winner would get 50 marks. This person would be Franz Xaver Reimspiess, the engineer who also improved the engine Beetle in 1930. The logo was registered in 1938.

However, the Swedish Nikolai Borg claims the legal rights to the logo, saying it allegedly been ordered to begin developing the VW emblem in 1939. Borg tried to execute legal action against VW so he could recover copyright, but Action got no response. Therefore, the history of Volkswagen also tells us that the author of logtpo is Reimspiess.

Since then, the logo has undergone minor changes over time: black on white, then blue on white and white on black or blue. It was adapted to the specific needs and brand technologies. In the end, the blue was the color chosen and now associated with the identity of Volkswagen: friendly, essential and innovative. Currently and since 2000, the logo has a more three-dimensional appearance, combining the high standards of the brand with its familiarity.

Historical modelsThe Beetle is clearly the most emblematic Volkswagen of all times, in addition to being the first VW model and only for a few years. With the official name Type 1 and also known as "Beetle" Beetle was first produced in 1938 and was the main source, if not exclusive, production and sales of VW over a long period of time until the launch of Golf. The model is no longer produced and was replaced in 1998 by the New Beetle.The Type 87 Kommandeurswagen was a kind of Beetle 4x4 with large tires for the sand like an all-terrain car. It was only produced five copies of the Type 87, three during the Second World War, which were allegedly sent to North Africa, and two in 1946 for evaluation by the French and British armies. Survived only one copy, one of which was sent to the British Army