History of the Volkswagen car brand
Automotive brand stories

History of the Volkswagen car brand

Volkswagen is a German car manufacturer with a long history. Passenger cars, trucks, minibuses and various components roll off the conveyors at the factories of the concerns. In the 30s of the last century in Germany, only luxurious, expensive cars were offered on the car market. Ordinary workers did not even dream of such an acquisition. Automakers were interested in producing cars for the masses and were fighting for this market segment.

Ferdinand Porsche in those years was interested not only in the creation of racing cars. He devoted many years to designing and building a compact size machine suitable for ordinary people, families, ordinary workers who at that time could at best afford a motorcycle. He set himself the goal of creating a completely new car design. Not surprisingly, the word "Volkswagen" literally translates as "people's car." The task of the concern was to produce cars that are accessible to everyone.

Founder

History of the Volkswagen car brand

In the early 30s, the city of the 20th century, Adolf Hitler, ordered the designer Ferdinand Porsche to mass-produce cars that would be accessible to the majority and not require huge maintenance costs. A few years before, Josef Ganz had already created several prototype projects for small cars. In 33, he presented the Superior car to the public, in the advertisement of which the definition of “people's car” was first heard. Adolf Hitler positively assessed the novelty and appointed Josef Ganz as the head of the new Volkswagen project. But the Nazis could not allow a Jew to be the face of such an important project. All sorts of restrictions followed, which not only prevented Josef Ganz from heading the concern, but also deprived him of the opportunity to produce the Superior car. Gantz was forced to flee the country and continued to work in one of the General Motors companies. Other designers also made their contribution to the creation of the “people's car”, including Bela Bareni, Czech Hans Ledvinka and German Edmund Rumpler.

Prior to the start of cooperation with Volkswagen, Porsche managed to create several small-capacity rear-engined cars for other companies. It was they who served as the prototypes of the future world-famous "beetle". It is impossible to name one designer who is the first creator of Volkswagen cars. This is the result of the work of many people, just their names are not so well known, and their merits are forgotten.

The first cars were called KDF-Wagen, they started production in 1936. They were characterized by a rounded body shape, an air-cooled engine and an engine located at the rear of the car. In May 1937, an automobile company was created, which later became known as Volkswagenwerk GmbH.

Subsequently, the location of the Volkswagen plant was renamed Wolfsburg. The creators set themselves the goal of presenting the world with an exemplary plant. Rest rooms, showers and sports grounds were made for employees. The factory had the latest equipment, some of which was purchased in the United States, which the Germans correctly kept silent about.

Thus began the history of the world famous car manufacturer, which today occupies an important niche in the car market. Many developers took part in the creation of the brand, each of which contributed to the creation of the “people's car”. At that time, the ability to create a car that would be available to the masses was very important. This opened up many new opportunities in the future, thanks to which today there is a car in almost every family. Changing the concept of auto production and a change of course with a focus on ordinary citizens has yielded positive results.

Emblem

History of the Volkswagen car brand

Each car brand has its own sign. Volkswagen is familiar to many both by name and by sign. The combination of the letters “V” and “W” in a circle is immediately associated with the Volkswagen concern. The letters laconically complement each other, as if continuing each other and form an integral composition. The colors of the logo are also chosen with meaning. Blue is associated with superiority and reliability, while white is associated with nobility and purity. It is on these qualities that Volkswagen focuses.

Over the years, the emblem has gone through many transformations. In 1937, it was also a combination of two letters surrounded by a cogwheel with swastika wings. Only at the end of the 70s of the last century were significant changes made. It was then that blue and white colors were first added, white letters were in a blue rim. At the beginning of the 21st century, the developers decided to make the logo three-dimensional. This was achieved thanks to color transitions, shadows and highlights. There was a feeling that two three-dimensional letters are located above the blue circle.

There is controversy over who actually created the Volkswagen logo. Initially, the logo had Nazi motifs and resembled a cross in its shape. Subsequently, the sign was changed. The authorship is shared by Nikolai Borg and Franz Reimspiess. The artist Nikolai Borg was commissioned to design a logo. The official version of the company calls designer Franz Reimspies the true creator of one of the most recognizable logos in the world.

Automotive brand history in models

History of the Volkswagen car brand

Recall that we are talking about a “people's car”, so the developers clearly defined the requirement for the car being created. It should accommodate five people, accelerate to a hundred kilometers, cost little to refuel, and be affordable for the middle class. As a result, the famous Volkswagen Beetle appeared on the car market, which got its name because of its rounded shape. This model is known all over the world. After the end of World War II, its mass production began.

In wartime, the plant was retrained for military needs. Then the Volkswagen Kübelwagen was born. The body of the car was open, a powerful engine was installed, and there was no radiator in front in order to protect the car from bullets and possible damage. At this time, slave force was used at the factory, and many prisoners worked there. During the war years, the plant was badly damaged, but until the end of the war, a lot was produced on it to meet military needs. After the end of hostilities, Volkswagen decided to say goodbye to this activity forever and return to the production of cars for the people.

By the end of the 50s, the concern was increasingly focusing on the production of commercial models. The Volkswagen Type 2 minibus became very popular. It was also called the hippie bus, it was the fans of this subculture who opted for this model. The idea belongs to Ben Pon, the concern supported it and already in 1949 the first buses from Volkswagen appeared. This model did not have such mass production as the Beetle, but it also deserves to be legendary.

History of the Volkswagen car brand

Volkswagen did not stop there and decided to present its first sports car. The standard of living of the population has grown and it is time to introduce the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The design features of the body influenced the price, but this did not prevent it from reaching a huge level of sales, the public enthusiastically accepted the release of this model. The experiments of the concern did not end there, and a couple of years later the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible was presented. So the concern began to gradually go beyond family cars and offer more expensive and interesting models.

The turning point in the history of the company was the creation of the Audi brand. For this, two companies were acquired to create a new division. This made it possible to borrow their technology and create new models, including the Passat, Scirocco, Golf and Polo. The first among them was the Volkswagen Passat, which borrowed some body elements and engine features from Audi. Special attention should be paid to the Volkswagen Golf, which is rightfully considered the “bestseller” of the concern and the second best-selling car in the world.

In the 80s, the company had serious competitors in the American and Japanese markets, who offered more affordable and budget options. Volkswagen is buying out another car company, which is the Spanish Seat. From that moment on, we can safely talk about the huge Volkswagen concern, which combines several different industries and produces cars of various classes.

By the early 200s, Volkswagen models were gaining popularity around the world. Models are in great demand in the Russian car market. At the same time, the Lupo model appeared on the market, which gained popularity due to its fuel efficiency. For the company, developments in the field of economical fuel consumption have always been relevant.

History of the Volkswagen car brand

Today Volkswagen Group unites many famous and popular car brands all over the world, including Audi, Seat, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, Škoda. The factories of the company are located all over the world, and the concern is recognized as the largest among the existing ones.

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