Volkswagen – German People's Car, Ferdinand Porsche Design

Fact file

Company name:		Volkswagen AG
Address:		Postfach 38436, Wolfsburg
Tel:		+49-5361-9-0
Fax:		+49-5361-9-28282
URL:		www.volkswagen.de
Intro: The archetypal people's car was designed by Ferdinand Porsche at the request of Adolf Hitler. Only the outbreak of WW2 cut its progress short and it took an English Army officer to cause the Beetle to be resurrected in the immediate period following the war. By 1961, one million cars had been made in just one year. That rate of development is a measure of the determination that existed at VW's home of Wolfsburg. In the early 1970s, VW acquired Audi and then NSU. It would be over ten years later before it acquired Seat in Spain and then another ten years before Skoda in the Czech Republic also came under the VW umbrella. But the landmarks for the company came in the early/mid-1970s, when the first generation Golf appeared. The Passat, Polo and the sporty Scirocco ranges followed it in close succession. However, the company has continued to develop its brands and image to a level where "people's car" takes on a different relevance. VW is regarded as an obsessively high quality producer of an enormous number and variance of models. It entered the super-luxury category in its own name with the Phaeton model. Now that the company also owns Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley, the sky is the limit for the German giant with such simple origins. Probably a new chapter was opened in the history of the company, when Wolfgang Bernhard, head of the Volkswagen division declared at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show: "Volkswagen is a company in crisis". A restructuring program is under way.

News

The world premiere of the Volkswagen GX3 at the LA Auto Show (2006-01-05)

Volkswagen Phaeton Lounge (2005-12-20)

Volkswagen Crafter: third generation light commercial vehicle (2005-12-11)

World premiere of Volkswagen CrossPolo at the Essen Motorshow (2005-11-20)

Volkswagen at SEMA (2005-11-04)

World premiere of the Volkswagen EcoRacer (2005-10-19)

The new Volkswagen Eos: worldpremiere of the convertible coup’ at the IAA 2005 (2005-09-12)

The new Volkswagen Golf R32 ’ new edition of the most powerful Golf ever (2005-08-09)

The new Volkswagen Polo ’ initial facts (2005-03-11)

Volkswagen Ragster (2005-01-11)

The new Passat - Perfect design and comfort throughout (2004-12-14)

In a nutshell: Volkswagen Golf Plus (2004-12-02)

Volkswagen releases first official photos of all-new Jetta to arrive early next year (2004-11-19)

The new Volkswagen Touareg W12 (2004-09-24)

The new Golf GTI ’ New design, new engine, new fascination (2004-09-01)

Volkswagen taps into Iranian market (2004-07-06)

New convertible with innovative roof system to be launched in 2006 (2004-05-10)

World premiere of the Volkswagen concept C (2004-03-03)

Volkswagen Concept T (2004-01-05)

New Volkswagen Caddy (2003-09-17)

Volkswagen Golf GTi - the concept (2003-09-10)

Volkswagen Concept R prototype revealed (2003-09-02)

Volkswagen presents numerous new models at International Motor Show (2003-08-20)

Goodbye Beetle! (2003-07-31)

The new Volkswagen Golf ’ the first facts (2003-07-22)

The VW Group in China (2003-07-16)

Volkswagen in Ukraine (2003-04-11)

73rd Geneva International Motor Show (2003-03-02)

Volkswagen Phaeton V10 TDI with 313-bhp ten-cylinder turbocharged diesel (2003-02-27)

Touran world premiere in Wolfsburg ’ maximum versatility in compact form (2003-01-14)

Volkswagen appoints Murat Gunak new Head of Design for Volkswagen brand group (2002-12-13)

Volkswagen in China (2002-12-05)

World premiere for Volkswagen Tarek at the Essen Motor Show (2002-11-29)

Volkswagen Sharan: more powerful engine and new safety features (2002-11-27)

The Volkswagen Touran: first pictures and facts about the five to seven seat interior of the versatile compact van (2002-11-08)

Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet ’ Initial Facts (2002-09-19)

Volkswagen Polo limousine debuts in Sao Paulo (2002-10-08)

Group members

Audi (Germany)

Audi (Hungary)

Bentley (United Kingdom)

Bugatti (France)

Lamborghini (Italy)

Seat (Spain)

Skoda (Czech Republic)

Skoda (India)

Volkswagen (Argentina)

Volkswagen (Belgium)

Volkswagen (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Volkswagen (Brazil)

Volkswagen (Poland)

Volkswagen (Portugal)

Volkswagen (Slovak Republic)

Volkswagen (South Africa)

Assembly plants

Shanghai - Volkswagen (People's Republic of China)

Volkswagen (Belgium)

Volkswagen (Brazil)

Volkswagen (Poland)

Volkswagen (Portugal)

Volkswagen (Slovak Republic)

Volkswagen (South Africa)

Volkswagen (Spain)

Previous assembly plants

Eurocar (Ukraine)

Volkswagen (Argentina)

Volkswagen (Belgium)

Volkswagen (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Volkswagen (Brazil)

Volkswagen (Mexico)

Volkswagen (People's Republic of China)

Volkswagen (Slovak Republic)

Volkswagen (South Africa)

Volkswagen (Spain)

Yontrakit (Thailand)

Variations

Abt (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Ascari (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Design Nowak (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

GP (United Kingdom) Spyder

Hartmann (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Hohenester (Germany) VW tuning

JE Design (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

K-Power (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Technic (United Kingdom) Speedster

Technic (United Kingdom) 356 Coup’

MTM (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Nothelle (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Oettinger (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Projektzwo (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Sorg (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Zender (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

B&B; (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Dietrich (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

SP (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Wagner (Germany) Volkswagen tuning

Electrodyne (United States of America) Volkswagen tuning

IAC (United States of America) Volkswagen Armored Vehicles

Current line-up

Caddy (Mk.III.) (2003 - )	Eos (2006 - )	Golf (Series V) (2003 - )
Golf Plus (2004 - )	LT (Mk.II.) (1996 - )	Passat (B6) (2005 - )
Phaeton (2002 - )	Polo (Mk.IV. Facelift) (2005 - )	Sharan (1995 - )
Touareg (2002 - )	Touran (2003 - )	Transporter (T5) (2003 - )
New Beetle (1998 - ) Made by Volkswagen (Mexico)	Fox (2005 - ) Made by Volkswagen (Brazil)	Polo Sedan (2004-) Made by Volkswagen (Brazil)
Jetta (2005 - ) Made by Volkswagen (Mexico)

Previous models

Beetle (1948 - 2003)	Bora (1998 - 2005)	Caddy(Mk.II.) (1996 - 2003)
Golf(Mk.III.) (1991 - 1997)	Golf(Mk.II.) (1983 - 1991)	Golf(Series I) (1974 - 1983)
Golf(Series IV) (1997 - 2003)	Lupo (1998 - 2005)	Passat (B1) (1973 - 1977)
Passat (B1)(Facelift) (1977 - 1980)	Passat (B3) (1988 - 1993)	Passat (B4) (1993 - 1996)
Passat (B5) (1996 - 2000)	Passat (B5)(Facelift) (2000 - 2005)	Passat - Santana (B2) (1980 - 1988)
Polo(Mk.III.) (1995 - 2001)	Polo(Mk.IV.) (2001 - 2005)	Polo Classic (1995 - 2001)
Transporter(T4) (1990 - 2000)	Transporter(T3) (1979 - 1992)	Transporter(T2) (1967 - 1979)
Transporter(T4 Facelift) (1995 - 2003)	Vento (1995 - 1997)