Volkswagen

Volkswagen AG is a German car enterprise. It produces passenger cars, tucks and minivans. Volkswagen headquarters are located in Wolfsburg.

In 1934 Ferdinand Porsche, famous German engineer that founded the world-famous German car enterprise Porsche AG, got an order from German government for constructing a modern passenger car.

And as soon as in 1935 such a car was designed. It was titled Volkswagen; the metaphrase of this word was “all people’s car”. After 2 years of tests its VW30 series was released in 1937; by 1938 this Volkswagen model acquired the look many generations of costumers were familiar with. At once Volkswagen was estimated at its true worth by constructors, engineers and drivers. This car was growing more and more popular; Volkswagen was widely covered in press. In 1938 in a New York Times article Volkswagen car was baptized a “Beetle” because of exterior similarities. This nickname became so popular so Volkswagen chose it as a brand name for this series.

Construction of the biggest European Volkswagen automobile plant commenced on May 26 1938 in the city of Wolfsburg. Its purpose was production of vast series of Volkswagen “all people’s cars”. But the approaching World War prevented setting up the batch production of Volkswagen; only a dozen of such Volkswagens were produced. Nazi bonzes liked this Volkswagen model a lot, even Hitler adored driving it.

During the Second World War Volkswagen plant construction works were stopped; the unfinished plant was used for producing armed vehicles. After the War this Volkswagen plant got under control of Englishmen, who occupied the whole area of Wolfsburg. In autumn 1945 UK government ordered production of 20 thousand Volkswagen cars there. However only in almost a decade the batch production of Volkswagens of initial configuration was set up. In 1947 Volkswagen was set out at an export marketplace in Hanover and attracted much public attention. The plant got its first foreign order from Holland for producing a thousand of Volkswagen cars; since 1948 they got numerous orders from Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and other world countries.

In January 1948 Volkswagen management changed; Henry Nordhoff became its CEO, representing the next generation of German technocrats. The new management consisted of professionally qualified engineers having the international work experience in car enterprises capable of thinking in a non-standard way. After they came to manage the enterprise Volkswagen was noticeably upgraded and modernized. In 1949 they started releasing Volkswagen cars with new body styles, cabriole and limousine. The saloon equipment and trimming became more comfortable for common Volkswagen series; a partially synchronized motor was installed on new Volkswagen models.

Volkswagen car service and technical maintenance network was set to work. A constant business connection was maintained with Western clients. Volkswagen created an efficient distribution network.

The total export of now world-famous Volkswagen by the end of 1948 reached 50 thousand cars; the sales in internal market reached 15 thousand.

By that time the plant got free from English allied control; on September 6 1949 Volkswagen was completely handed over to Federative German Republic.

The new stage of plant development began; first of all its production grew intensively; Volkswagen sales also increased considerably.

By 1950 100 thousand Volkswagen cars were released; by 1951 500 Volkswagens; on August 5 1955 a solemn ceremony marking release of the millionth Volkswagen 2 was held. The common slogan associated with Volkswagen brand in consciousness of Germans of that time was: “Volkswagen is a member of my family.”

Volkswagen time-proved reliability and acceptable prices increased its export perspectives. Volkswagen was already being sold in 150 world countries. Filial Volkswagen companies were established abroad, in 1953 in Brazil, in 1956 in South-African Republicm in 1957 in Australia, in 1964 in Mexico (since 1998 there they released the VW “Beetles”, which became so popular among Hollywood stars) and other countries.

The first modification of standard Volkswagen-1200 was Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia sport coupe released in 1955. Its brand name was assembled from the titles of companies which designed it; its body was constructed by Italian Ghia Company, its assemblage took place on German car-body factory Karmann in Osnabruke. In 1961 Volkswagen production program was widened with a new Volkswagen-1500 with sedan body and an engine with extra displacement, on the basis of which the new coupe and cabriolet models of Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia were built.

In 1965 Volkswagen purchased Audi Company from Daimler-Benz Corporation. This way Volkswagen-Audi concern was founded, also known under VAG acronym. Later on Spanish SEAT Company and Czech Skoda enterprise joined it. Today Audi AG company is still a filial of Volkswagen Company provided with complete independence.

The first outcome of their unification in 1968 was VW-411 model with an air-cooled motor of 1679 cc displacement. This Volkswagen model wasn’t that well accepted by customers. In 1969 after Volkswagen integrated NSU Company the first VW car with front-wheel drive appeared; this model got the index of K-70. This Volkswagen was available with engines of 1594 or 1795 cc displacement. In 1969-1975 sport Volkswagen-Porsche-914” were released in collaboration with Porsche set up with 4- and 6-cylinder engines of 1679 and 1991 cc displacement. In 1970 new VW-181 appeared, available with utility open body, resembling military cars of war times. Later on this model was developed to a light AWD military car Volkswagen Iltis.

All-wheel drive Volkswagen Passat released in 1973 is considered the progenitor of new Volkswagen generation. It was offered as different versions equipped with an engine with displacement in a range from 1297 to 1588 cc. Next year sport Volkswagen Scirocco appeared, consisting of a 3-door coupe body and an engine with displacement within a range from 1093 to 1588 cc, as well as compact 3- and 5-door Volkswagen Golf hatchback. During the first 30 months of production as much as 1 million Volkswagen Golf cars were released, turning Volkswagen in one of the biggest car enterprises in Europe. In 1979 Volkswagen Golf cabriolet appeared, the model that always enjoyed wide popularity.

Volkswagen Golf I model, released in 1974, happened to be the most successful VW; being up-to-date, economical, reliable, it was exactly the model able to stir the international market up. Volkswagen Golf started the new stage of competition in the field of production of compact-class cars that was almost officially named “golf-class”. Although the Volkswagen’s losses were as much as 800 million German marks during the period of 1973-74, when the new models were developed, the high demand for these Volkswagen cars allowed the company cover all costs as soon as in 1975. Some 3 years after production of Volkswagen Golf I was started the millionth car of this brand was released. In 1983 Volkswagen Golf II was released; 8 years later, in 1991 Volkswagen Golf III debuted that maintained the reputation of Volkswagen Golf just as high as did I and II models. During these two dozen years the total number of 17 million Volkswagen Golfs of all 3 generations was produced. In 1995-1996 Volkswagen Golf III was the sales leader in Europe. In 1997 new Volkswagen Golf IV debuted; during the several days that followed thay got as much as 60 thousand orders.

In the beginning of 1975 the “younger brother” of Volkswagen Golf was presented, a 3-door front-wheel drive Volkswagen Polo of construction similar to Audi-50, arranged with engines of displacement ranging from 895 to 1272 cc. Being practical and inexpensive, Volkswagen Polo also became very popular and made the financial status of Volkswagen even more steady. A three-box sedan version Volkswagen Derby built on the basis of Volkswagen Polo was also offered.

Since 1980 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan was produced on the basis of Volkswagen Golf. Since 1992 it was replaced by a similar car titled Vento built on Golf III chassis.

In 1981 Volkswagen Passat and Scirocco were modernized; next year Volkswagen Santana sedan was constructed on the basis of Volkswagen Passat. For the first time the 5-cylinder gasoline S-class engine with 1994 cc displacement was introduced for this model.

During 1988 - 1995 period the only 3-door coupe in Volkswagen model row was released, titled Corrado. Basically it was the successor of Scirocco.

Volkswagen Variant available with estate and cabriolet body styles built 3rd generation chassis hit the market since 1993. 2 Variant Syncro models available with 2.0-liter and 2.9-liter engines were set up with all-wheel drive chassis.

Compact Volkswagen Polo model of the 3rd generation was produced since 1994 with 3- and 5-door hatchback, Volkswagen Polo classic sedan and 5-door Volkswagen Variant estate bodies and gasoline or diesel 4-cylinder motors of 1.0 – 1.9-liter displacement and 50-101 horsepower output.

The comfortable Volkswagen Vento family of the 1st generation was equipped with 4- and 6-cylinder motors of 1.6 – 2.8-liter displacement, 75 – 174 horsepower output.

Since 1995 high-capacity estate car Volkswagen Sharan was released as 5-7-seated model with front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The power capacity of their gasoline and diesel engines of 1.9 - 2.8-liter displacement was within the range of 90-174 horsepower.

Volkswagen Passat family of the 5th generation was introduced in 1996. Unlike the preceding models released since 1988 Volkswagens of this family were unified with single-type Audi A4 and A6 models. That allowed using more powerful and up-to-date Audi power units with lengthwise engine alignment. Volkswagen Passat car were only produced with sedan and 5-door estate Variant body styles and equipped with 4-, 5- and 6-cylinder gasoline and diesel motors of 1.6 – 2.8-liter displacement with 90 – 193 horsepower horse power output. Several Volkswagen Variant models of Syncro configuration had all-wheel drive chassis.

In 1999 a new Volkswagen sedan Bora was released.

Several Volkswagen branch offices in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and China produced models differing drastically from European Volkswagen models. They were Volkswagen Gol, Volkswagen Parati and Volkswagen Santana built on chassis of Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Passat of preceding generations.

The Mexican branch kept on producing Volkswagen 1.6i models of Beetle type with 1.6-liter motor with 44 horsepower output; since 1998 they set up production of a brand-new front-wheel drive Volkswagen Beetle with Volkswagen Golf chassis, which was designed just like the famous good old “beetle”.

Today Volkswagen concern has one of the highest sales rates among world car enterprises; they established plants in 15 world countries and release products of 5 trademarks, these are Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and SEAT. Since 1998 Rolls-Royce brand-name is also the property of Volkswagen. In addition to passenger cars Volkswagen also produces trucks and minivans. Volkswagen concern consists of Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, SEAT S. A., Skoda automobilova and Volkswagen-Saxony GmbH.