History of Volkswagens 1934-1979
“Hitler declared that he knew no good reason why millions of good hard-working people should not own their own cars”(Terrence).
And so began the quest for a small car for the common people of Germany. Sixty days later, on April 27th, 1934, the first drawings for the people’s car were made by Dr. Ferdinand Porshe. By May of that year, Hitler had seen the drawings himself, and made suggestions for the specifications of the car, but since he really did not understand automobiles, his ideas were scrapped. “Porshe wanted a lightweight, air-cooled, low fuel consumption automobile” (Terrence).
He wanted the people’s car to be cheap to build, so they could offer it at a low market price. This project was titled “type 60.” “It should look like a Beetle,” Porshe said, “you have to look to nature to find out what streamlining is” (Terrence).
Eventually, in December of 1934, Porshe had prototypes of this car built, and it was tested. He experimented with various engine designs; flat four, vertical four and the two-cylinder engine but none of them proved adequate. In 1935 an Austrian engineer, who had been working for the company for less than a year, came up with a design for a flat four engine. They had the accountants checked it out and it proved to be the most financially viable option, so they went with it. That same engine design has driven the Volkswagen Beetle for the last 60 years.
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By early 1939 the factory was the largest motor factory in Europe, capable of producing 150,000 cars per year, with plans for expansion by 1942 the production rate potential was 1.5 million cars per year. Then war broke out and the factory was handed over to the German Air Force. By this time “630 cars had been built with most of them going to Nazi officers and Adolf Hitler” (Howards).
By the end of the war both the Volkswagen factory and the city of Wolfsburg were in ruins. Because Hitler had turned the Volkswagen factory into an Airplane factory the Allied Nations had no other choice than to bomb it. “Allied attempts to revive the West German auto industry after the war centered on the Volkswagen and in little more than a decade the company was producing half of West Germany’s motor vehicles” (Howards).
The British Army ordered 10,000 Volkswagens for use and this kept the factory busy.
In 1946 a total of 7,677 Volkswagens had been built and in 1947 this figure rose to 8,987. Then in the latter part of 1947 a Heinz Nordhoff was appointed as General Manager of the Volkswagen factory. In the year 1948 production of the “type 60” had staggeringly increased to 19,244. Heinz Nordhoff made two major decisions when he took over the management of the factory. The first was to have a one model policy to ensure improvements and the other was to retain the Volkswagen’s (which was now codenamed “Type 1”) unique shape. Heinz Nordhoff also realized the importance of exportation for the survival of the Volkswagen and subsequently in 1949 the much improved export model appeared. The export model had better paint work, chrome trim and better interior upholstery. Exports to most parts of the world were strong, but because of the car’s small size, unusual rounded appearance, and historical connections with Nazi Germany, sales in the United States were originally slow.
Despite his one model policy, in mid to late 1940’s a team of designers and engineers were already thinking of expansion to new models. They were working on eight or nine different prototypes. While the war was still going on they developed a vehicle called the “Schwimmwagen” or “type 128,” this was a road and water going machine, ready to carry troops and machine guns anywhere. Its top speed on land was 50 mph and in the water was 6 mph. The Schwimmwagen was further developed into a smaller, faster machine the “Type 166” and was produced for 3 years and total production reached 14,283. Heinz Nordhoff would see the production of the “Type 2” (Transporter) in 1950, and the “Type 3” in 1963 which used a flat four engine but of a slightly different design to the Beetle. Production of the “Type 3” ceased in 1973 by which time 2.3 Million “Type 3’s” had been produced. In 1953 a man named Karmann, who was head of design, convinced Nordhoff of the benefits of manufacturing the “type 1” Karmann Ghia, a sports car, stream lined, and considered to be much better looking then the “type 1” beetle. After Nordhoff agreed Karmann took his car for further styling to be carried out by the now world famous Italian styling house Carrozzeria Ghia. And so in “1955 the Karmann Ghia, built by Karmann himself, was available only in left-hand drive form until 1960” (Borgen).
The Essay on The Volkswagen Beetle Car Porsche Model
... remaining beetle production is in Mexico. (Beetle) Concept I was the sensation of the Detroit Show in January 1994 when Volkswagen executives ... power where they needed it most. (Beetle) By the end of WWII the Volkswagen factory in Germany was destroyed. At that ... and the type was familiar in Germany long before the advent of the Volkswagen. Usually these 'popular'; cars were minimal cars, though size ...
Various changes were made to the beetle over the years including the removal of the split window to a small oval shape in 1953 and engine size was increased. In August 1955 Beetle production reached a staggering 1 Million. In 1958 we saw the oval window disappear and be replaced by a larger one which was later increased again. America’s views on the Beetle changed in 1959, when an American advertising agency, Doyle Dane Bernbach, began a landmark advertising campaign, that advertising student to this day study in school. They dubbed the car the “Beetle” because of its shape and also pointed to its size as an advantage to the consumer. This campaign was one of the most successful in history, and for some years following, “the Beetle was the leading automobile imported in to the United States” (Borgen).
Heinz Nordhoff died in 1968 and his replacement Kurt Lotz saw a new model produced, the “Type 4.” This was a four-door model and production lasted 6 years until 1974 when production had reached 400,000. This car was full of problems and was thought to be the ugliest Volkswagen ever produced (until the rabbit in 1980).
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The Road to Japanese Automobile Manufacturing Dominance Japan was devastated at the end of World War Two. Although the automobile industry wasn't as heavily hit as some of the other industries, there were some severely hindering effects on production. Steel and other materials were difficult to obtain causing production to drop 50% by the end of the war (Chao, 1997). Now they are the leading ...
In 1973 the production of “Beetles passed 16.5 Million and became the world’s most popular car breaking Henry Ford’s Model T record” as the most popular car in the world (The Auto Channel).
In 1974 Volkswagen made an unbelievable announcement they had recorded a loss of ?142.5 Million, the first loss in the entire history of Volkswagen. Because the Volkswagen Beetle had hardly changed from its original design, in 1974, with increasing competition from other compact foreign cars, Volkswagen was forced to reevaluate their concentration on a one-model company. This spurred the company to develop newer, sportier car models, among them the Rabbit and its successor, the Golf.
Production of the Beetle in Wolfsburg stopped in 1974, Beetle manufacturing continued in Emden until noon on the 19th January 1978. And in late 1979 Karmann also stopped production of the convertible he had been producing. Most think that this marked the end of the beetle, well way back in 1953 Volkswagen opened the first of quite a few factories outside of Germany, they had went to Brazil, and in later years to various other third world countries. The “Brazil factory was actually the second largest Volkswagen factory, second only to the Wolfsburg factory” (source 9).
Brazil continued to produce the Beetle until 1986 when production finally ceased. Today Mexico is the only country in the world that still manufactures the Beetle. In 1991 the Volkswagen Beetle was acclaimed Car of the Century, an accolade awarded by a panel of 100 motoring journalists from 37 different countries. Unlike the Model T Ford, which came second, the Beetle refuses to die, still being produced in increasing quantity in Mexico. It’s hardly surprising it was voted Car of the Century. What other car can boast such huge sales, over 21 million, what other car can boast such a long production period, 56 years and still going strong. What other car had such an unusual and controversial conception, when the brainchild of, regardless of your political persuasion, was possibly the most evil man in history, Adolf Hitler and then being designed by one of the now most famous, admired and respected car designers ever, Porsche.
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... In 1972, the beetle beat the Model T Ford at being the world's most-produced car. An incredible 21 million Beetles were built. Volkswagen started making ... Now the production of an all new Beetle is underway. It's been nearly two decades after the last newly built Volkswagen Beetle was sold ...
Volkswagens are arguably the best car ever made, and from the sales it is easy to see they are the most popular car in the world’s history. Volkswagens have had their ups and downs (mostly ups), and they have stayed afloat though it all. Now that Volkswagen has released the “concept 1” it is only bring more interest back to the roots of Volkswagens, to appreciate the present you have to look to the past.
Works Cited
Harper David, Prospering VWs in the sixties, VW Trends Magazine. Primedia, Volume 17, No. 11: August 1997
Petty Terrence, Volkswagen’s Nazi History: Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson upset about details on slave labor. Associated Press, The Seattle Times Company November. 8, 1996
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