Car Brands HQ - Learn about Volkswagen

Volkswagen (VW) is a German company that began in 1937 with the “People’s Car” designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It is controversial, but the Nazis formed Volkswagen in an attempt to change Europe’s auto industry by creating cheap, yet efficient cars “for the people”. The distinctive shape of the VW Type 82E came to be known by the same nickname that it carries today: the Beetle. During its development, the Beetle was one of the first automobiles to be developed with the assistance of a wind tunnel.

Over time, VW was able to overcome the ravages of World War II and the slanders of its beginnings with the aid of famous advertising campaigns in the 1960s. At this time, the Beetle was joined by an iconic symbol of the 60’s counter culture, the VW Bus, a forerunner of today’s mini-vans. As the VW brand continued to grow, so did the introduction of new models and designs, such as the Golf and the Rabbit, followed soon after by the Jetta and the Passat. In recent years, VW has developed a crossover SUV and has even reintroduced the Beetle.

Although it started out as a struggling manufacturer of affordable cars, VW now has a full line of extremely popular, fuel efficient cars and SUVs that range from entry level to luxury models that are manufactured in facilities all over the world. Volkswagen has also expanded to include other marquee names such as Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini.