Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, and is the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group. The company manufactures a range of consumer vehicles, although it is best known for its iconic Beetle. Between 2016 and 2017, Volkswagen reached the achievement of being the largest automobile manufacturer by volume, selling close to 10.31 million vehicles worldwide.

More than just sales, the Volkswagen brand has become a cultural icon across North America and Europe. Whether it is the curvy, timeless Beetle, which has become one of the most iconic cars in history; the Volkswagen Bus, which became a symbol of the late 1960s "Hippie" movement; or the Volkswagen Golf, which has been credited with starting the "Hot Hatch" movement in Europe, Volkswagen's vehicles have become pop culture icons.

Similarly, cultures have grown around their vehicles, especially in the case of "gear heads" and "hot hatch" enthusiasts who seek out older model cars, which can be modified by interested owners and then displayed at car meetups. These meetups, or "scenes," tend to revolve around specific brands, of which Volkswagen tends to be a popular one, due to its low cost and the capability to modify its older models.

Volkswagen was founded in Germany in 1937 at the impetus of the government of Germany, and, more specifically, Adolf Hitler. The intent was to create a car that invoked a sense of nationalism around the country and a car that was affordable, as few Germans drove a car at the time. The original name of the company—Volkswagenwerk, or "the people's car company"—was intended to help develop the sense of nationalism around the car company. The original Volkswagen car was intended to be a mass-produced, speedy vehicle that could be purchased for less than 1,000 Reich marks (or the equivalent of USD $140 at the time).

Advert for the original Volkswagen KdF-Wagen.

To provide the design for this vehicle, the German Labor Front (the Nazi organization which ran the company) tapped German automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche. The first car, the KdF (Kraft-durch-Freude)-Wagen, or "strength-through-joy" car, was developed for a few years before Volkswagen halted production to focus on military production during the Second World War.

After the conclusion of the Second World War, and with its factories in ruin, the Volkswagen name seemed to be on the verge of disappearing. However, thanks to the help of the Allies' efforts to resuscitate the German automotive industry, Volkswagen was revived. Despite taking a while to gain traction in sales in certain countries, due to its Nazi connection, Volkswagen was instructed by the British to build the Volkswagen saloon at the end of 1945. With the Type 1 and Type 2 models by 1950, Volkswagen became a symbol of Germany's economic recovery.

The infamous Volkswagen Beetle.

In 1955, Volkswagen worked to enter the American market but struggled with sales. In 1959, the company hired advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach to help popularize the Volkswagen Type 1, or Beetle. The Beetle would become one of the longest-running and most manufactured single-car platforms ever. The popularity of the Beetle, along with other vehicles introduced into Volkswagen's lineup, would make the car company one of the best-known and best-selling in the world.

First produced in the 1930s, the Beetle (originally called Volkswagen Type 1) would become one of the most iconic cars of the brand, becoming even a symbol of the cultural change in the 1960s. Often affectionately known as the "Bug," the car was a curvy, practical, affordable, and reliable vehicle, which, paired with its striking look, made the car incredibly popular and successful.

An original Beetle faces a 2012 redesign.

Although Volkswagen stopped producing the vehicle in the late 1970s, in 1998, the company revived the brand and rolled out the New Beetle, which was meant to be a visual flashback to the Type 1 design but was otherwise essentially a Volkswagen Golf. In 2012, Volkswagen introduced another new variation of the Beetle, but, with sales steadily declining, the company once more announced an end to production of the iconic car in 2019.

Volkswagen Golf Mk 1 was released in 1974.

Volkswagen launched the Mk 1 Golf in 1974. Intended as a replacement to the Beetle, the Golf had Giugiaro-penned origami styling, a front-transverse engine, and a front-wheel-drive layout. The Golf has been considered Volkswagen's first successful attempt to replace the Beetle, and as a car that set off a small car revolution. The Golf would become its own icon. The Mk 1 Golf GTI has since been credited with creating the popular "hot hatch" genre car enthusiasts enjoy.

Volkswagen Mk 8 Golf was released in 2020.

Since its launch, and through several generations, Volkswagen has sold more than 35 million Golfs, making it one of the best-selling nameplates of all time. Volkswagen has introduced various variants of the Golf, including the SportWagen and Golf Alltrack, which have focused on extending the Golf's capabilities by giving the car more cargo room or all-wheel-drive, depending on the driver's desires. Similarly, the GTI, and since the Golf R, badges have attracted hardcore car enthusiasts who want more speed from the hatchback. The various generations of the Golf include the following:

• Golf Mk 1 (1974–1983)
• Golf Mk 2 (1983–1992)
• Golf Mk 3 (1991–1998)
• Gold Mk 4 (1997–2003)
• Golf Mk 5 (2003–2008)
• Golf Mk 6 (2008–2014)
• Golf Mk 7 (2014–2020)
• Golf Mk 8 (2020– )

One of Volkswagen's most iconic vehicles, next to only the Beetle, perhaps, was the VW Microbus. Designed by a Dutch importer in 1947, Volkswagen released the Microbus in 1950 after some changes and immediately became a popular vehicle, with Volkswagen making over 9,500 of the vehicle in its first production year and growing production over the next two decades. In 2022, attempting to build on the Microbus, Volkswagen re-introduced a similar model vehicle as an all-electric vehicle named the ID.

Various models of the Volkswagen Microbus.

The Microbus came in many variations that were both fun and outlandish, such as a double-door panel van, a high-roof panel van, and the Samba-bus, which came with skylight windows and a cloth sunroof. One of the biggest selling points of the van was the ability for the owner to customize it to fit their individual needs, converting the base model to suit a range of purposes, which saw owners add sinks, beds, or other useful outdoor accessories. The Microbus was not only popular, it had an impact on popular culture as the Microbus would become an icon of the hippie movement in the late 1960s. The vehicle had many nicknames across various regions, including the Bully, Hippie-Van, Kleinbus, Rugbrod, Vee-Dub, and Camping-Car.

The first generation Volkswagen Jetta.

The Jetta began its nameplate as an afterthought; it was a slightly altered version of the popular Golf hatchback with extra space in an appended trunk. However, since then, the Jetta has become its own nameplate, one of Volkswagen's strongest-selling cars, and has challenged some of the biggest manufacturers in the compact-sedan world. Generally, the Jetta has been known to provide good fuel economy in the base models and offers a GLI variant (similar to the Golf GTI), which offers driver thrills. The first Jetta was introduced at the 1979 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Since then, the Jetta has gone through seven generations, which have built upon the success of the originally introduced Mk. 1. These successive generations have introduced changes, including more interior sophistication and a larger interior than the Golf to meet the demands of consumers looking to purchase a sedan. Through the 1990s, to keep up with consumer demand, the Jetta featured more horsepower with updated designs, safety, and interiors. Whereas, in the 2010s, the Jetta generations have instead begun offering high-horsepower, fuel-efficient engines (with low emissions), along with various digital cockpit features (such as digital telematics and WiFi capability).

The 1998 Volkswagen Passat.

The Passat, initially launched in the 1970s, perhaps best encompasses the early vision of Volkswagen: practical vehicles for common people. Though the Beetle was launched in that spirit, it became so much more. The Passat, however, with its rather sedate trim with a slightly larger body and minimalistic dashboard, which the first generation launched with perfectly encapsulated this ethic. To call the Passat boring may be considered a compliment. Over its lifetime, the Passat has continued to evolve, including new variations—such as a wagon for more stowage room or an all-wheel-drive drivetrain for various weather conditions—to be styled at some points as a sporty vehicle or, at other times, to be a more comfort-focused vehicle. But throughout its lifetime, the Passat has been a mid-size sedan that has tried to offer more in terms of passenger comfort and features than the Jetta.