Here at Hillcrest Volkswagen, we are all proud VW owners. And whether you are buying your first VW, or you’ve been driving Volkswagens all of your life, odds are you’re pretty proud of the emblem on your grille too. But what is it that sets Volkswagens apart? Certainly part of it is the exceptional fuel economy, smart design, and a wealth of features, not to mention the affordable luxury that Volkswagen provides. But why don’t we take a peek at some of the history of VW, and some of the lesser known facts about the ‘people’s car’.
Founded at a turbulent time in German history, VW was Adolf Hitler’s idea to jump-start the German economy. He had Ferdinand Porsche, a bit of an automotive expert in his own right, to further develop what would be known as Volkswagen or, in it’s German translation, the “people’s car”. The German government actually built an entire city, for the Volkswagen factory and its workers; Kraft durch Freude Car at Fallersleben wasn’t exactly the catchiest of monikers, and in 1945 the city was renamed Wolfsburg. The city is still home to Volkswagen, and they commemorate the history of the location with a special Wolfsburg edition Volkswagen for any model undergoing a major redesign.
Germans love their Volkswagens, and it’s not too tough to understand why. Known as an efficient people (friendly too, once you get past that gruff exterior), Germans love the well thought out design and efficient engines that Volkswagen produces. As of 2015, Volkswagens accounted for more than one third of the cars zipping along the autobahn. But Volkswagen’s dominance doesn’t stop there — more than one out of every ten cars sold in 2014 was a Volkswagen. 10.2 million vehicles to be exact, with 7 out of every 10 being sold outside Germany. And that doesn’t take into account the other brands that fall under the Volkswagen umbrella. Automakers like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche, are all part of the Volkswagen Group, and helped the Volkswagen Group rank sixth on the 2017 Fortune Global 500 list of the largest companies in the world.
And of the most beloved Volkswagens, the Beetle ranks number one. A perennial contender on any 20th century list of the world’s best selling cars, there were over 21.5 million Beetles sold by the time VW discontinued production in 2003. Although, such a popular car couldn’t be kept off the road for too long, and in 2011 the Beetle went back into production. There are plenty of rumours surrounding the current Beetle, such as it will go out of production again soon, or that it will resurface as a fully electric car, but so far the brass at VW are keeping quiet. One thing we do know, in April of 2000 a group of people from Kremser, Austria set a Guinness World Record by cramming 25 people into a VW Beetle (it is unknown but assumed that they used the carpool lane afterward).
There are plenty of other colourful facts about VW and their history — too many to get into here. If you have any questions about Volkswagens new or old, want to test drive your first VW, or are looking to upgrade your current VW, come see the team at Hillcrest Volkswagen, Halifax’s Volkswagen authority.