When the National Socialist government in 1934 handed over to Ferdinand Porsche the task of developing a Volkswagen prototype through the private economic organization "Imperial Association of the Automotive Industry", the path from planning and design development to mass production was theoretically four years. However, already in 1935 the first Volkswagen was ready. In 1936, two of his next prototypes were relentlessly tested over 50,000 km. In 1937, the next series was launched, designated VW 30 and consisting of 30 cars, which were tested over a total distance of 2.4 million kilometers. The test results were in all respects satisfactory and led to the fact that in 1938 the car acquired its final technical equipment and external form. Thus, the design phase is completed. The construction of the plant and preparation for production began.
In wartime, open cross-country vehicles and amphibians were produced at the plant. Until the end of the war, a total of about 66,000 all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles were produced. The post-war development proceeded under the English flag - the enterprise was under the control of the Allies, and in the summer of 1945 it was taken over by the British, in whose zone of occupation it was located. At the very least, the plant was restored and the first post-war copies appeared. Soon, the car factory proved its worth by receiving an order for the production of 20,000 cars from the British occupation side. After presenting the car at a number of exhibitions, by the end of the 40s, orders from European countries began to arrive. Thus, the formation of a modern automotive giant took place. Gaining momentum, Volkswagen opened one plant after another - not only in Germany, but also in countries that actively export the company's cars.
In the 70s, Volkswagen developed three new models at once - Passat, Golf and Sirocco, which technically had nothing to do with previous Volkswagen cars. Passat and Golf modifications are still being produced - and they have already become classics of the automotive industry and their names are often used as a common noun.
More than 350,000 Volkswagens are registered in Russia. In our country, the brand ranks third in popularity after Toyota and Opel.
Currently, the Volkswagen concern is one of the largest in terms of sales in the world, has its own factories in 15 countries, produces products under several brands: Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Lamborghini, Bugatti. Since 1998, the concern has owned the Bentley brand. In addition to cars, VW also produces trucks and minibuses.
Based on materials from [email protected]
The founder of the German brand Volkswagen is the great engineer Ferdinand Porsche, after whom the legendary car brand Porsche AG is named. It all started in 1934, when Ferdinand Porsche received a government order to develop a model of a passenger car for the middle class, in other words, the common people. It took the engineer three years to design and then test the ordered model before it went into mass production. Volkswagen VW30, whose name in translation means "people's car", caused considerable admiration of engineers and drivers and even made it to the pages of the New York Times. The journalists of a well-known newspaper called the VW30 a "beetle" for its resemblance to an insect. A successful comparison later became the second name of the legendary car Ferdinand Porsche.
The plant, founded in May 1938 in Wolfsburg, became the largest in all of Europe and fully corresponded to the required production capacity of the "people's car".
In connection with the Second World War, the Wolfsburg plant was redeveloped for the production of military products, like the entire industry of Nazi Germany. It is known that the leadership of the country, in particular the Fuhrer himself, was very fond of Volkswagen cars.
With the onset of peacetime, Wolfsburg was occupied by the British, who, fortunately, did not destroy the Volkswagen plant, but on the contrary transferred an order for the production of several tens of thousands of cars.
In 1948, the leadership of Volkswagen changed dramatically: Heinrich Nordhoff became the head of the company. Under his influence, the Volkswagen lineup was replenished with convertibles and limousines, and a network of car maintenance was developed not only within Germany, but also abroad.
The worldwide fame of Volkswagen cars led to the need to open factories in Brazil, South Africa, Australia and Mexico. By the mid-60s, Volkswagen had become such a powerful enterprise that it was even able to acquire Audi by buying it from Daimler-Benz. The created concern Volkswagen-Audi (VAG) eventually included the Spanish brand SEAT and the Czech Skoda.
In the early 70s, the concern released the revolutionary front-wheel drive Volkswagen Passat, as well as the Volkswagen Golf, an inexpensive and well-equipped car that easily won the competition in its class. The low cost of Volkswagen, the efficiency of engines, as well as the amazing dynamic characteristics of Volkswagen - all this allowed the company to firmly take the first lines in the ratings of European automakers.
In 1975, the production of the Volkswagen Polo sedan started, and five years later, the Volkswagen Jetta subcompact.
During the 90s, the Vento and Sharan models, the comfortable Volkswagen Bora sedan, as well as the new generation Volkswagen Passat appeared in the Volkswagen lineup.
In 2002, the famous Volkswagen Touareg SUV made its debut at the Paris Motor Show, which competed with the super-popular BMW X5.
Now Volkswagen AG is the largest international corporation with factories in fifteen countries around the world. The concern produces not only Volkswagen cars, but also trucks and minibuses.
Volkswagen lineup
The Volkswagen lineup is incredibly rich, especially when compared with other brands. The Volkswagen lineup includes the executive segment (Volkswagen Phaeton), sports crossovers (Volkswagen Tiguan), and all-wheel drive SUVs with high cross-country ability (Volkswagen Tuareg). As for the small and small middle class, this brand has a very large selection of models. Our catalog also includes Volkswagen Touran minivans and commercial vans.
Volkswagen cost
The cost of Volkswagen starts at half a million rubles for the Volkswagen Polo sedan, which belongs to the smallest and most economical class of cars. The price of a small-class Volkswagen does not exceed 800 thousand. The cost of Volkswagen of a small middle class can reach one and a half million, and the average - up to two.
Volkswagen AG (Volkswagen AG), a German automobile concern. Produces cars, trucks, minibuses. The headquarters is in Wolfsburg.
In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche (Ferdinand Porsche), a famous German designer (founder of the world famous German automobile company Porsche AG), received an order from the National Socialist government of Germany to develop a modern passenger car.
And already in 1935, such a car was mounted. It was called "Volkswagen", which literally means "people's car" in German. After two years of testing, the VW30 series was launched in 1937, and by 1938 the car had acquired a look familiar to many generations. Volkswagen was immediately appreciated by designers, engineers and drivers. They started talking about it, numerous publications appeared, in 1938, in a New York Times article, Volkswagen was dubbed the “beetle” for its external resemblance. This nickname has taken root so much that it has become the hallmark of the car.
For the production of the "people's car" May 26, 1938 in the city of Wolfsburg began construction of the largest European car factory Volkswagen. But the impending war prevented the production of this car. Only a dozen were produced. The car really liked the fascist bosses. Hitler himself rode it with pleasure.
During World War II, work on the construction of Volkswagen was suspended, and the unfinished plant was converted to the production of military products.
After the end of the war, the enterprise fell under the control of the British, in whose zone of occupation Wolfsburg was located. In the fall of 1945, the British authorities gave the plant an order for 20,000 vehicles. But only almost ten years later, mass production of the car in its original modification began. In 1947, the Volkswagen was exhibited at the Hannover export fair and attracted a lot of attention. The plant received the first foreign order from Holland for a thousand cars, and in 1948 orders began to arrive from Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and other countries.
In January 1948, the management of Volkswagen changed, Heinrich Nordhoff, a representative of a new generation of German technocrats, became its general director. The revamped leadership consisted of graduate engineers with international experience in car factories and the ability to think outside the box. With their arrival, the car was improved and modernized. In 1949, models with a new body type began to be produced - a convertible and a limousine. In serial production, the interior equipment became more comfortable, a partially synchronized engine was installed.
A network of car service and technical stations for car maintenance was established. Constant work was carried out with Western clients. Volkswagen has built a strong car distribution network.
By the end of 1948, the export of the car, which gained worldwide fame, amounted to about 50 thousand cars, about 15 thousand were sold on the domestic market.
By this time, the plant was freed from British allied control, and on September 6, 1949, Volkswagen was completely transferred to the Federal Republic of Germany.
A new stage in the development of the plant began, which was primarily marked by an intensive increase in production and an increase in sales.
By 1950, 100 thousand cars were produced, by 1951 - 500 thousand cars, and on August 5, 1955, a solemn ceremony was held to mark the release of the millionth Volkswagen 2. The motto of this time in the life of the Germans is becoming a popular phrase associated with Volkswagen - "He is a member of my family" .
The reliability and affordable price of the car, proven over the years, have strengthened the export capabilities of the car. Volkswagen is already sold in 150 countries around the world. Subsidiaries appear abroad - in 1953 in Brazil, in 1956 in South Africa, in 1957 in Australia, in 1964 in Mexico (since 1998, the “beetle” has been produced here, which has become a real hit of the season with Hollywood stars) and other countries.
The first modification of the standard Volkswagen-1200 in 1955 was the Karmann-Ghia sports coupe, the brand of which was made up of the names of the companies that created it: the body was designed by the Italian company Ghia, and it was assembled at the German bodywork firm Karmann in Osnabrück. In 1961, the program was replenished with a new Volkswagen-1500 with a sedan body and an increased displacement engine, on the basis of which the next versions of the Karmann-Ghia coupe and convertible were produced.
In 1965, Volkswagen bought Audi from Daimler-Benz, creating the Volkswagen-Audi concern, known by the abbreviation VAG. Later, it included the Spanish company SEAT (SEAT) and the Czech plant "Skoda" (Skoda). Currently, Audi AG is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen concern, which has been granted full independence. 
The first result of the merger in 1968 was the VW-411 with an air-cooled engine with a working volume of 1679 cc. The model was very reservedly accepted by buyers. In 1969, after joining the NSU company, the first Volkswagen with front-wheel drive appeared, which received the K-70 index. It could be purchased with either 1594 or 1795 cc engines. In 1969-1975, in cooperation with Porsche, sports cars Volkswagen-Porsche-914 ″ were produced with 4- and 6-cylinder engines in 1679 and 1991 cc. In 1970, the VW-181 appeared with a utilitarian open body, reminiscent of wartime army vehicles. Its development in 1979 was the light all-wheel drive lltis army vehicle.
The ancestor of the new generation of Volkswagen is the front-wheel drive Passat, released in 1973. It was offered in numerous variants with engines ranging in displacement from 1297 to 1588 cc. The following year, a sporty Scirocco appeared with a 3-door coupe body and engines from 1093 to 1588 cc, as well as a compact 3- and 5-door Golf hatchback. In the first 30 months of production, 1 million Golf cars rolled off the assembly line, turning Volkswagen into one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe. In 1979, the Golf cabriolet appeared and was always in high demand.
The Golf I, which appeared in 1974, turned out to be the most successful: modern, economical, reliable, it was such a model that could stir up the international market. Golf marked a new stage of competition in the production of a class of compact cars, which became almost officially called the "golf class". If during the development of new models in 1973-1974 the concern's losses exceeded 800 million German marks, then already in 1975, due to the large demand for them, it was possible to cover all costs. Just 3 years after the launch of Golf I, the millionth car of this brand was produced. In 1983, the Golf II saw the light of day, and eight years later, in 1991, the Golf III debuted, which, like previous models, maintained the Golf's high reputation. In the twenty-three years since the start of production, 17 million Golfs of three generations have been produced. In 1995-1996 Golf III was the leader in the number of sales in Europe. In 1997, the debut of the new Golf IV took place, only in the first days after which more than 60 thousand orders were accepted.
At the beginning of 1975, the "little brother" Golf was introduced - a three-door front-wheel drive Polo, similar in design to the Audi-50 and offered with engines with a displacement of 895-1272 cc. The inexpensive and practical Polo also became very popular and strengthened Volkswagen's financial position. Based on the Polo, a three-volume Derby sedan version was offered.
Since 1980, based on the Golf, the Jetta model has been produced with a 4-door sedan body. In 1992, it was replaced by a similar car (already on the third generation Golf chassis), called the Vento.
In 1981, the Passat and Scirocco were upgraded, and a year later, the Santana sedan appeared on the basis of the Passat, which for the first time included a 5-cylinder petrol S engine with a displacement of 1994 cc.
In the period 1988-1995, the only 3-door coupe Corrado in the program, the successor to the Scirocco, was assembled.
Station wagon and convertible Variant models on third-generation chassis have continued to be produced since 1993. Two Variant Syncro models with 2.0- and 2.9-liter engines have an all-wheel drive chassis.
The compact third-generation Polo has been in production since 1994. Bodies 3- and 5-door hatchback, Polo Classic sedan and 5-door Variant station wagon. 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with a displacement of 1.0-1.9 liters and a power of 50-101 hp.
The comfortable Vento family of the first generation is equipped with 4- and 6-cylinder engines of 1.6-2.8 liters with a capacity of 75-174 hp.
The high-capacity station wagon Sharan has been produced since 1995 in 5-7-seater versions, on front- and all-wheel drive chassis. The power of gasoline and diesel engines with a working volume of 1.9-2.8 liters is within 90-174 hp.
The fifth generation Passat model family was shown in 1996. Unlike previous cars produced since 1988, they are again unified with the same type of Audi models "A4" and "A6". This made it possible to use more powerful and modern Audi power units of a longitudinal arrangement. Passat models are produced only with sedan and 5-door station wagon Variant bodies and are equipped with 4-, 5- and 6-cylinder petrol and diesel engines of 1.6-2.8 liters with a capacity of 90-193 hp. Several Variant models in Syncro trim have all-wheel drive chassis.
In 1999, the BORA model of a comfortable sedan was released.
Several Volkswagen sites in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and China produce a number of models that differ significantly from European products. Among them are the Gol, Parati and Santana models, created on the chassis of the Golf and Passat models of previous generations.
The Mexican branch continues to produce the 1.6i model of the Beetle type with a 1.6-liter engine of 44 hp, and since the beginning of 1998, the production of a fundamentally new front-wheel drive car, the Beetle, has been mastered on the chassis of the Golf models, outwardly similar to the famous "Beetle".
At present, the Volkswagen concern is one of the largest in terms of sales in the world, has its own factories in 15 countries, produces products under five trademarks Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT. Since 1998, the concern has owned the Rolls-Royce brand. In addition to passenger cars, the plant also produces trucks and minibuses. The Volkswagen Group includes: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, SEAT S.A., Skoda Automobilova, Volkswagen-Saxony GmbH.
Volkswagen AG (Volkswagen AG), German automobile concern. Produces cars, trucks, minibuses. The headquarters is in Wolfsburg.
In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche (Ferdinand Porsche), a famous German designer (founder of the world famous German automobile company Porsche AG), received an order from the National Socialist government of Germany to develop a modern passenger car.
And already in 1935, such a car was mounted. It was called "Volkswagen", which literally means "people's car" in German. After two years of testing, the VW30 series was launched in 1937, and by 1938 the car had acquired a look familiar to many generations. Volkswagen was immediately appreciated by designers, engineers and drivers. They started talking about it, numerous publications appeared, in 1938, in a New York Times article, Volkswagen was dubbed the “beetle” for its external resemblance. This nickname has taken root so much that it has become the hallmark of the car.
For the production of the "people's car" May 26, 1938 in the city of Wolfsburg began construction of the largest European car factory Volkswagen. But the impending war prevented the production of this car. Only a dozen were produced. The car really liked the fascist bosses. Hitler himself rode it with pleasure.
During World War II, work on the construction of Volkswagen was suspended, and the unfinished plant was converted to the production of military products.
After the end of the war, the enterprise fell under the control of the British, in whose zone of occupation Wolfsburg was located. In the fall of 1945, the British authorities gave the plant an order for 20,000 vehicles. But only almost ten years later, mass production of the car in its original modification began. In 1947, the Volkswagen was exhibited at the Hannover export fair and attracted a lot of attention. The plant received the first foreign order from Holland for a thousand cars, and in 1948 orders began to arrive from Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and other countries.
In January 1948, the management of Volkswagen changed, Heinrich Nordhoff, a representative of a new generation of German technocrats, became its general director. The revamped leadership consisted of graduate engineers with international experience in car factories and the ability to think outside the box. With their arrival, the car was improved and modernized. In 1949, models with a new body type began to be produced - a convertible and a limousine. In serial production, the interior equipment became more comfortable, a partially synchronized engine was installed.
A network of car service and technical stations for car maintenance was established. Constant work was carried out with Western clients. Volkswagen has built a strong car distribution network.
By the end of 1948, the export of the car, which gained worldwide fame, amounted to about 50 thousand cars, about 15 thousand were sold on the domestic market.
By this time, the plant was freed from British allied control, and on September 6, 1949, Volkswagen was completely transferred to the Federal Republic of Germany.
A new stage in the development of the plant began, which was primarily marked by an intensive increase in production and an increase in sales.
By 1950, 100 thousand cars were produced, by 1951 - 500 thousand cars, and on August 5, 1955, a solemn ceremony was held to mark the release of the millionth Volkswagen 2. The motto of this time in the life of the Germans is becoming a popular phrase associated with Volkswagen - "He is a member of my family" .
The reliability and affordable price of the car, proven over the years, have strengthened the export capabilities of the car. Volkswagen is already sold in 150 countries around the world. Subsidiaries appear abroad - in 1953 in Brazil, in 1956 in South Africa, in 1957 in Australia, in 1964 in Mexico (since 1998, the “beetle” has been produced here, which has become a real hit of the season with Hollywood stars) and other countries.
The first modification of the standard Volkswagen-1200 in 1955 was the Karmann-Ghia sports coupe, the brand of which was made up of the names of the companies that created it: the body was designed by the Italian company Ghia, and it was assembled at the German bodywork company Karmann in Osnabrück. In 1961, the program was replenished with a new Volkswagen-1500 with a sedan body and an increased displacement engine, on the basis of which the next versions of the Karmann-Ghia coupe and convertible were produced.
In 1965, Volkswagen bought Audi from Daimler-Benz, creating the Volkswagen-Audi concern, known by the acronym VAG. Later, it included the Spanish company SEAT (SEAT) and the Czech plant "Skoda" (Skoda). Currently, Audi AG is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen concern, which has been granted full independence.
The first result of the merger in 1968 was the VW-411 with an air-cooled engine with a displacement of 1679 cc. The model was very reservedly accepted by buyers. In 1969, after joining the NSU company, the first Volkswagen with front-wheel drive appeared, which received the K-70 index. It could be purchased with either 1594 or 1795 cc engines. In 1969-1975, in collaboration with Porsche, sports cars Volkswagen-Porsche-914 "with 4- and 6-cylinder engines in 1679 and 1991 cc were produced. In 1970, the VW-181 appeared with a utilitarian open body, reminiscent of army vehicles its development in 1979 was the light all-wheel drive army vehicle lltis.
The ancestor of the new generation of Volkswagen is the front-wheel drive Passat, released in 1973. It was offered in numerous variants with engines ranging in displacement from 1297 to 1588 cc. The following year, a sporty Scirocco appeared with a 3-door coupe body and engines from 1093 to 1588 cc, as well as a compact 3- and 5-door Golf hatchback. In the first 30 months of production, 1 million Golf cars rolled off the assembly line, turning Volkswagen into one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe. In 1979, the Golf cabriolet appeared and was always in high demand.
The Golf I, which appeared in 1974, turned out to be the most successful: modern, economical, reliable, it was such a model that could stir up the international market. Golf marked a new stage of competition in the production of a class of compact cars, which became almost officially called the "golf class". If during the development of new models in 1973-1974 the concern's losses exceeded 800 million German marks, then already in 1975, due to the large demand for them, it was possible to cover all costs. Just 3 years after the launch of Golf I, the millionth car of this brand was produced. In 1983, the Golf II saw the light of day, and eight years later, in 1991, the Golf III debuted, which, like previous models, maintained the Golf's high reputation. In the twenty-three years since the start of production, 17 million Golfs of three generations have been produced. In 1995-1996 Golf III was the leader in the number of sales in Europe. In 1997, the debut of the new Golf IV took place, only in the first days after which more than 60 thousand orders were accepted.
At the beginning of 1975, the "little brother" Golf was introduced - a three-door front-wheel drive Polo, similar in design to the Audi-50 and offered with engines with a displacement of 895-1272 cc. The inexpensive and practical Polo also became very popular and strengthened Volkswagen's financial position. Based on the Polo, a three-volume Derby sedan version was offered.
Since 1980, based on the Golf, the Jetta model has been produced with a 4-door sedan body. In 1992, it was replaced by a similar car (already on the third generation Golf chassis), called the Vento.
In 1981, the Passat and Scirocco were upgraded, and a year later, the Santana sedan appeared on the basis of the Passat, which for the first time included a 5-cylinder petrol S engine with a displacement of 1994 cc.
In the period 1988-1995, the only 3-door coupe Corrado in the program, the successor to the Scirocco, was assembled.
Station wagon and convertible Variant models on third-generation chassis have continued to be produced since 1993. Two Variant Syncro models with 2.0- and 2.9-liter engines have an all-wheel drive chassis.
The compact third-generation Polo has been in production since 1994. Bodies 3- and 5-door hatchback, Polo Classic sedan and 5-door Variant station wagon. 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with a displacement of 1.0-1.9 liters and a power of 50-101 hp.
The comfortable Vento family of the first generation is equipped with 4- and 6-cylinder engines of 1.6-2.8 liters with a capacity of 75-174 hp.
The high-capacity station wagon Sharan has been produced since 1995 in 5-7-seater versions, on front- and all-wheel drive chassis. The power of gasoline and diesel engines with a working volume of 1.9-2.8 liters is within 90-174 hp.
The fifth generation Passat model family was shown in 1996. Unlike previous cars produced since 1988, they are again unified with the same type of Audi models "A4" and "A6". This made it possible to use more powerful and modern Audi power units of a longitudinal arrangement. Passat models are produced only with sedan and 5-door station wagon Variant bodies and are equipped with 4-, 5- and 6-cylinder petrol and diesel engines of 1.6-2.8 liters with a capacity of 90-193 hp. Several Variant models in Syncro trim have all-wheel drive chassis.
In 1999, the BORA model of a comfortable sedan was released.
Several Volkswagen sites in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and China produce a number of models that differ significantly from European products. Among them are the Gol, Parati and Santana models, created on the chassis of the Golf and Passat models of previous generations.
The Mexican branch continues production of the "1.6i" model of the "Beetle" type with a 1.6-liter engine of 44 hp, and since the beginning of 1998, the production of a fundamentally new front-wheel drive car "Beetle" (Beetle) on the chassis of Golf models has been mastered, outwardly similar to the famous "Beetle".
At present, the Volkswagen concern is one of the largest in terms of sales in the world, has its factories in 15 countries, produces products under five trademarks Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT. Since 1998, the concern has owned the Rolls-Royce brand. In addition to passenger cars, the plant also produces trucks and minibuses. The Volkswagen Group includes: Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, SEAT S.A., Skoda Automobilova, Volkswagen-Saxony GmbH.
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