Volkswagen Production Details

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Volkswagen 1500
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GLOBAL VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE PRODUCTION
INCLUDING GERMANY
YEAR
MANUFACTURED
YEAR
MANUFACTURED
1945
1,785
838,488
1946
10,020
948,370
1947
8,987 1,090,863
1948
19,244 1,080,165
1949
46,146
925,787
81,979
1,136,134
114,348
1,219,314
114,348 1,196,099
151,323 1,291,612
202,174 1,220,686
279,986 1,206,018
333,190 791,053
380,561 441,116
451,526 383,277
575,407 258,634
739,443 271,673
827,850 253,340
876,255 236,177

GLOBAL VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE PRODUCTION
AFTER GERMAN PRODUCTION CEASED
YEAR
MANUFACTURED
YEAR
MANUFACTURED
157,505 84,716
138,091 85,681
118,138
1992
86,613
118,138
1993
104,710
86,189
1994
95,600
46,633
1995
33,361
17,166
1996
39,722
19,008
1997
35,678
32,421
1998
36,498

GLOBAL VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
YEARS OF MANUFACTURE
COUNTRY
YEARS OF PRODUCTION
Germany (Wolfsburg)
1945 - 1974
Germany (Emden)
1964 - 1978
Germany (Hanover)
1974 - 1975
Germany (Ingolstadt)
1965 - 1969
Germany (Osnabrück)
1949 - 1980
Ireland
1950 - 1977
Portugal
1964 - 1976
Yugoslavia
1973 - 1976
South America
1951 - 1979
Mexico
1954 - 2002
Costa Rica
1970 - 1975
Peru
1966 - 1987
Uruguay
1961 - 1982
Venezuela
1963 - 1981
Australia
1954 - 1976
New Zealand
1954 - 1972
Indonesia
1972 - 1977
Philipines
1959 - 1982
Thailand
1972 - 1974
Brazil
1953 - 1986

The People's Car



As has been mentioned elsewhere on this site, the idea for the Beetle came from Adolph Hitler. This "idea" of a "People's Car" came to Hitler while he was in prison in 1924, following the unsuccessful putsch on the Federal German capital.

The idea was to not only provide an affordable car for the masses, but to help solve Germany's unemployment problem. Under his leadership, Hitler's grand plan was to have the government build special roads (autobahns) for motor vehicles.

Nine years later (February 1933) the Nazi party swept to power, and at the very first cabinet meeting Hitler raised the issue of the special roads. Work began on these roads in September 1933.

The Design of Ferdinand Porsche



A Stuttgart based design company owned and run by Ferdinand Porsche was given the important task of designing this special car within 10 months during April 1934. Hitler specified certain criteria that the car had to meet, such as
  • The car must have a top speed of 62 mph
  • Be able to achieve 42 miles per gallon
  • Be able to transport 2 adults and 3 children
  • Sell for no more than the then equivelant of £86
It was for the latter reason that Ferdinand Porsche decided on a rear engine car, then known as the Type 60. He experimented with various engine designs; flat four, vertical four cylinder, even a two cylinder iteration, 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 within two days of working on the project. After the accountants had checked it, it proved to be the most financially viable option.

The Flat 4 - Powering The Beetle For 40 Years



That very same engine design would go on to power the Beetle for the next 40 years. Ferdinand Porsche had been working on various other cars for other manufacturers before the Volkswagen, and incorporated some older designs within this new project.

Other vehicle designs were utilized for this project, the backbone chassis and the idea of independent front and rear suspension came from the torsion bar front suspension patented by Porsche back in 1931.

The body styling dated back to 1931, to a car called the "Wandere", which never reached production and the only prototype built was used by Ferdinand Porsche for his personal transport.

Hitler also had plans for the styling of the Volkswagen, he is reputed to have said "It should look like a Beetle, you have to look to nature to find out what streamlining is.". Hence the name Beetle.

Over the years larger engines were fitted to Beetles and minor interior and exterior changes were made, although none too dramatic.

It Never Changed For The Sake Of Change



The front headlights changed from sloping to upright, while the basic 1200 Beetle with minimum headlining and single bladed bumpers going through the front valance would morph into a European version, with the bumpers going through the wings. The 1300 had increased headlining and European bumpers, and best of all, the 1500 was fitted with front disc brakes.

Beetle manufacture ceased at Wolfsburg in July 1974 when production switched to the Golf. Beetle manufacture continued at Emden until noon on January 19th 1978. Karmann continued manufacturing the convertible until January 10th 1980 when German production of the world's most popular car finally ceased.



Try looking at a Volkswagen this way, it's the only small car which leaves nothing exposed beneath it. And the VW is built to take a little punishment - in fact it's practically air-tight.

Now what other car gives you this kind of quality, at this kind of price?

Also see:
Volkswagen Beetle Review
Volkswagen Beetle 1500 Specifications
Volkswagen Heritage

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