Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. A global cultural icon known for its bug-like design, the Beetle is widely regarded as one of the most influential cars of the 20th century. Its production period of 65 years is the longest for any single generation of automobile. With 21.5 million units produced over twenty locations worldwide, the Beetle is the best-selling car of a single platform in history and the second best-selling car nameplate of the 20th century. The Beetle was conceived in the early 1930s, when the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, decided there was a need for a people's car—an inexpensive, simple, mass-produced car—to serve Germany's new road network, the Reichsautobahn. Engineer Ferdinand Porsche and his design team began developing and designing the car in the early 1930s, but the fundamental design concept can be attributed to Béla Barényi in 1925, predating Porsche's claims by almost ten years. The result was the Volkswagen Type 1 and the introduction of the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen initially slated production for the late 1930s, but the outbreak of World War II in 1939 delayed production until the war ended in 1945. The car was originally called the Volkswagen Type 1 and marketed simply as the Volkswagen; it was not until 1968 that it was officially named the "Beetle". Volkswagen implemented designations for the Beetle in the 1960s, including 1200, 1300, 1500, 1600, 1302, and 1303. The company introduced a series of large luxury models throughout the 1960s and 1970s—comprising the Type 3, Type 4 and K70—to supplement the Beetle, but none of these models achieved the level of success that the Beetle did. In 1972, the Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T to become the best-selling car of all time, a record it held for 25 years. Rapidly changing consumer preferences toward front-wheel drive compact hatchbacks in Europe prompted Volkswagen's gradual shift away from rear-wheel drive, starting with the Golf in 1974. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Japanese automakers began to dominate markets around the world, which contributed to the Beetle's declining popularity. The Beetle remains one of the best-selling cars of all time, and is the first to have over 20 million units produced. Over its lifespan, its design remained consistent, yet Volkswagen implemented over 78,000 updates. These modifications were mostly subtle, involving minor alterations to its exterior, interior, colours, and lighting. Some more noteworthy changes included the introduction of new engines, models and systems, such as improved technology or comfort. The Beetle maintains a substantial cultural influence, and is regarded as one of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history. Its success largely influenced the way automobiles are designed and marketed, and propelled Volkswagen's introduction of a Golf-based series of vehicles.

History

KdF-Wagen In May 1934, during a meeting at Berlin's Kaiserhof Hotel, the dictator of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, insisted on the development of a vehicle that could accommodate two adults and three children while not using more than seven litres of fuel per 100 km (33.6 mpg US/40.4 mpg UK). All components were designed for a quick and inexpensive part exchange. As Hitler explained, the reason for choosing an air-cooled engine was the lack of a garage for every country doctor. On 22 June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche received a development contract from the Verband der Automobilindustrie (German Association of the Automotive Industry) for the prototype of an inexpensive and economical passenger car after Hitler decided there was a need for a people's car (in German, "volkswagen")—a car affordable and practical enough for lower-class people to own—to serve the country's new road network, the Reichsautobahn. Although the Volkswagen car was primarily the conception of Porsche and Hitler, the idea of a "people's car" is much older than Nazism, and has existed since the introduction of automotive mass production. Originally designated as the Type 60 by Porsche, the Beetle project involved a team of designers and engineers, comprising Erwin Komenda, who specialised in the bodywork; Josef Kales, responsible for the engine design; Karl Rabe, serving as the chief engineer; and Josef Mickl and Franz Xaver Reimspiess, the latter credited for devising the iconic Volkswagen badge. The project saw significant milestones in October 1935, with the completion of the first two Type-60 prototypes, identified as cars V1 (sedan) and V2 (convertible), denoted with a "V" (for Versuchs – "prototype"), signifying their status as a test car. The testing of three additional V3 prototypes began on 11 July 1936, the first of which was driven to Obersalzberg and inspected by Hitler. Two V3s were delivered to Berlin in August for examination by other Nazi Party officials, who showed great interest in them. By June 1936, the V3s had undergone more than 50,000 km (31,000 mi) of testing across various types of terrain. A series of thirty W30 development models, commissioned by Porsche and manufactured by Daimler-Benz, underwent testing in early April 1937, covering a total distance of over 2,900,000 kilometres (1,800,000 mi). All vehicles featured the characteristic rounded design and included air-cooled, rear-mounted engines. A further batch of 44 VW38 pre-production cars produced in 1938 introduced split rear windows, and subsequently, Volkswagen introduced fifty VW39 cars, completed in July 1939.

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