"VW" redirects here. For the airline using IATA designator VW, see Aeromar. Volkswagen is an automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. It forms the core of the Volkswagen Group, which is the world's fourth largest car producer after Toyota, Ford, and GM respectively. Aeromar (Transportes Aeromar, SA de CV) is an airline based in Mexico City, Mexico. ...
For other uses, see Brand (disambiguation). ...
CARS is a four-letter acronym that can stand for: Cable television relay service station Canadian Aviation Regulations Childhood Autism Rating Scale‎ Customer Access and Retrieval System Citizens Against Road Slaughter Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources, a cooperative effort of the University of Chicago and...
Volkswagen Group (ISIN: DE0007664005, TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer and one of the largest automotive companies worldwide. ...
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles or Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge started originally as part of Volkswagen itself. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
A marque (French for brand and pronounced as mark) is a brand name, most commonly used for automobile brands. ...
Volkswagen Group (ISIN: DE0007664005, TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer and one of the largest automotive companies worldwide. ...
Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Wolfsburg is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ...
Martin Winterkorn (born May 24, 1947 is the CEO of Volkswagens Audi brand. ...
Car redirects here. ...
Car redirects here. ...
For the tax agency in Ireland of the same name, see Revenue Commissioners. ...
For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), also known as operating income and operating profit, is a term used to describe a companys earnings. ...
For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ...
A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML...
Car redirects here. ...
Wolfsburg is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ...
Volkswagen Group (ISIN: DE0007664005, TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer and one of the largest automotive companies worldwide. ...
This article is about the automaker. ...
Ford may mean a number of things: A ford is a river crossing. ...
General Motors Corporation, also known as GM, is a multinational corporation headquartered in the United States and has been the worlds largest and most dominant automaker since 1931 till the second half of 2007, surpassed by Toyota; as well as the global industry sales leader for 77 years. ...
The name means "people's car" in German, in which it is pronounced [ˈfolksvagən]. Its tagline is "Volkswagen - Das Auto" (in English "Volkswagen - The Car"). Its previous German tagline was "Aus Liebe zum Automobil", which is translated as "Out of love for the car" - or, "For Love of the Automobile", as translated by VW in other languages.
History - For timeline table: Volkswagen (timeline)
Main article: Volkswagen ...
Origins in 1930s Germany
 Ferdinand Porsche's Type 12 from 1931 Adolf Hitler had a keen interest in cars even though he did not drive. In 1933, shortly after taking over as leader of Germany, he asked Ferdinand Porsche to make changes to his original 1931 design to make it more suited for the working man. Hans Ledwinka discussed his ideas with Ferdinand Porsche who used many Tatra design features in the 1938 Kdf-Wagen, later known as the VW Käfer - or Beetle. On 22 June 1934, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche agreed to design the "People's Car" for Hitler. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x469, 270 KB) {{Information| (Uploaded using CommonsHelper or PushForCommons) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen Beetle ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x469, 270 KB) {{Information| (Uploaded using CommonsHelper or PushForCommons) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen Beetle ...
Hitler redirects here. ...
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
Hans Ledwinka (born in Klosterneuburg (Lower Austria),1878, died in Munich (Germany),1967) was an Austrian automobile designer. ...
Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. ...
This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...
is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Changes included better fuel efficiency, reliability, ease-of-use, and economically efficient repairs and parts. The intention was that ordinary Germans would buy the car by means of a savings scheme ("Fünf Mark die Woche musst Du sparen, willst Du im eigenen Wagen fahren" — "Save five Marks a week, if you want to drive your own car") which around 336,000 people eventually paid into. Volkswagen honoured its savings agreements in West Germany (but not in East Germany) after World War II[citation needed]. Prototypes of the car called the "Kdf-Wagen" (German: Kraft durch Freude -- "strength through joy"), appeared from 1936 onwards (the first cars had been produced in Stuttgart). The car already had its distinctive round shape and air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mounted engine. The VW car was just one of many KdF programmes which included things such as tours and outings. The prefix "Volks" ("People's") was not just applied to cars, but also to other products in Nazi Germany; the "Volksempfänger" radio receiver for instance. On May 30, 1937, Volkswagen mbH was established. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...
This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...
Kraft durch Freude (KdF, literally Strength Through Joy) was a large state-controlled leisure organization in the Third Reich, a part of the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeiterfront - DAF), the national German labour organization at that time. ...
For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation). ...
The Volksempfänger (German for: Peoples radio or Peoples receiver) was radio receiver developed by Otto Griessing on request of Joseph Goebbels. ...
Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Auto Union chief designer, developed the car body of the prototype, which was recognizably the Beetle we know today. It was one of the first to be designed with the aid of a wind tunnel; unlike the Chrysler Airflow, it would be a success. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2187x1804, 604 KB) Description: VW Typ 83 Source: own image File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2187x1804, 604 KB) Description: VW Typ 83 Source: own image File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen ...
Erwin Komenda (April 6, 1904 - August 22, 1966) was the designer of the bodies for the VW Beetle and various Porsche sports cars. ...
Auto Union Logo 1936 Auto Union Wanderer Auto Union was a joint venture of four German automobile manufacturers, established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression. ...
This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...
NASA wind tunnel with the model of a plane A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects. ...
The Chrysler Corporation was a United States-based automobile manufacturer that existed independently from 1925–1998. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
The building of the new factory started 26 May 1938 in the new town of KdF-Stadt. Now called Wolfsburg, purpose-built for the factory workers, only produced a handful of cars by the time war started in 1939. None were actually delivered to holders of the completed saving stamp books, though one Type 1 Cabriolet was presented to Hitler on 20 April 1938 (his 49th birthday). is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Wolfsburg is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ...
Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
War meant production changed to military vehicles, the Type 81 Kübelwagen ("Bucket car") utility vehicle (VW's most common wartime model) and the amphibious Schwimmwagen which were used to equip the German forces. Volkswagen Kübelwagen VW Kübelwagen rear The Volkswagen Kübelwagen (short for Kübelsitzwagen, meaning bucket-seat car) was a military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the German military (both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS). ...
An amphibious vehicle is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water - just like an amphibian. ...
The VW Type 128 and 166 Schwimmwagen (Floating / Swimming Car) were amphibious all-wheel-drive off-roaders, used extensively by the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. ...
 Volkswagen factory with its own power plant Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 2. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 2. ...
1945: British Army and Ivan Hirst, unclear future The company owes its postwar existence largely to one man, British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst REME. In April 1945, KdF-Stadt and its heavily bombed factory were captured by the Americans, and subsequently handed over to the British, within whose occupation zone the town and factory fell. The factory was placed under the control of Oldham-born Hirst. At first, the plan was to use it for military vehicle maintenance. Since it had been used for military production, and had been in Hirst's words a "political animal" rather than a commercial enterprise, the equipment was in time intended to be salvaged as war reparations. Hirst painted one of the factory's cars green and demonstrated it to British Army headquarters. Short of light transport, in September 1945 the British Army was persuaded to place a vital order for 20,000. The first few hundred cars went to personnel from the occupying forces, and to the German Post Office. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ...
Major Ivan Hirst (March 4, 1916 - March 10, 2000), was a British Army officer who was instrumental in reviving Volkswagen from a single factory in Wolfsburg, Germany to a postwar major automotive manufacturer. ...
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME; pronounced phonetically as Reemee) is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and AH64...
This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...
Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...
The C-Pennant Occupation zones in Germany (1945) Capital Berlin (de jure) Political structure Military occupation Governors (1945) - UK zone F.M. Montgomery - French zone Gen. ...
For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. ...
War reparations refer to the monetary compensation provided to a triumphant nation or coalition from a defeated nation or coalition. ...
Some UK service personnel were allowed to take their Beetles back to the UK when they were demobilized, and one of the very first Beetles brought back in that way (UK registration index JLT 420) is still owned by Peter Colborne-Baber, the son of the original proprietor of the UK's first official VW Importer, Colborne Carages of Ripley in Surrey. This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...
By 1946 the factory was producing 1,000 cars a month, a remarkable feat considering it was still in disrepair. Due to roof and window damage, rain stopped production and steel to make the cars had to be bartered for new vehicles.
The car and its town changed their Second World War-era names to Volkswagen and Wolfsburg respectively, and production was increasing. It was still unclear what was to become of the factory. It was offered to representatives from the British, American and French motor industries. Famously, all rejected it. After an inspection of the plant, Sir William Rootes, head of the British Rootes Group, told Hirst the project would fail within two years, and that the car "is quite unattractive to the average motorcar buyer, is too ugly and too noisy ... If you think you're going to build cars in this place, you're a bloody fool, young man." (In a bizarre twist of fate, Volkswagen would manufacture a locally built version of Rootes' Hillman Avenger in Argentina in the 1980s, long after Rootes went bust at the hands of Chrysler in 1978—the Beetle outliving the Avenger by over 30 years.) William Edward Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes GBE (17 August 1894–12 December 1964) was a noted Coventry motor manufacturer and the innovative Chairman of the Promotion Committee which founded the University of Warwick. ...
The Rootes Group is a now-defunct British automobile manufacturer. ...
The Hillman Avenger was a rear-wheel drive Small family car originally manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group between 1970 and 1976, and made by Chrysler Europe from 1976 to 1981 as the Chrysler Avenger and finally the Talbot Avenger. ...
The Chrysler Corporation was a United States-based automobile manufacturer that existed independently from 1925–1998. ...
Ford representatives were equally critical: the car was "not worth a damn." Henry Ford II, the son of Edsel Ford, did reportedly look at the possibility of taking over the VW factory but dismissed the idea as soon as he looked up Wolfsburg on the map and found it to be too close for comfort to the East German border. Henry Ford II Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 — September 29, 1987), commonly known as Hank the Deuce, was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford. ...
Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943), son of Henry Ford, was born in Detroit. ...
In France, Citroën started the 2CV on a similar marketing concept. Meanwhile, in Italy, the Fiat 500 "Topolino" was developed. Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ...
The Citroën 2CV (French: deux chevaux vapeur, literally two steam horses, from the tax horsepower rating) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1948 to 1990. ...
The Fiat 500 (the cinquecento from the Italian word for 500) is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975 (the Fiat 500 K alone was produced until 1977). ...
1948–1974: icon for German regeneration
 An original 1300 Deluxe, circa 1966.
 Rear, restored 1967 VW Beetle in Sri Lanka.
 Volkswagen Beetle found in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico From 1948, Volkswagen became a very important element, symbolically and economically, of West German regeneration. Heinrich Nordhoff (1899–1968), a former senior manager at Opel who had overseen civilian and military vehicle production in the 1930s and 1940s, was recruited to run the factory in 1948. In 1949 Hirst left the company, now re-formed as a trust controlled by the West German government. Apart from the introduction of the Type 2 commercial vehicle (van, pickup and camper) and the Karmann Ghia sports car, Nordhoff pursued the one-model policy until shortly before his death in 1968. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 467 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 584 pixels, file size: 64 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 467 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,000 × 584 pixels, file size: 64 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,200 × 800 pixels, file size: 117 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)1958 Volkswagen Pickup photographed at the Henderson Springsational Car Show in Henderson, Nevada, April 23, 2005, by Douglas Wilkinson for www. ...
Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,200 × 800 pixels, file size: 117 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)1958 Volkswagen Pickup photographed at the Henderson Springsational Car Show in Henderson, Nevada, April 23, 2005, by Douglas Wilkinson for www. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Glj01. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Glj01. ...
Image File history File links VW_in_kandy1. ...
Image File history File links VW_in_kandy1. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 486 KB) VW Sedan in Torreón, Coahuila Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2304x1728, 486 KB) VW Sedan in Torreón, Coahuila Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ...
West Germany was the informal but almost universally used name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. ...
Heinrich Nordhoff Heinrich Nordhoff (January 6, 1899- April 12, 1968) was a German engineer famous for his leadership of the Volkswagen company as it was rebuilt after World War II. Nordhoff attended technical college in Berlin and in 1927 began work for BMW working on aircraft engines but soon went...
This article is about the European car manufacturer. ...
The Volkswagen Type 2 (aka Transporter) was the second automotive line introduced by German automaker Volkswagen. ...
1970s Volkswagen Karmann Ghia coupe The Karmann Ghia was a four-seater manufactured by Volkswagen that brought together the companys prosaic Beetle mechanicals, evocative styling by the Italian carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built bodywork by German coach-builder Karmann. ...
Volkswagens were first exhibited and sold in the United States in 1949, but only sold two units in America that first year. On its entry to the U.S. market, the VW was briefly sold as a "Victory Wagon". Volkswagen of America was formed in April 1955 to standardize sales and service in the U.S. Production of the Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle increased dramatically over the years, the total reaching one million in 1955. Volkswagen of America is the U.S. subsidiary of the Volkswagen automobile company in Germany. ...
This article is about the original Volkswagen Beetle. ...
Sales soared — due in part to the famous advertising campaigns by New York advertising agency Doyle, Dane Bernbach. Led by art director Helmut Krone and copywriters Julian Koenig and Bob Levinson, Volkswagen ads became as popular as the car, using crisp layouts and witty copy to lure the younger, sophisticated consumers with whom the car became associated. Despite the fact it was almost universally known as the Beetle (or the Bug), it was never officially labeled as such by the manufacturer, instead referred to as the Type 1. The first reference to the name Beetle occurred in U.S. advertising in 1968, but not until 1998 and the Golf-based New Beetle would the name be adopted by Wolfsburg. Doyle Dane Bernbach is an advertising agency that became famous in the 1950s and 1960s for its innovative campaigns for Volkswagen (Think Small), Avis (We Try Harder), and other companies. ...
The Volkswagen Golf (Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico) is a compact car/small family car manufactured by Volkswagen. ...
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. ...
Wolfsburg is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. ...
During the 1960s and early 1970s, although the car was becoming outdated, American exports, innovative advertising and a growing reputation for reliability helped production figures to surpass the levels of the previous record holder, the Ford Model T. By 1973, total production was over 16 million. // Advert redirects here. ...
The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie and the Flivver) was an automobile produced by Henry Fords Ford Motor Company from 1908 through 1927. ...
 An original and unmodified 1963 VW Notchback. VW expanded its product line in 1961 with the introduction of several Type 3 models, which were essentially body style variations (Fastback, Notchback, Squareback) based on Type 1 mechanical underpinnings, and again in 1969 with the larger Type 4 (also known as the 411 and 412) models, which differed substantially from previous vehicles with the notable introduction of unibody construction, the option of a fully automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, and a sturdier powerplant. Volkswagen added a "Super Beetle" (the Type 113) to its lineup in 1971. The Type 113 differed from the standard Beetle in its use of a McPherson strut front suspension instead of the usual torsion bars. Also the nose of the car was stretched 2 inches (51 mm) to allow the spare tire to lie flat, and the combination of these two features significantly increased the usable front luggage space. Despite the Super Beetle's (marketed outside North America as the VW 1302, later 1303) popularity with Volkswagen customers, purists preferred the standard Beetle with its less pronounced nose and its original torsion bar suspension. In 1973, Volkswagen introduced the military-themed Type 181 or Trekker in Europe and the UK - Thing in America, recalling the wartime Type 81. The military version was produced for the NATO-era German army (Bundeswehr) during the cold war years of 1970 to 1979. The US Thing version only sold for two years, 1973 and 1974, due at least in part to Ralph Nader's automobile safety campaigns. Image File history File linksMetadata 212310. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata 212310. ...
The Volkswagen Type 3, properly referred to as the Volkswagen 1500 and later the Volkswagen 1600, was a range of small cars from German manufacturer Volkswagen (VW). ...
1969-1972 Volkswagen 411 estate 1974 Volkswagen 412 sedan The Volkswagen Type 4 was a mid-sized 2 or 4-door sedan or 2-door station wagon built by Volkswagen. ...
Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...
// Fuel injection is a system of fuel delivery for mixture with air in an internal combustion engine. ...
The Volkswagen Type 181 Kurierwagen, popularly known in the United States as the Thing and in Mexico as the Safari, was a small military vehicle produced by Volkswagen from 1969 to 1983, although civilian sales stopped in 1980. ...
Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, and candidate for President of the United States in five elections. ...
In 1964, Volkswagen succeeded in purchasing Auto Union, and in 1969, NSU. The former company owned the historic Audi brand which had disappeared after WW2. VW ultimately merged Auto Union and NSU to create the modern day Audi company, and would go on to develop it as its luxury brand. However, the purchase of Auto Union and NSU proved to be a pivotal point in Volkswagen's history, as both companies yielded the technological expertise that proved necessary for VW to survive when demand for its air-cooled models went into terminal decline as the 1970s dawned. Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ...
Auto Union Logo 1936 Auto Union Wanderer Auto Union was a joint venture of four German automobile manufacturers, established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression. ...
Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...
Logo of the Company NSU, 1951 NSU Motorenwerke AG (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and motorcycles which was founded in 1873, and was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969. ...
Audi AG, more commonly known as Audi, is a premium German automobile manufacturer and one of the worlds leading performance-luxury marques, with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. ...
1974: from Beetle to Golf/Rabbit Volkswagen was in serious trouble by 1971. The Type 3 and Type 4 models had sold in much smaller numbers than the Beetle and the NSU-based K70 also failed to woo buyers. Beetle sales had started to decline rapidly in European and North American markets. The company knew that Beetle production had to end one day, but the conundrum of replacing it had been a never-ending nightmare. VW's ownership of Audi/Auto Union proved to be the key to the problem - with its expertise in front wheel drive and water-cooled engines that Volkswagen so desperately needed to produce a credible Beetle successor. Audi influences paved the way for this new generation of Volkswagens, known as the Polo, Golf and Passat. Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ...
Logo of the Company NSU, 1951 NSU Motorenwerke AG (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and motorcycles which was founded in 1873, and was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969. ...
Front wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ...
Watercooling is a method of heat removal from components. ...
The Polo was in fact simply a re-badging of the short-lived Audi 50, which had been hastily developed from a sedan design, the Audi 60, which never reached production as an Audi vehicle. However, VW produced it shortly after the introduction of the Polo as the Derby. In the rear of the car can plainly be seen that panels are added to the Polo structure to make a "three-box" design of sedan or sedan with a boot or trunk. Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
The Audi 50, a design penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was a three-door supermini hatchback launched by Audi in 1974 and sold only on continental Europe. ...
 A 1975 American advertisement for the Volkswagen Golf, sold as the Rabbit in the U.S. and Canada. The Passat (Dasher in the U.S.), introduced in 1973, was again simply a fastback (available as either a hatchback or with separate boot) version of the Audi 80, using identical body and mechanical parts, and the Audi 80 was later produced on the same line in Wolfsburg as the Passat. Wagon versions were offered for overseas markets, however, for two years, if British and South African customers wanted an estate or wagon version, they had to go considerably up-market and buy the Audi 80 GL estate. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen AG (VW), produced in various forms since 1973. ...
// This page is about the Audi 80, which includes information about the Audi 4000. ...
However the pivotal model which would turn Volkswagen's fortunes emerged as the Golf in 1974, marketed in the United States and Canada as the Rabbit until 1985 and as the Golf until 2006, when the Rabbit name was re-introduced. This was a car unlike its predecessor in most significant ways, both mechanically as well as visually (its angular styling was designed by the Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro). Its design followed trends for small family cars set by the 1959 Mini and 1972 Renault 5—the Golf had a transversely mounted, water-cooled engine in the front, driving the front wheels, and had a hatchback, a format that has dominated the market segment ever since. Beetle production at Wolfsburg ended upon the Golf's introduction, but continued in smaller numbers at other German factories (Hanover and Emden) until 1978, but mainstream production shifted to Brazil and Mexico. The Volkswagen Golf (Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico) is a compact car/small family car manufactured by Volkswagen. ...
Giorgetto Giugiaro (b. ...
For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ...
The Renault 5 (also called the R5) is a supermini produced by the French automaker Renault in two generations between 1972 and 1996. ...
Renault Megane hatchback, a proper hatchback which has shown huge success in Europe Peugeot 306 hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf tilted for access Hatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by...
Volkswagen from 1974 to 1990 While Volkswagen's range of cars soon became similar to that of other large European automakers, the Golf has been the mainstay of the Volkswagen lineup since its introduction, and the mechanical basis for several other cars of the company. There have been five generations of the Volkswagen Golf, the first of which was produced from the summer of 1974 until the end of 1983, sold as the Rabbit in the United States and Canada and as the Caribe in Latin America. Its chassis also spawned the Scirocco sport coupe, Jetta sedan, Cabriolet convertible, and Caddy pickup. North American production of the Rabbit commenced at a factory in New Stanton, Pennsylvania in 1978. The production numbers of the first-generation Golf has continued to grow annually in South Africa with only slight modifications to the interior, engine and chassis. It would be produced in the United States as the Rabbit until the spring of 1984. The second-generation Golf hatchback/Jetta sedan ran from late 1983 to late 1991, and a North American version produced in Pennsylvania went on sale at the start of the 1985 model year. ImageMetadata File history File links Volkswagen_polo_1990. ...
ImageMetadata File history File links Volkswagen_polo_1990. ...
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact produced by German automaker Volkswagen from 1974 through 1992. ...
The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. ...
The Volkswagen Golf (Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico) is a compact car/small family car manufactured by Volkswagen. ...
The name Volkswagen Caddy has been used by the Volkswagen Group to describe four different Caddy models: Type 14 was derived from the Golf Mk. ...
New Stanton is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. ...
This article is about the U.S. State. ...
In the 1980s, Volkswagen's sales in the United States and Canada fell dramatically, despite the success of models like the Golf elsewhere. The problems had stemmed from the Rabbit, which had developed a reputation for bad electrical systems and oil burning. The Japanese and the Americans were able to compete with similar products at lower prices. Sales in the United States were 293,595 in 1980, but by 1984 they were down to 177,709.[2] The introduction of the second-generation Golf, GTI and Jetta models helped Volkswagen briefly in North America. Motor Trend named the GTI its Car of the Year for 1985, and Volkswagen rose in the J.D. Power buyer satisfaction ratings to eighth place in 1985, up from 22nd a year earlier.[3] VW's American sales broke 200,000 in 1985 and 1986 before resuming the downward trend from earlier in the decade. Chairman Carl Hahn decided to expand the company elsewhere, and the New Stanton, Pennsylvania factory closed on July 14, 1988. Meanwhile, Hahn expanded the company by purchasing a greater share of the Spanish car maker SEAT, which VW bought outright in 1990; the Czech car maker Ŝkoda was acquired the following year. Motor Trend is one of the oldest automotive magazines still publishing. ...
Dr. Carl Horst Hahn (born July 1, 1926, in Germany) is chairman emeritus of the automobile company Volkswagen AG. He served as Volkswagens chief executive officer from 1982 to 1993. ...
is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...
SEAT, S.A. (English pronunciation: , seh-at; Spanish pronunciation: ) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) with Fiat assistance, and now subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ...
Volkswagen had entered the supermini market in 1976 with the Polo, a stylish and spacious three-door hatchback designed by Bertone. It was a strong seller in West Germany and most of the rest of Western Europe, being one of the first foreign small cars to prove popular in Britain. The second generation model, launched in 1981 and sold as a hatchback and "coupe" (with the hatchback resembling a small estate car and the coupe being similar to a conventional hatchback), was an even greater success for Volkswagen. It was facelifted in 1990 and was still selling well after 13 years, when it was replaced by the third generation Polo in 1994. Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
Gruppo Bertone is an Italian car styling and coachbuilding house, which also manufactures cars. ...
A current understanding of Western Europe. ...
Volkswagen from 1991 to 2000
 The 2000 Volkswagen Golf GL, in North American form. In 1991, Volkswagen launched the third-generation Golf, which was European Car of the Year for 1992 (the previous two generations were nominated but lost to the Citroën CX in 1975 and the Fiat Uno in 1984). The Mark 3 Golf and Jetta arrived in North America just before the start of 1994 model year, first appearing in southern California in the late spring of 1993. The sedan version of the Golf was badged Vento in Europe (but remained Jetta in the USA, where its popularity eventually outstripped the Golf). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (896x584, 140 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (896x584, 140 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Rear of a Series 1 Citroën CX Series 2 Citroën CX Series 2 Citroën CX modified with aftermarket wheels - missing standard factory fender skirts Spacious rear seat of long wheel base fastback The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from...
The Fiat Uno is a supermini car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat. ...
The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. ...
The late 1990s saw a gradual change in perception of the company's products - with Audi having elevated itself into same league as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen moved upmarket to fill the void left by Audi; with Seat and Skoda now occupying what was once VW's core market. The first tangible evidence of this was the fifth-generation Passat in 1996 with its high-quality interior trim and standards of build quality which were demonstrably a cut above the run-of-the-mill Ford Mondeo, Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Chevrolet Vectra and Peugeot 406. For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation). ...
This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car sold by the Ford Motor Company in various markets throughout the world. ...
The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the main European subsidiary of General Motors. ...
The Peugeot 406 was a large family car from the French automaker Peugeot from 1995 to 2004. ...
This move upmarket was continued with the Golf MK4, introduced at the end of 1997 (and in North America in 1999), its chassis spawned a host of other cars within the Volkswagen group—the Volkswagen Bora (the sedan, still called Jetta in the USA), New Beetle, SEAT Toledo, SEAT León, Audi A3, Audi TT and Ŝkoda Octavia. However, it was beaten into third place for the 1998 European Car of the Year award by the winning Alfa Romeo 156 and runner-up Audi A6. The Volkswagen Jetta is an automobile produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 1980. ...
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. ...
The SEAT Toledo is an automobile built and marketed by Spanish automaker SEAT, a division of the Volkswagen Group. ...
The SEAT León (pronounced Leh-On) is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1999. ...
The Audi A3 is the new BMW and an entry-level Noobluxury car / Wagonsmall family car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1996. ...
The Audi TT is a sports car produced by Audi since 1998 in Győr, Hungary. ...
The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. ...
The Alfa Romeo 156 (known internally as the type 932) is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show[2]as the replacement for the 155. ...
C4 Audi S4 sedan- note this is the high-performance version of the 100, not an A6 The Audi A6 is a mid-size luxury car / executive car produced by the German automaker Audi. ...
The other main models have been the Polo, a smaller car than the Golf, and the larger Passat for the segment above the Golf. The Scirocco and the later Corrado were both Golf-based coupés. Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen AG (VW), produced in various forms since 1973. ...
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact produced by German automaker Volkswagen from 1974 through 1992. ...
The Volkswagen Corrado is a hatchback coupé developed by German automaker Volkswagen and built by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany between 1988 and 1995. ...
By the early 1990s, Volkswagen's annual sales in the United States were below 100,000, and many car buyers found the company's products to be lacking in value. Some automotive journalists believed that Volkswagen would have to quit the North American market altogether. VW eventually realized that the Beetle was the heart and soul of the brand in North America, and the firm quickly set about creating a new Beetle for American and Canadian showrooms.
In 1994, Volkswagen unveiled the J Mays-designed Concept One, a "retro"-themed car with a resemblance to the original Beetle but based on the Polo sub-frame. Its genesis was secret and in opposition to VW management, who felt it was too backward-looking. Management could not deny the positive public response to the concept car and gave the green-light to its development as the New Beetle. The production car would be based on the Golf rather than the Polo, because the Polo frame was too small for the car to pass crash test standards in the U.S. It has been quite popular in the North America and is now gaining in the EU. J Mays (born October 15, 1954 in Maysville, Oklahoma) is currently the Vice President of Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company. ...
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. ...
The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998, drawing heavily on the design cues of the original Beetle. ...
Volkswagen's fortunes in North America improved once the third-generation Golf and Jetta models became available there. Sharp advertising and savvy promotional stunts, like including Trek bicycles and accompanying bike racks with a limited edition of the 1996 Jetta sedan, were credited for the firm's recovery in the U.S. and Canada, but the introductions of the New Beetle and the fifth-generation Passat were a major boost to the brand. The Trek Bicycle Corporation is a major American bicycle and component manufacturer. ...
The Volkswagen Passat is a family car built by Volkswagen AG (VW), produced in various forms since 1973. ...
In the UK, Volkswagen's market share grew throughout the 1990s. In 1990, the Golf was Britain's 12th most popular car with nearly 50,000 units sold. The MK3 Polo achieved similar success in the mid 1990s, but in 1999 the MK4 Golf was Volkswagen's first-ever entrant in Britain's top 10 list of most popular new cars. Its success continued into the 2000s, while the Polo and Passat were never far outside the top 10. Bad news for Volkswagen during this era was a dip in customer satisfaction. A brand which had built its reputation on reliability was now being overtaken by marques whose reputations had been damaged by quality problems. This bad press took several years to eradicate.
Volkswagen in the 21st century Volkswagen began introducing an array of new models after Bernd Pischetsrieder became Volkswagen Group CEO (responsible for all Group brands) in 2002. The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf was launched in 2004, came runner-up to the Fiat Panda in the 2004 European Car of the Year, and has spawned several cousins: SEAT Toledo, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3 hatchback ranges as well as a new mini-MPV, the SEAT Altea. The GTI, a "hot hatchback" performance version of the Golf, boasts a 2.0 L Turbocharged direct injection engine. VW began marketing the Golf under the Rabbit name once again in the U.S. and Canada in June 2006. (The GTI had arrived to North America four months earlier.) The fifth-generation Jetta, and the performance version, the GLI, are also available in the United States and Canada. The sixth-generation Passat and the fifth-generation Jetta both debuted in 2005, and VW has announced plans to expand its lineup further by bringing back the Scirocco by 2008. Other models in Wolfgang Bernhard's (Volkswagen brand CEO) "product offensive" include the Tiguan mid-sized SUV in 2008 and a Passat Coupé. In November 2006 Bernd Pischetsrieder announced his resignation as Volkswagen Group CEO and was replaced by Audi worldwide CEO Martin Winterkorn at the beginning of 2007. Winterkorn is credited with making Audi a challenger to the dominance of BMW and Mercedes and his design-led strategy has led to Audi being considered one of the most important brands in the world. It remains to be seen how Winterkorn's focus on design shapes the Volkswagen brand's future. Nevertheless, Volkswagen continues to have complicated relations with both unions and shareholders. The German state of Lower Saxony owns significant stock in VW, as does sportscar manufacturer Porsche. Recently Porsche has announced to buy the majority of Volkswagen's stock, thus becoming the new owner of Volkswagen. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2719x1939, 1306 KB) 2006 Volkswagen Phaeton 4. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2719x1939, 1306 KB) 2006 Volkswagen Phaeton 4. ...
Bernd Pischetsrieder is an automobile engineer and manager and currently serves as chairman of Volkswagen AG. He was born on February 15, 1948, in Munich, Germany and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich from 1968 to 1972. ...
The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. ...
The SEAT Toledo is an automobile built and marketed by Spanish automaker SEAT, a division of the Volkswagen Group. ...
The Å koda Octavia is a car, built on the Audi A3 chassis. ...
The Audi A3 is the new BMW and an entry-level Noobluxury car / Wagonsmall family car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1996. ...
An MPV or multi-purpose vehicle is a passenger-carrying vehicle based on a car platform, and is generally a one box design—neither a distinct bonnet (US: hood) nor boot (US: trunk), but rather a maximised interior space. ...
SEAT Altea Prototype The SEAT Altea is a compact MPV built by SEAT and named after Altea, Spain. ...
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact produced by German automaker Volkswagen from 1974 through 1992. ...
Martin Winterkorn (born May 24, 1947 is the CEO of Volkswagens Audi brand. ...
With an area of 47,618 km and nearly eight million inhabitants, Lower Saxony (German Niedersachsen) lies in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the countrys sixteen Bundesl nder (federal states). ...
This article is about the auto company. ...
This article is about the auto company. ...
 The fifth-generation Passat, from 2001.5 to 2005 features a facelift from the 98-01 model. In North America, VW faced many challenges. After rising significantly between 1998 and 2001, VW's North American sales began to fall sharply leading to a 2005 loss of roughly $1 billion (U.S.) for its operations in the U.S. and Canada. Profitablility has not been strong, and the lack of reliability of the company's cars appears to bear some of the responsibility for this situation. By 2005, its models sat near the bottom of Consumer Reports reliability ratings, and J.D. Power and Associates ranked VW 35th out of 37 bands in its initial quality survey. Attempts to enter a new market segment also compromised Volkswagen's standing in North America. In 2002, Volkswagen announced the debut of its Phaeton luxury car, which was critically acclaimed but not well received in the marketplace. VW announced its discontinuance in the U.S. market for the 2007 model year due to the disappointing sales. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
The Volkswagen Phaeton (pronounced fay-ton) is a large luxury sedan manufactured by Volkswagen. ...
Volkswagen in 2005, despite challenges, still maintained North American sales of 224,195 -- a dramatic increase from the low in 1993 when US sales totaled only 49,533 vehicles. Momentum continued for fiscal 2006, as VW's North American sales for the year were 235,140 vehicles, a 4.9 percent increase over 2005, despite a slump in domestic North American manufacturer's sales. VW plans to close out the decade with the release on several new vehicles worldwide and a barrage of advertising. In conjunction with the introduction of new models, production location of Volkswagen vehicles also underwent great change. The 2007 Eos, a hardtop convertible, is produced in a new facility in Portugal. All Golf/Rabbit and GTIs as of 2006 are manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany rather than VW's Mexican factory in Puebla, where Golfs and GTIs for the North American market were produced from 1989 to 1998, and the Brazilian factory in Curitiba where Golfs and GTIs were produced from 1999 to 2006 (The Jetta has principally been made in Mexico since 1989). VW is also in the process of reconfiguring an automotive assembly plant in Belgium. The new models and investments in manufacturing improvements were noticed immediately by automotive critics. Favorable reviews for VW's newest cars include the GTI being named by Consumer Reports as the top sporty car under $25,000, one of Car and Driver magazines "10 Best" for 2007, and Automobile Magazine's 2007 Car of the Year. J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study scored Volkswagen fourteenth overall with strong performances by its new Jetta and Passat models. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 744 KB) Summary 2006 Volkswagen Jetta MkV. U.S. Spec. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 744 KB) Summary 2006 Volkswagen Jetta MkV. U.S. Spec. ...
Back view Eos Highway 1 The Volkswagen Eos is a coupe convertible from Volkswagen produced from 2006. ...
Nickname: Motto: A cidade sorriso (The smiling city) Location of Curitiba Coordinates: , Country Brazil Region State Paraná Founded 29 March 1693 Incorporated 1842 Government - Mayor Carlos Alberto Richa (PSDB) Area - City 430. ...
 The fifth-generation Golf, sold in North America as the Rabbit. Volkswagen is recognized as one of the leading small diesel engine manufacturers, and is partnering with Mercedes and other companies to market BlueTec clean diesel technology. Volkswagen has offered a number of its vehicles with a TDI (Turbo Direct Injection) engine, which lends class-leading fuel economy to several models. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, four of the ten most fuel efficient vehicles available for sale in the U.S. in 2004 were powered by Volkswagen diesel engines. They were a three-way tie for 8th (TDI Beetle, TDI Golf, TDI Jetta) and ninth, the TDI Jetta Wagon. As of 2007, VW has not yet offered a gas-electric hybrid powertrain such as that in the Toyota Prius (though a diesel-electric hybrid 5th generation Jetta was produced as a test vehicle). In addition, all Volkswagen TDI diesel engines produced since 1996 can be driven on 100% biodiesel fuel. For the 2007 model year, however, strict U.S. government emissions regulations have forced VW to drop most diesels from their U.S. engine lineup, but a new lineup of diesel engines compatible to U.S. standards are due for 2008. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1100x752, 171 KB) created by Mazurka File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1100x752, 171 KB) created by Mazurka File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Volkswagen ...
BlueTec is DaimlerChryslers name for its two nitrogen oxide (NOx) reducing systems, for use in their Diesel automobile engines. ...
EPA redirects here. ...
Hybrid Synergy Drive The Toyota Prius [ˈpri. ...
This article is about transesterified lipids. ...
 The 2006 Eos hardtop convertible. Volkswagen long resisted adding an utility vehicle to its lineup, but it finally relented with the introduction of the Touareg in the early 2000s, sharing major components with the Porsche Cayenne sport utility vehicle. Though acclaimed as a fine handling vehicle, the Touareg has been a modest seller at best. Some automotive analysts blame the Touraeg's absence of a third-row seat, the relatively poor fuel economy, and the high vehicle mass. VW plans to add a compact SUV with styling influences from its "Concept A" concept vehicle. On July 20, 2006, VW announced that the new vehicle would be called the Tiguan. One major irony of Volkswagen's current North American lineup is the absence of a minivan, considering that VW is credited for inventing the minivan with its original Transporter, but the firm is currently developing just such a vehicle for the U.S. and Canadian markets with DaimlerChrysler, with current plans to introduce it in 2008. Volkswagen is also considering a new entry-level model for the North American lineup. A venture with DaimlerChrysler to produce such a vehicle was considered but dropped as of September 2006. Due to technical difficulty adapting the Polo to meet North American vehicle regulations, VW presented in 2006 the "Iroc" as a concept of the proposed 2009 Scirocco as a potential new small model. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2288x1712, 783 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2288x1712, 783 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ...
The Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2003. ...
Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact crossover SUV to be built by the German automaker Volkswagen, based on the A platform of the Golf. ...
DaimlerChrysler AG (ISIN: DE0007100000) is a German car corporation and the worlds eighth largest car manufacturer. ...
Volkswagen Derby The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini manufactured by Volkswagen of Germany. ...
In September 2006, Volkswagen began offering the City Golf and City Jetta only for the Canadian market. Both models were originally the Mk.IV Golf and Jetta but were later replaced with the Brazilian versions of the Golf and Bora. The City Golf and City Jetta were introduced to compete with the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit. Volkswagen's introduction of such models is seen as a test of the market for a subcompact and, if successful, may be the beginnings of a thriving subcompact market for Volkswagen. The Volkswagen Golf (Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk
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