Volkswagen

Volkswagen is a German car brand owned by the concern of the same name headquartered in Wolfsburg. Engaged in the manufacture of cars and commercial vehicles, trucks, minibuses, as well as auto components.

The origin of the brand dates back to the early 30s, when the German auto industry offered mainly luxury models, and the average German could not afford to buy anything other than a motorcycle. In an effort to occupy an empty segment, automakers were developing in the field of creating a mass car, among which were the Mercedes 170H, Adler AutoBahn, Steyr 55, Hanomag 1.3 and others.

Ferdinand Porsche, a well-known designer of performance and racing cars, worked for many years on the design of a small vehicle that would be suitable for most Germans as a family car. At the time, small cars were stripped-down big cars, but Porsche wanted to build a new design from scratch.

In 1931, he created such a car and named it Volksauto, from the word “volk” – the people. Many of the ideas used by Porsche in the development of the car were “in the air” and were also used by other automakers, and some of the developments were unique. The car was equipped with a rear-mounted air-cooled engine, torsion bar suspension and a rounded body shape resembling a beetle, which improved aerodynamics.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler demanded a cheap car capable of carrying two adults and three children, which could accelerate to 100 km/h. He wanted cars to be as affordable in Germany as they were in the US, so the price should not exceed 990 Reichsmarks (about $396).

Despite the pressure, it soon became clear that privately owned companies could not produce cars for a retail price of 990 Reichsmarks. Then Hitler decided to sponsor the construction of a new state-owned enterprise and assemble cars there using the designs of Ferdinand Porsche with some design restrictions.

The first prototype cars under the name KDF-Wagen appeared in 1936. They kept the rounded

body, air-cooled engine and rear engine. The prefix Volks- at that time was applied not only to cars, but also to other products in Germany available to a wide range of people.

On May 28, 1937, the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH was created, which on September 16, 1938 was renamed Volkswagenwerk GmbH.

While the plant was being built, trial batches of KDF-Wagens were assembled at Daimler-Benz enterprises. The final version turned out to be a model with a reinforced flat bottom that replaced the frame, a four-cylinder boxer engine with a volume of 985 cm3. and independent torsion bar suspension on all wheels.

On May 26, 1938, the construction of a new factory began in Wolfsburg. Before the start of the war in 1939, only a few cars were assembled. With the outbreak of hostilities, production was redeveloped for the production of military vehicles, for example, such as Kübelwagen (“pelvis car”).

He received an open four-door body with flat panels, a rear wheel gear, an inter-wheel self-locking differential, an independent suspension of all wheels, a ground clearance of 290 mm and 16-inch wheels. From March 1943, it was equipped with a 25-horsepower 1130 cc engine. The air-cooled engine worked stably in all climatic conditions. The car was not afraid of bullets due to the lack of a radiator. The maximum speed was 80 km / h.

As was customary throughout Nazi Germany, unpaid prisoner labor was used in the Volkswagen factories during the war. The company admitted in 1998 that it was using about 15,000 slaves at the time. In this regard, Volkswagen has set up a voluntary restitution fund.

After the war, the company’s factories were badly damaged as a result of the bombing and fell into the occupation zone of the British. They organized the repair and maintenance of military equipment at the remaining capacities. The enterprise had to be destroyed, since it was engaged in the production of military products and used slave labor. However, one of the officers of the British army drew a civilian car produced at the enterprise and showed it at the headquarters of the British army. Thanks to this, the British government placed an order for 20,000 cars, and the assembly started.

By 1946, the plant was producing 1,000 cars a month, which was a wonderful achievement considering it was still in disrepair. The fate of the plant remained unclear for a long time. He was visited by the head of the British automaker Rootes Group, William Roots, who said that the Beetle will last a maximum of two more years. He described the car as “too ugly and too noisy”. Ironically, this model was assembled at the Rootes factories in Argentina in the 80s, when the company was already bankrupt.

In 1948, Volkswagen becomes a symbol of the rebuilding of Germany. Its lineup was expanded with the Volkswagen Type 2 commercial vehicle, with a rear-mounted 1100cc air-cooled engine. In 1965, the brand released a version with a load capacity of 1000 kg instead of 750 kg, and then replaced the 1.2-liter engine with a 1.5-liter one.

In 1949, Volkswagen began sales in the US, but only two cars were sold in the first year. The company took steps to standardize sales and service in America, eventually becoming the top-selling foreign brand.

In 1955, a sports car appeared with a coupe body – the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. In the early 1950s, the standard of living of the population rose, so there was a demand for more prestigious cars than the Beetle. Then the leadership of Volkswagen offered cooperation to Karmann, which was engaged in the manufacture of bodies. Karmann, in turn, turned to the Italian company Ghia.

Unlike the Beetle model, whose body panels were fastened with bolts, on the novelty they were butt-welded. This was done by hand, which affected the price of the car. The prototype car was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1953 and was warmly received by the public.

However, after the release of the serial version, the demand for it exceeded the wildest expectations of the auto company. In the first year alone, 10,000 units of the model were sold.

It was positioned as a practical and stylish city car, not a sports car for the elite. Under the hood was a 60-horsepower 1584 cc engine. cm.

In August 1957, Volkswagen introduced the Karmann Ghia convertible. Since 1961, the car has received a wider grille, more rounded taillights and headlights placed high.

In the 1960s, Volkswagen releases a new type of vehicle. They used a monocoque body, an optional automatic transmission, an electronic fuel injection system and powerful power plants.

In 1971, the brand introduces the Super Beetle, which differs from the standard model by using MacPherson strut front suspension instead of the conventional torsion bar.

Volkswagen acquired Auto Union and NSU Motorenwerke AG, merged them into one division, which began to produce luxury cars under the Audi brand. The deal marked a turning point in the company’s history as both automakers added to the technological knowledge base of Volkswagen, whose air-cooled engines were already obsolete.

In the early 70s, sales of the Beetle in the European and North American markets began to decline, and the company did not know how to replace its most successful model. The use of technology from Audi and Auto Union, such as front-wheel drive and liquid cooling, paved the way for the development of well-known models such as the Passat, Scirocco, Golf and Polo.

The first-born was the Volkswagen Passat, which appeared in 1973 and borrowed some body elements and mechanical components from the Audi 80. It was originally offered as a two- and four-door sedan, as well as similar three- and five-door versions. Passat was equipped with a four-cylinder engine with a volume of 1.3 and 1.5 liters and a power of 55 and 75 hp. respectively. From 1978 a 1.5 liter diesel was available.

In the spring of 1974, the Scirocco comes out, designed by the Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro. It shared a platform with the future Golf and Karmann due to Volkswagen’s limited capacity.

The key model Volkswagen Golf appeared in 1974, also designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The front-wheel drive hatchback received a front-mounted water-cooled engine. The Golf became Volkswagen’s best seller, segment leader and the second best selling car in the world. In 2012, more than 29 million units of the model were assembled.

Initially, it was released with a three-door hatchback body, then came a five-door hatchback, wagon (Variant, 1993), convertible (Cabriolet or Cabrio 1979 and 2011) and a sedan with the name Jetta, or Vento, or Bora. With the release of this model, the history of the Beetle ceased until 2003.

The model survived the release of seven generations, and also received a “hot”, hybrid and electric version.

In 1975, the Volkswagen Polo followed, which later became the basis for another model, the Derby, released in 1977. The appearance of the Passat, Scirocco, Golf and Polo allowed the brand to create the basis for the formation of its own image and laid the foundation for successful sales in the future.

In the 1980s, Volkswagen sales in the United States and Canada plummeted as the Japanese and Americans were able to compete with similar products at lower prices. Then the brand takes a different direction, focusing on growing markets. As part of the same strategy, Volkswagen began cooperation with Seat in 1982, gradually buying shares in the Spanish automaker, until it was bought out completely in 1990.

In 1991, Volkswagen launched the third generation of the Golf, which won European Car of the Year in 1992. In 1994, Volkswagen introduced the Concept One concept car, which was designed by J Mays. The car was received with a bang, so further development of the New Beetle, a production version based on the Golf platform, began.

In 1993, an official representative office of the brand was opened in Russia. In 1999, VOLKSWAGEN Group Automobiles LLC was established, which was engaged in the supply of spare parts for VW and Audi cars.

Four years later, a single importing company VOLKSWAGEN Group Rus LLC was created in Russia, which immediately began importing cars.

In 2007, a Volkswagen plant was opened in Kaluga, and two years later, the production of a full cycle of VW Tiguan and ŠKODA Octavia models was launched at the plant’s facilities.

In 2010, the plant produced the 200,000th car and began assembling the VW Polo Sedan and ŠKODA Fabia. Starting next year, cars of the brand are manufactured at the facilities of the GAZ Group in Nizhny Novgorod.

Cars of the German concern are very popular among Russians. Already in 2012, the millionth car is sold in Russia, and the 500,000th is produced in Kaluga. In the same year, the company signs an agreement providing for the construction of an engine plant in Kaluga.

In 1998, the company launched a new city car, the Lupo, which filled an empty spot in the lower echelon of the brand’s model line. Initially, the model was available in two trim levels, and then it was supplemented with Sport and GTI options.

In 1999, a version of the Lupo was released, nicknamed the “3-litre” car. She could travel 100 km using only 3 liters of diesel fuel and became the leader in terms of fuel efficiency among cars of that time.

In 1999, the VW Bora, or Jetta, a comfortable sedan based on the Golf, was released. The automaker’s facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and China assemble vehicles that differ from those in Europe. These are Parati, Gol, Santana, built on the basis of Golf and Passat of previous generations.

In 2002, a luxury sedan, the Phaeton, was released, which was remembered for being the first among premium cars, when using a V6-TDI engine, in terms of emissions, it complied with the European environmental standard Euro-5.

The company is constantly developing in the field of improving fuel efficiency, receiving prestigious awards for its solutions.

In 2002, the concept car of the future super economical car Volkswagen XL1 was presented. Everything about it served the purpose of reducing weight and improving aerodynamics. Cameras and electronic displays were used instead of rear-view mirrors, and the rear wheels were placed close together to increase fairing. The drag coefficient was 0.15.

The engine, transmission, suspension, wheels (carbon fiber), brakes (aluminum), hubs (titanium), bearings (ceramic), interior and so on were designed from scratch specifically to reduce weight.

299 cc single cylinder engine cm produced only 8.4 hp. At the same time, it is equipped with a system that turns it off during braking and stops and starts when you press the gas pedal. With a fuel consumption of 0.99 l/100 km, the car can travel 650 km without refueling.

In 2009, the L1 debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was equipped with a hybrid power plant with a 0.8-liter TDI and an electric motor.

The production version was introduced in 2013. It consumes 0.9 l/100 km, emitting 21 g of CO2 per km. He received the same 0.8-liter turbocharged diesel engine with 47 hp. and a 27-horsepower electric motor. The drag coefficient increased to 0.189.

Today, Volkswagen is the founder of the Volkswagen Group, a large international corporation that owns the brands Audi, Seat, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, and Škoda. It is recognized as the largest European car manufacturer. Volkswagen plants are located in Germany, Mexico, Brazil, USA, India, China, Indonesia, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia, South Africa and other countries.