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When the automobile first appeared, it mainly served the upper class. Two German inventors, Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, were recognized as the most skilled car craftsmen, but in the early years of the automobile only the rich could afford such novel and complex products. , and a driver is required to drive and maintain it. No one at the time realized that a beautiful, mechanical marvel like this would fundamentally change the world, and no one gave new meaning to its unique maneuverability.

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As we know, the Germans can claim to have invented the automobile, and the French added a national flavor to the mixture (accidentally also inventing the automobile) automobile racing), yet it was Americans as a whole who confirmed the status of the sedan in society. Henry Ford built a car that anyone could drive anywhere at any time (and come and go freely).

Soon the concept of the "civilian car" began to spread and politicians and business people embraced it. As for the Germans, until the 1920s they still believed that American actions were for industrial and political interests. Even in the 1920s, many German industrialists still firmly believed that public cars would be the real "civilian cars" in the coming years. In any case, the devastation after World War I and the ensuing world economic crisis dashed any hope of making cars affordable for ordinary people.

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In 1932, the German government led by Von Papen took some measures to reduce the taxes on driving cars, with the purpose of reducing the cost of owning a car and stimulating car sales. . Then on January 30, 1933, Hitler came to power and established a state-first government. He wanted to make the concept of the "civilian car" his own argument. This is an excellent time for Ferdinand Porsche to enter this field.

In 1930, Porsche resigned from Daimler-Benz AG. After leaving the company with the three-pointed star trademark, Porsche became a director of Steyr-Werke. When the company was He gave up this position only after the merger with Austro-Daimler.

On December 1, 1930, Porsche took the bold step of opening his own Design Office for Engines, Land Vehicles, Aviation and Naval Vehicles, always looking for new projects. He apparently showed interest in the "civilian automobile" that Hitler ordered to develop because it would be profitable in the long run.

The sports car manufacturer was established in Stuttgart in 1931. Its founder, Ferdinand Porsche, was Volkswagen’s original designer. The first Porsche sports car was the "Porsche 924" in 1948. This car used many Volkswagen technologies, including turbine engines, tool boxes, and suspension systems. Later, they also cooperated to launch the "VW-Porsche 914" (Volkswagen Porsche 914) in 1969/1970 and the "Porsche 924" in 1976 (this model used many Audi technologies and was also manufactured at Audi's factory) , the "Porsche Cayenne" launched in 2002 shared engine technology with Volkswagen's "Touareg".

On January 17, 1934, Porsche put forward a proposal to design a German civilian car within 12 months, which would be reviewed by a "committee of official and private experts". For Porsche, this was the equivalent of making a huge bet in a poker game, but he did it and won.

In early 1937, a study on site selection also began. According to the requirements, the factory must be located in the center of Germany, with good access and transportation lines and sufficient space. This is not only for the factory itself but also for the planning and development of a brand new city. Hitler and Porsche They all believe that this is very important in attracting workers to this project. (1)

In the summer of 1937, a suitable factory site was discovered by chance. Porsche was under great pressure when deciding where to build the factory. Although many candidates had excellent basic conditions, the final decision favored Fallers Leben.

This meant abandoning the original promise made to the "Führer" that the factory would be completed and put into operation that summer. The foundation stone of the factory was laid on May 26, 1938. A huge stone staircase that resembled a car model was officially marked with the words "Kraftdurch Freude" (translated as from power to steering wheel). At the ceremony, the audience could see Ferdinand's son Fried Porsche driving a convertible that was about to be mass-produced, with Hitler sitting in the front seat and the elder Porsche sitting in the back.

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Problems in organizing sales and the gradually expiring savings plan did not have a negative impact on the surprisingly rapid development of the factory. Within a few months the war lines were in place, and the public found, rather strangely, that their interest in the entire project was being compromised. Due to the clamor for war, approximately 3,000 construction workers were transferred from Wolfsburg to the Western Front. This incidentally is a signal that the government neither cares about new factories nor considers the military importance of its future products. If Volkswagen and its branches had indeed been included in this category at that time, they might have faced greater pressure to build its production facilities as quickly as possible.

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How can a car factory continue to survive if it does not manufacture cars? Management's approach is to accept almost any kind of assignment. At the end of 1939, the factory began to manufacture bombs, and later continued to manufacture aircraft fuel tanks, oil tanks, cartridge cases and other lathe transmission parts. Starting in 1941, the Wolfsburg factory also built a production line for the production of Ju88 aircraft wings. These contracts not only enabled the company to make some profits, but also improved the situation of the factory after the raw materials were obtained. In this way, the factory was gradually built.

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In the first summer after World War II, the occupying forces were also considering the most effective policy for rebuilding this severely damaged country. The Americans were toying with a radical Morgenthau plan that would transform Germany from then on into an agrarian country. The British, on the other hand, showed little interest in such schemes. The Allies were convinced that the country would have to rebuild quickly and deal with the refugee problem, but the British realized that turning a country into an agrarian state would make it difficult to establish the kind of power they needed to contain Russia in their own occupied territories. political institutions, while the occupation zone extended to within a few kilometers of Wolfsburg and its factories. They therefore devoted themselves to reviving local industrial activity, of course under tight control, while leaving administrative responsibilities to the civilian occupying authorities.

Obviously, this is because the army cannot manage industry, and secondly, a large number of soldiers have no enthusiasm for it after six years of war, so if other tasks tie them to foreign countries for too long, they should demobilize as soon as possible. were in conflict with the wishes of the British government, it was necessary to find someone who could manage the Volkswagen factory in accordance with the British government's intentions. As a result, a person was found, the retired Army Colonel Lvan Hirst. Under the clear instructions of the German Control Commission, he was sent to Wolfsburg to resume the production of reconnaissance vehicles or passenger cars. At that time, there were no plans to sell the first batch of cars to ordinary people. Their sales targets were mainly "occupation forces, local government officials, doctors, police, post offices and other public utility institutions." Hirst and his colleague Radclaffe considered two aspects. Work begins, inventorying production facilities and identifying potential users. An officer's car was specially repaired for use by the British army, and it was painted with British Army khaki paint in front of the 27th Army Headquarters. The car was four-wheel drive and the military authorities liked it very much and ordered it immediately. The factory's inventory and equipment conditions are not ideal. The hydraulic press used to manufacture the dashboard of the reconnaissance vehicle was incomplete and damaged in many places after it was transferred from the Ambi-Budd company in Berlin. On the other hand, although the hydraulic press and deep drawing tools used for passenger car bodies also suffered some damage, they were basically intact. The hydraulic press workshop was not affected by the air raids in previous years. It still has an open roof. All parties involved are fully aware that if vehicles are to be produced again in Wolfsburg, they can only start with passenger car models.

At this important juncture, another question arises in front of the authorities: how to treat those who honestly bought a lot of savings in order to buy "civilian cars" from the "German Workers' Front" after the war. Stamp of defeated Germany's 336,000 citizens? They had contributed a large amount of money to the organization's treasury, 267 million marks, which was paid into his own bank account. However, when the money was found after the war, almost all of it was lost without a trace. Nothing is left except the savings card with many savings stamps in the holder's hand. When the public discovered that the car they had saved so much to buy was actually produced, they became angry and upset, and began to wonder how they could get a car in exchange for this smoking gun. Nordhoff, a university-educated engineer, accepted the offer and took leadership of Wolfsburg on January 1, 1948. His appointment continued until April 12, 1968. After two years as Wolfsburg's general manager, Nordhoff can proudly announce a net profit of DM 5,606,026.47, not a bad start for a company that had never intended to sell its products on the free market.

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In addition to the impeccable product quality of its sedans, convertibles and transporters, the company has also taken the usual price cuts to stimulate sales. Nordhoff understands very well how to maintain the purchasing power of potential customers in difficult times. It was indeed quite difficult for the company at that time, as steel supplies were tight, and because Wolfsburg was still a pure manufacturing base, it was almost impossible to mobilize more workers to supplement its workforce. At that time, 20,000 people were employed there, and there were almost no skilled workers in the entire region. In this case, the average daily production of 673 vehicles has reached the absolute limit of the existing production facilities, so the Supervisory Committee has approved the factory to build a new transport vehicle factory. When this decision was made on January 24, 1955, it was originally envisaged that the factory in Hanover-Stocken would open at the end of the year. In fact, it was not officially completed until March 8, 1956. (1)

There has been speculation for many years that Volkswagen will launch a second model as a second leg alongside the Beetle. Heinrich Nordhoff's answer to these questions was equally stubborn: "The secret of Volkswagen's success is not to seek out a succession of new designs, no matter how dramatic and seductive these may be, but to achieve maturity and perfection in even the smallest detail of reasonable improvements." Difficulties have to be faced. Does anyone actually think that we will abandon a model that has brought us success for many years and has reached the pinnacle of the European automotive industry? "This is not to say that Volkswagen is not always studying various replacement models? , but for fifteen years the Beetle has been selling so well and its production capacity has been fully utilized, there has been no requirement to build new models at all.

On a summer Monday, the Federal Government of Germany passed a law called "Provisions Governing the Legal Status of Volkswagen GmbH." The purpose of this provision is to allow the government to turn the company into a stock listed company under government control. Volkswagen's shares were the first "people's shares" issued in the history of the then young Federal Republic of Germany. German investors rushed to buy these shares at 350 marks per share, which shows the credibility of the Beetle's success in the market.

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In 1957, "Automobile Encyclopedia" declared in the same tone: "Volkswagen's best-seller is mainly because it is an honest car. It has no disguise. It makes buyers Proud to have such an honest car. Everywhere you look, you can see honest design and solid craftsmanship. "The Beetle has undoubtedly performed well in occupying the huge market in the United States, but the Transporter is still a success in Europe. , while sales in the U.S. were not as good, never hitting targets.

On October 18, 1957, the court litigation between the original "Popular Savers" and the company finally came to an end in the form of a settlement between the parties. The reason for this may be that the federal government is The successors of two original Kdf companies in Berlin have taken responsibility and settled the unresolved case. The previous leading unit, the Ruhr-Saxony State Government, no longer had responsibility, as it was only responsible for temporary supervision of Volkswagen's assets in accordance with instructions issued by the British military authorities.

The persistence of some 80,000 savers finally paid off when, to their delight, the company agreed to send them a check for 100 marks, or, if they were to order a new Beetle, deduct 3,600 marks from their order.

Over the past few years, Volkswagen has become Germany's most valuable company, its export business is booming, and happily, it has made new improvements to the almost perfected Beetle every year.

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As time goes by, one era after another, it is obvious that a system can achieve such amazing results in ensuring employment and creating profits. Automobiles will be replaced sooner or later. Volkswagen's models need an update, even if some Wolfsburg die-hards refuse to admit it. It was almost impossible for the company to find a successor to a model that was still selling in large numbers at the time, but Volkswagen realized that it could no longer rest on its past achievements and that new models were urgently needed. The first model to appear in the new product offensive is the Passat, whose technical data are largely derived from the Audi 80. The Passat proved for the first time that the building-block design theory promoted by Leiding and Kraus had come to fruition. In order to ensure that future users can see obvious differences between the two variants of one main model, the famous Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was specially commissioned to design a fastback body for Passat. As expected, the Passat quickly achieved top status in the new car registration charts. With the first launch of the Golf in 1974, with a 1.5L engine producing 51kW (70hp), the public finally got to see the long-awaited successor to the Beetle, which had been designed by Ferdinand Porsche alone. The method is outdated, and "Golf" is a typical example of modern collective creation. The "Golf" caused a real sensation when it appeared, and by October 27, 1976, one million units had been produced. All in all, the Golf presents a seemingly contradictory blend of "generic looks" and "high quality," with a wide range of powertrain options and the support of the world's largest sales organization. Volkswagen did not depart from its sacred principles for the Beetle, which was to steadily improve every detail of the design, and slowly but surely, the Golf would take over the role of Germany's "people's car." The Beetle will soon exist only in the collections of its enthusiasts, who still love it wholeheartedly but have to admit that in today's automotive landscape, it is nothing more than a pleasant ancient fossil. In March 1975, a well-equipped but not very complete Polo derivative was launched, with an engine power of 29kW (40 hp). The subsequent trade measures were surprising, and Volkswagen went against the norm and continued to improve the Polo until It succeeded in forcing the more luxurious Audi 50 to withdraw from the market in July 1978. Audi never recovered from its neglect in the small car market until the launch of its successful model, the new Audi "A3" in 1996.

VW sales fell by 12% in the following year, mainly due to many problems caused by the oil crisis. However, these severe losses were largely compensated by particularly strong sales of the Golf and Passat, further evidence of VW's reduced reliance on the Beetle. Dealers were first given the opportunity to sell the Polo in 1975, a special lower-standard sister model that was not quite identical to the Audi 50. In the following years, Polo also adopted more powerful engines like the Audi 50.

In Germany, the "Beetle" still had its potential users, but Volkswagen urgently needed to use its production lines to produce other models. So, on January 19, 1978, the last "Beetle" drove off Assembly line in Emton. In 1979, the "Jetta" appeared, using a fastback body based on the "Golf", and also had two-door and four-door variants.

In August 1983, the second variant of the Jetta was produced, with approximately 700,000 units produced. Compared with the millions of units of the first-generation "Golf", it was not a huge number. Still, the Jetta has done its job to carve out a niche in the market and maintain trust among customers who demand a well-fitting luggage compartment or else look elsewhere.

In July 1999, the launch of Lupo 3LTDI marked the launch of the first mass-produced car with a fuel consumption rate of only 3 liters/100 kilometers. Volkswagen once again made a significant mark in the history of the development of the automobile industry. .

In December 2002, the company "Auto5000GmbH" (which operates one of the group's factories in Wolfsburg) started production of the Touran minivan. FAW-Volkswagen In February 1991, FAW-Volkswagen Co., Ltd. was officially established.

On December 5, 1991, the first Jetta A2 sedan was assembled and rolled off the assembly line at the FAW Car Factory.

On January 21, 1992, the company began the first domestic test of Jetta sedan parts. As the first model of FAW-Volkswagen, the Jetta quickly became popular all over the country for its rugged and durable product features. It has been best-selling in China for 19 years, with a cumulative sales of more than 1.97 million units, and is known as an "evergreen tree in the car industry."

On February 17, 1993, the company held a rolling ceremony for the 10,000th Jetta sedan in the assembly workshop. In June, the company was rated as one of China's 500 largest industrial enterprises.

In May 1997, FAW-Volkswagen Sales Co., Ltd., a joint venture between FAW Group Corporation and FAW-Volkswagen, was officially established.

In August 2001, the company held a 10th anniversary celebration in the assembly workshop of the sedan factory, as well as the offline ceremony of Bora, known as the "driver's car".

On July 15, 2003, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the birth of FAW-Group, the golf sedan, which had gone through four generations of modifications, was officially launched nationwide.

In 2006 and 2007, as the Chinese market continued to mature, FAW-Volkswagen successively put into production the Sagitar and Magotan based on the world's leading PQ35 and PQ46 platforms.

On July 11, 2007, Magotan equipped with TSI turbocharged in-cylinder direct injection technology was launched.

In 2008, FAW-Volkswagen’s three-year efforts came to fruition, and the self-developed new Bora was launched. This time, the Sportline model not only has a sportier appearance and interior, but is also equipped with Volkswagen’s famous features. Proudly leading the world in TSI+DSG powertrain technology.

On October 19, 2009, the sixth-generation Golf was launched. The sixth-generation Golf is a benchmark hatchback that defines a new level. TSI+DSG powertrain technology is far ahead among cars of the same level. on competitor models.

In July 2010, the newly launched model - CC is the result of four years of painstaking research and development by the German Volkswagen designer team. It not only performs extremely well in terms of control and power, but also has a perfect appearance and interior.

In July 2011, the new Magotan was launched.

In March 2012, Golf Blue Drive was launched. FAW-Volkswagen took the lead in adopting Blue Drive technology and invites you to care for the environment together! Shanghai Volkswagen In October 1984, China and Germany held a grand joint venture contract signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Shanghai Volkswagen came into being amid the tide of reform and opening up.

In 1984, Shanghai Volkswagen introduced SANTANA, which has maintained a good sales momentum to this day.

In 1985, Shanghai Volkswagen Co., Ltd. was established.

In 2000, Passat was introduced to China and was praised as "the most beautiful mid- to high-end sedan".

On April 8, 2002, Shanghai Volkswagen POLO was launched. As China's first compact car launched simultaneously with the world, it was not only widely welcomed by users, but also quickly became a symbol of fashionable boutique cars.

In 2004, Shanghai Volkswagen’s first self-developed product, the Santana 3000, was successfully launched.

In June 2006, POLO Jinqing and POLO Jinqi, developed simultaneously with the Volkswagen Group, were launched on the market, fully demonstrating Shanghai Volkswagen's overall strength from styling to power system development.

In December 2007, the new crossover model Cross Polo was launched.

In January 2008, as an innovative work of the Santana brand, Santana Vista Zhijun was launched.

In June 2008, Lavida was launched. As the first independently developed product of Shanghai Volkswagen, Lavida has quickly become a new generation benchmark product in the A-class car market.

In May 2009, the Polo Sporty, a sports model specially designed for the fashionable and sporty new urban crowd, was launched.

In March 2010, Tiguan was launched.

In December 2010, NewTouran was launched.

In December 2010, the new Polo with cool appearance was launched.

In April 2011, the new Passat was proudly launched.

In June 2011, Polo Xinjin was listed on the market, injecting new practical elements into the brand concept of Shanghai Volkswagen Polo family of "young, dynamic and fashionable".