| VW
History (1931 - 1999) |
| 1875 |
Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) |
| 1931 |
September 3rd, Ferdinand Porsche was born. |
| 1934 |
Porsche invented the "Torsion Bar",
Porsche drew first sketches of the Beetle. |
| 1935 |
Adolf Hitler contracts Porsche to develop the Beetle or KdFWagen. |
| 1936 |
Berlin Auto Show, Hitler announces that
Porsche will design the People's Car. |
| 1937 |
First road test on prototypes. |
| 1938 |
Thirty prototypes called series 30 were
complete. |
| 1939 |
Land was forced to be sold in Wolfsburg so that the VW factory
and city of KdF Stadt could be built. On May 28, 1938 a ceremony
was held to commemorate the laying of the conerstone of the
VW factory. This would become the largest auto factory under
one roof. |
| 1940 |
KdFWagen official appeared at Berlin auto
show. Germany goes to war.... |
| |
|
| 1942 |
Kubelwagens were built, German army vehicles.
Schwimmwagens were built, amphibious army vehicle. |
| 1944 |
Allied bombing destroyed more that two/thirds
of the Wolfsburg factory. |
| 1945 |
May, the war was over. Time to restart...British forces take
control of Wolfsburg area and rename the city back to Wolfsburg.
Porsche was called to be interrogated for connections to Nazis.
He was cleared, but then imprisoned in France with son Ferry
for 2 years. |
| 1946 |
1785 cars were constructed mostly by hand,
they were used as army light transport |
| 1947 |
Wolfsburg produced some 19,000 cars, an exported to Holland.
Two handmade convertibles were constructed. |
| 1948 |
Heinz Nordhoff was appointed chief executive
to operate Wolfsburg. 20,000th Beetle produced. 3 Hebmuller
prototypes were developed. Wilhelm Karmann Sr. modified a Beetle
into a convertible.Henry Ford considered buying VW but then
turned away...(The Beetle would go on to out sell the Ford Model
T.) |
| 1949 |
January 17th: The first official Beetle was bought in America
by Ben Pon. Max Hoffman became the first importer. Hebmuller
started production, but shortly there after the Wulfrath plant
was destroyed by fire. 696 would be reassembled by hand with
salvage parts until 1953 when Hebmuller closed out. |
| 1950 |
Type 2 Transporter vans and Micro Buses
went into production. 100,000th Beetle produced. 1000 Convertibles
produced. Porsche celebrated his 75th birthday and finally visited
the Wolfsburg plant. He broke down and cried at the site of
Beetles on the Autobahn. His dream was reality. |
| |
|
| 1951 |
January 10th, Porsche died. |
| 1952 |
Westfalia company begins converting VW
vans into campers in Widenbruck, Germany. First official gathering
of owners and their Beetles. The VW pick-up was put into production.
Wilhelm Karmann died at age 82. Canada saw it's first official
Beetle. |
| 1953 |
VW plant opened in Sao Paolo, Brazil. 500,000th Beetle produced. |
| 1954 |
The fist Karmann convertible was built.
EMPI was started. There were 2 four seater Ghias built, but
the project was reviewed and then dropped. |
| 1955 |
April, Volkswagen of America was originally formed. 1 million
Beetles produced. Karmann Ghia officially went on sale. |
| 1956 |
April 19th, the last Transporter was built
in Wolfsburg, production moved to Hannover. |
| 1957 |
Karmann Ghia convertible went into production. 2 millionth
Beetle produced. Double cab pick-up went into production. |
| 1958 |
Volkswagen of America became a direct
subsidiary of Wolfsburg. |
| 1959 |
Transporters received a fully synchronized transmission. 3
millionth Beetle produced. |
| 1960 |
Volks-Liner,a 17 foot wooden boat powered
by a 36hp Beetle motor, was introduced. Only a few were produced.
high roof Kombi were introduced. 4 millionth Beetle produced. |
| |
|
| 1961 |
September, The Type 3 was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto show.
Dec., 5 millionth Beetle produced. |
| 1962 |
Squareback and Fastback go into production.
Heinz Nordhoff dedicates Volkswagen of America headquarters
in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Oct.,6 millionth Beetle and
1 millionth Transporter produced. |
| 1963 |
Sept.,7 millionth Beetle produced. |
| 1964 |
June, 8 millionth Beetle produced. December,
9th the millionth Beetles produced. Last year Wolfsburg would
prduce the American Beetle. All Beetles in America would be
produced at the Emden plant. |
| 1965 |
September, 10 million Beetles produced! |
| 1966 |
First official year that VW of America
imported the Type III. April, 11 millionth Beetle produced.
December, 12 millionth Beetle produced. |
| 1967 |
Last year for split windshield Type 2. |
| 1968 |
April, Heinz Nordhoff died. |
| 1969 |
The "Thing" is unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. |
| 1970 |
Last year you could buy a convertible
Beetle in standard format, only convertible Beetles in Super
Beetle format were available. The Super Beetle was produced. |
| |
|
| 1971 |
The "Thing" went into production at the Puebla Mexico
VW plant. |
| 1972 |
February 12th, Beetle 15,007,034 rolled
off the assembly line, breaking the Ford Model T record for
total production record. |
| 1973 |
The "Thing" was imported to the US. The first car
ever imported from Mexico to the US. |
| 1974 |
June, Beetle 11,916,519 was the last Beetle
produced in Wolfsburg. Beetle production in Wolfsburg ended
forever! January, Karmann Ghia production ended. Golf and Scirocco
were introduced. |
| 1975 |
Last year for production of the "Thing". Total sales
were just 25,000. The last year for Super Beetle production.
Rabbit production is begun. |
| 1976 |
The Vintage Volkswagen Club of America
was formed. Polo and Golf G.T.I. unveiled at Frankfurt Auto
Show. |
| 1977 |
Last year for the standard Beetle in the US. Only Super Beetle
convertibles remained. |
| 1978 |
January, Last official German built Beetle
was produced at the Emden VW plant. |
| 1980 |
January 10th, Karmann finished producing the convertible Beetle.
The last 4,572 conv. Beetles were sold in the US. Jetta and
Rabbit Pickup were introduced. |
| |
|
| 1981 |
20 millionth Beetle was produced in Puebla,
Mexico. |
| 1982 |
Quantum was introduced to the US. |
| 1983 |
Second generation Golf was introduced
in Europe. |
| 1985 |
Rabbits became Golfs in US. Second generation Golf and Jetta
introduced in US. |
| 1987 |
A 1966 Beetle, owned by Albert Klein,
was driven 1 million miles. Fox was introduced in the US. |
| 1992 |
Vento was introduced. |
| 1993 |
Fox production ended. |
| 1994 |
January, Volkswagen unveiled the Concept One at the Detroit
International Auto Show. |
| 1995 |
Sharan Van was introduced in Europe. |
| 1998 |
January,Volkswagen unveil the production model New Beetle
at the Detroit International Auto Show |
| 1998 |
March 14th, Eastern Canadian VW dealers
officially begin sale of the New Beetle.... |
| 1999 |
March, After months of waiting for the awesome turbo
New Beetle, some VW dealers in the US will have taken delivery.
The 1999 model will boast a turbocharged 1800cc 4-cylinder
engine with 5 valves per cylinder that pumps out a respectable
150hp at 5,900rpm and 155 ft-lb of torque at 4,200rpm. This
is a 35hp increase in horsepower over the standard 2.0 liter
gas engine. |
| Source |
http://www.chirco.com |
