Who Created the Volkswagen?
Volkswagen was created by a number of individuals in Germany. Also known as VW, this car manufacturer is headquartered in Wolfsburg, and its name means "people's car" in German. Established in the 1930s, the company went through a number of changes brought on by the effects of World War II and the postwar occupation period.
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History
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Adolf Hitler first had the concept of creating a cost-effective car for the average consumer. He presented a design with features that would make it fuel-efficient and capable of having many interchangeable parts.
Development
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Ferdinand Porsche teamed up with Hans Ledwinka to develop the general image of the Volkswagen. Together, they designed the first concept of the famous Beetle and the iconic VW logo.
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Considerations
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In order to fully establish the car company, the German government turned to the people to help create the factory. About 336,000 individuals contributed funds to build the cars ahead of time.
Changes
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Volkswagen's early beginning was changed briefly during World War II to produce vehicles for the armed forces. The factory sustained significant damage when it was bombed at the end of the war.
Significance
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Following the war, British Major Ivan Hirst was responsible for re-establishing the factory. He began producing a number of vehicles for the occupying forces and German officials. The first order, which was 20,000 vehicles, saved the company.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Ed Fitzgerald, Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Porsche_Typ12_Model_Nuremberg_crop.jpg
