How Volkswagen Became the People’s Car

In February 1936, the first “people’s” car — the Volkswagen — debuted in Stuttgart.

Car designer and industrialist Ferdinand Porsche dreamed of building a car that almost anyone could afford.

When the Nazis came to power, they commissioned Porsche to build it, which allowed him to realize that dream; in 1937 Volkswagen went into mass production.

As the car’s creator, Porsche went from the first sketches to worldwide recognition. By 1955, the millionth Volkswagen was produced.

The Beetle became one of the most beloved cars in history. Its last German-built Beetle rolled off the assembly line in January 1978. Production of the compact, oddly shaped car began in 1938, and it fulfilled the idea of a people’s car — Volkswagen literally means “people’s car” in German. More than 21.5 million Beetles were made in total. After production ended in Germany, it moved to Mexico and Brazil — German efficiency is no myth. 🙂