Volkswagen: History, CEO, Manufactoring, Products, Joint Ventures, Safety Rating, and More

Cars are a passion for most people – sometimes, people like a luxury model, provided they can afford it, whereas, some people get one just for the efficiency of transportation. Either way, as the world moves – so does the demand for cars. This is much more than just getting across from Point A to Point B, you and I both know that there are tons of ways to get across to a place. 

Volkswagen is one of those cars that people simply own not just for the sake of transportation but also because it is quite a sport and a passion to own one.

This article will talk about the car brand, its history, popular models, and much more.

Volkswagen: Overview

Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer that is based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony in Germany. Established back in early 1937 by the German Labour Front, the company has seen a sea of change and transition before becoming the brand it is today. The company is renowned for the Beetle, which serves as a flagship marque of Volkswagen Group.

Interestingly, the car brand became the world’s largest automotive manufacturer by global sales in the years 2016 and 2017 and the group’s largest market is Hong Kong, Macau in China. This country alone accounts for 40% of the sales and profits. 

The name Volkswagen comes from the German words which mean ‘Volk’ as in people, and ‘wagen’ as in car or wagon, thus translating to becoming a ‘people’s car’.

Volkswagen Manufacturing and Headquarters

The Volkswagen Group has its manufacturing headquarters located in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company operates globally with an impressive 114 production facilities in 17 European countries, and 10 countries in the North and South America, Asia and Africa.

Volkswagen’s History 

The history of the people’s car brand began with the ‘Kafer’. The development work on the German Nazi project began in 1934 and in May 2937, the brand was formally established with a local German name. This, however translated to the Company for the Preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd.

Surprisingly, the name of the brand was changed to ‘Volkswagenwek GmbH’ back in 1938 and by this time the company was building its main plant in what has come to be known as Wolfsburg. 

However, with the outbreak of war and integration in the arms industry, the production of cars had to be temporarily suspended and instead military vehicles and other armaments were being produced with the usage of forced labour.

With the end of the war, the British subsequently instructed Volkswagen to build the Saloon by the end of 1945, and with the Type 1 (Käfer) model and the Type 2 (Transporter) model added in 1950, the company soon became a symbol of Germany’s economic miracle.

This of course, was a result of the strong export orientation from the side of the company as it converted into a joint stock corporation in the next 10 years. Innovation met with flexible manufacturing systems, which ultimately led to the birth of a new genesis and generation of the Volkswagen Car company with models like the Passat, Scirocco, Golf, and Polo models. 

The 1980s were met with a growth boost and advancements in vehicle technology, flexible production, and forward-looking cooperation from international sources.

As the years keep coming, and globalization makes its way towards technological advancements, Volkswagen is quite successfully emerging as one of the world’s most successful car manufacturers by volume of sales, and with its cutting-edge solutions for future innovations like e-mobility and digitalization, the ‘people’s car’ is certainly living up to the name. 

Volkswagen Product Line-Up

Hatchbacks

SUVS/Crossovers

Hybrid 

Best-selling products as of 2022 (updated list)

Volkswagen’s Safety Rating 

Not surprisingly, the Volkswagen Company have several cars in their product line that have a 5 star GNCAP rating for both adult and child occupancy. The models include Virtus, Taigun and Passat and more. 

About Volkswagen Logo

Volkswagen’s logo is probably one of the most recognizable emblems in the world – it comprises of the company’s initials V, which is placed over W so that the letters interact precisely with each other. The blue color, which provides the background, symbolises excellence, reliability and clas,s which is the brand’s three key hallmarks. The white color of the initials depict nobility, purity and charm. There have been changes in the branding over the years no doubt but the essence of the logo has always remained the same and will continue to do so as long as the brand lives. 

Volkswagen Company and Its Joint Ventures

The Volkswagen Group is known for making joint ventures. It acquired a controlling stake in SEAT back in 1986 and acquired control of Skoda in 1994, of Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti in 1998, Scania in 2008, and Porsche in 2012.

It also has a joint venture with Rivian to develop next-generation electrical architecture and software technology for electric cars. Italso haso another joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra to focus on electric SUVS.

Trending Cars

As of now, some of the most important cars that seem to be making headline on Volkswagen include the Taigun and the Tiguan. The Beetle was the flagship car of the company but the sale has gone down tremendously. 

Recent Updates

The most recent updates about the Volkswagen Car company is over the fact that it has already kept pre-bookings open for the all new Tiguan R Line in India. This SUV is a tough competitor with the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson and more.

Conclusion 

Over the years, Volkswagen has proven that it is a brand to reckon with. Despite all the issues and setbacks that it had to face during its inception and early struggle years, the company emerged as a roaring success and is now proudly considered one of the leading car manufacturers of the century. It has certainly lived up to it’s own name and has emerged as a leader in the crowd of extraordinary. We can’t wait to see how their newest addition, the Tiguan R-Line, is going to be!