On May 28, 1937, the German Labour Front officially founded Volkswagen. This company was created under Nazi rule at the command of Adolf Hitler, who wanted to build a car that was cheap and highly reliable. In fact, the word Volkswagen means “people’s car.” Today, Volkswagen is the biggest German automaker and the second-largest automaker in the world.
To design this new vehicle, Austrian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche was hired in 1934. He created the Volkswagen Type 1, which everyone now knows as the Beetle or the Bug. A few versions were built in 1938, but the Second World War put mass production on hold.
Once the war ended in 1945, real mass production finally began. The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, became a very important part of rebuilding the country during the 1940s and 1950s.
People loved the Beetle because it was affordable, reliable, and had a unique, friendly shape. By the 1960s and 1970s, it became a massive symbol for the hippie culture. Owners even painted peace signs on their cars. The Beetle was so popular that it became a star in movies like the “Herbie” movies. By the mid-1970s, it beat the Ford Model T to become the best-selling car of all time. The very last original Beetle rolled off a production line in Mexico in 2003.
As times changed, Volkswagen needed a modern addition to the legendary Beetle, and that was the Volkswagen Golf. Designed by Giorgio Giugiaro, the very first Golf started production on March 29, 1974, at the Wolfsburg plant.
While the Beetle had its engine in the back, the Golf moved the engine to the front. It was built to be practical and safe. It became an instant hit, reaching one million sales by October 1976. Over the years, the Golf has grown through eight generations, introducing new features like diesel options, airbags, and better safety tech.
By its 50th anniversary, more than 37 million Golfs had been built across eight different countries, including Belgium, Brazil, China, South Africa, and Mexico. Purely by the numbers, over 2,000 people have bought a new Golf every single day for 50 years, making it the best-selling European car in history. Today’s modern models even look to the future with plug-in hybrid options and AI voice control.
Happy Birthday, Volkswagen!
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