May 28, 1937 the German government – under Adolf Hitler –
formed the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH. Later
that same year, the name was shortened to Volkswagenwerk: “The People’s Car
Company.” Along with an ambitious campaign to build a network of autobahns
across the country, Hitler’s plan was to get Germans of all classes moving
about. At a Nazi rally the following year, he announced, “This car has been
built for the masses. Its purpose is to answer their transportation needs, and
it is intended to give them joy.” But the year after that, World War II began.
The factory was shuttered, and then destroyed. If the Allies hadn’t made a
point of resuscitating the German auto industry after the war ended, only
history buffs would remember Volkswagen today. The original model, the Beetle, was
designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It was manufactured with almost no design changes
until 2003.
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