[ad_1]
Serial production of the civilian Volkswagen, known internally as the “Type 1” officially began. exactly Tomorrow 75 years ago
The British intended to use the Volkswagen Type 1 to perform urgently needed transport tasks within their zone of occupation, but little did they know that it would become one of the most beloved and characterful cars of all time, albeit more commonly. Known by its quickly acquired nickname: the beetle.
Despite the Beetle’s lovable reputation and its association with all things hippie, it was pure British pragmatism that protected the plant in which the Type 1 was eventually built from impending demolition.
Supplied
The civilian version of the Volkswagen Type 1 officially went into production 75 years ago tomorrow!
Major Ivan Hirst, a senior resident officer, played a key role in the “renaissance” of the Type 1, and Volkswagen credited his “farsightedness and talent for improvisation,” which made it possible to start car production in the early 1990s. rationing under conditions dominated by scarcity.
READ MORE:
* The Volkswagen Beetle is something British
* It has been 70 years since Great Britain returned Volkswagen to Germany.
* Electric power for old Volkswagen Beetle
* From Nazis to Hippies: It’s the end of the road for the VW Beetle
Hirst’s enthusiasm for technology and automobiles, and his determination and distinctive attitude led him to transform a former arms plant into a civilian industrial enterprise in an impressively short space of time.
Supplied
Production of the Type 1 was started because the British government desperately needed transportation in occupied Germany.
The British Military Government had already placed an order for 20,000 vehicles in August 1945 and the start of production was seen as a visible sign of a new beginning and hope in the factory that had been largely destroyed at the end of WWII. World.
This solution was in line with later British policy for Germany, which saw financial security and future prospects for the population as key elements in the development of democratic structures. In fact, Volkswagenwerk saw one of the first examples of the resurgence of democracy in Germany when on November 27, 1945, the democratically elected “Works Council” held its first meeting.
However, considerable problems remained in supplying food and living space for the workforce, and production was hampered by bottlenecks in the supply of raw materials and energy. Despite these difficult conditions, the first Volkswagen Type 1 rolled off the production line shortly after Christmas.
Supplied
Much loved and legendary, Volkswagen even offers an EV conversion kit for the Type 1 through one of its subsidiaries.
Wolfsburg and Volkswagenwerk GmbH had received a belated Christmas present only eight months after the end of the war, and by the end of 1945, 55 vehicles had been produced.
A modest start, perhaps, but from 1946 until the currency reform in June 1948, approximately 1,000 vehicles were produced per month.
It was not possible to produce more vehicles in view of material shortages and rationing, as well as a lack of staff, but the responsible trustees laid the foundation for further growth for the company in the fall of 1949 when they established a sales and marketing department. after sales. service system.
SUPPLIED
A sequel was made, but like most sequels, it didn’t work out as well.
The decision to develop a civil factory and start serial production of the Volkswagen Type 1 was the starting point of a rather unique success story, and thanks to the early restart, Volkswagenwerk GmbH found itself in an excellent starting position for the economic rebound afterwards. of the introduction of the German mark.
The Beetle would become one of the most popular cars in the world and broke records in terms of length and production volume: Volkswagen only discontinued production of the Beetle in Mexico in 2003, after 21,529,464 vehicles were built, including approximately 15.8 million in Germany.
A Golf-based sequel was released in 1997 while the original was still in production and, while popular, it never reached the level of love or sales of the original. A second generation of the car was introduced in 2011 and it was actually the only version to be officially called the Beetle (the original was always the Type 1 and the sequel was the New Beetle). Production was quietly discontinued in 2019 after poor sales.
