The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. It is one of the most iconic cars in automotive history, recognised for its distinctive shape. Its production period of 65 years is the longest of any single generation of automobile, and its total production of over 21.5 million is the most of any car of a single platform.
1965–1966 Volkswagen Käfer
Two KdF cars on the Reichsautobahn, c. 1943. Since the KdF was never delivered to the public, it is likely that this was an advertisement photo.
Sand-coloured VW Type 82E with four-wheel drive–a Wehrmacht Beetle.
The Porsche 64 (pictured in 1981) was largely derived from the Beetle.
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into the global brand it is known as today post World War II by the British Army officer Ivan Hirst, it is known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automotive manufacturer by worldwide sales in 2016 and 2017. The group's biggest market is in China, which delivers 40 percent of its sales and profits. Its name is derived from the German-language terms Volk and Wagen, translating to "people's car" when combined.
May 6, 1938: Adolf Hitler lays the foundation stone of the Volkswagen factory. On far right: Ferdinand Porsche
VW Type 82E
Volkswagen industrial plant in Wolfsburg, pictured in 2006
Volkswagen cogeneration plant
