INTRODUCTION

THE HISTORY OF VOLKSWAGEN

HISTORY OF
Volkswagenwas perhaps the start of motoring as we know it today. From the plans and ideas of Ferdinand Porsche in Germany 1931, the first ever peoples car was created. Adolf Hitler took a keen interest in the design, demanding that it be made cheap and easy to repair, so that ordinary German citizens could afford it. By 1934 the basic shape was one of the worlds most distinctive and best-loved car designs - the beetle- was in place.
2 VW Through the Years

A state run saving scheme was set up to help people buy a Volkswagen, but this was put to a stop because of the second world war. The factory which made the beetles was turned to making military vehicles, but was later destroyed by allied bombing. After the war Volkswagen was saved by Englishman Ivan Hirst - a British Army officer. To start with Hirst salvaged whatever he could from the ruined factory and workshops, after

doing this, he set up the factory to repair british army vehicles. Throughout time Hirst started up the production line of army vehicles again, got the town Wolfsburg back up and running and started the manufacturing of the beetle again, he did all this within 2 years. In 1947 they decided that another German should front the running of Volkswagen, this was Heinrich Nordhoff. Nordhoff fronted the company for 20years until his death in 1968, in his time of serving the company 25,000 Beetles were produced and exporting to America had started. Heinrich had doubled the production of the beetle in just one year. The beetle was becoming a success and was turning into the cult symbol of the time, service personnel of the army were starting to take them home and using in everyday life. Within the Volkswagen factory the beetle was known as the Type 1, this was to be carried on being produced but undergo improvements and development to make the car better.

Production line of the VW Beetle

Production of the VW Type 2 Transporter

In 1950 the Type 2 was put into production, this was manufactured as a commercial vehicle that was originally based on the beetle. After extensive improvements and tests the type 2 was born, this was the basis and start of the VW camper. Production carried on and the VW camper took over the world.
VW Through the Years 3

THE FATHER OF THE VW TRANSPORTER

to the states, but as the Americans liked the beetles so much one million was actually imported within the first 2 years. Ben hasnt been linked directly to this great success for the Volkswagen, but he was the first to export them. After these great years of the Volkswagen cars being exported, Pon became a multimillionaire and one of the richest in the Netherlands. As Ben Pon made such a difference to Volkswagen, they invited him to the factory where the beetles he had been exporting were made. During his time at the VW factory he drew a quick sketch of a car, which inspired the engineers at VW and was eventually developed into the VW Type 2 Transporter, beginning the birth of the radical Transporter series which is still alive today. Due to all the work Ben Pon did with Volkswagen he became a well known figure and a was known as the father of the Type 2 Transporter.
VW Through the Years 5

Ben Pon was a Dutch automobile importer. In 1920, Pon sold Opel and Ford cars from his fathers shop, he later took over the shop in 1931 and renamed it Pons Autobielhandel. In 1947 Ben Pon became Volkswagens general importer for the Netherlands, with their first year they received 51 Beetles from Wolfsburg. By 1948 they were also importing Porsches. Pon introduced the VWs into the American market in 1949, by 1960 there was set to be half a million beetles imported

THE BIRTH OF THE TRANSPORTER

Within three years of Ben Pon initial sketch the Vehicle had been made reality and was being produced known as the VW Transporter. This model was revealed in 1949, with it being put onto the market in March 1950. Within the 40year life span of the VW it was developed and adapted to many different styles and varieties. The basic shape of the vehicle was kept the same but was revised
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periodically to keep it up to date. The type 2 was eventually issued in five basic models, T1 - T5. It has been estimated that around 5 million of these vehicles have been produced and sold, with some of the designs being a prototype for other car manufacturers. The basic model was a delivery van with no side windows and the entire area of internal space behind the front seats available for cargo loading. This was known as the panel van and there was a raised roof version with even more space. Another popular variation was the Kombi, this model had removable rear seats and three windows per side for a choice of freight or passenger transport. The microbus and deluxe microbus were moving towards the people carrier status, with a more comfortable and suitable interior for transport of passengers over a long distance. The weekender or multivan was the evolution of the VW becoming a campervan, it was designed to be used for regular passenger transport or camping. In a more commercial path, you could purchase the VW as a flatbed truck with a single or double cab, different variations

were availed to suit each customer. These were just the vehicles that came out of the VW factory. As the type 2 was so versatile it lent itself to conversions and experimentations which many mechanics took up the challenge. The type 2 is most commonly known as a camper, but it was used as emergency services vehicle, recovery vehicles, hearses and pick-up trucks. The production of the VW was fast growing and because of the versatility of the vehicle, you could adapt and make the transporter suit you for your needs, this was how it became such a success.