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Volkswagen Aktiengesellsch A f t Historical Notes i 7 A series of publications from Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, corporate history Department Der lange Weg zum Global Player. Volkswagen Chronicle Becoming a global Player Historical Notes A series of publications from Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Corporate History Department Volkswagen Chronicle Becoming a Global Player IMPRINT EDITORS for Corporate History Department of Volkswagen Aktiengesllschaft Manfred Grieger, Ulrike Gutzmann, Dirk Schlinkert TEXT Markus Lupa, Büro für Industriegeschichte DESIGN design agenten, Hanover PRINTED BY Druckerei Hahn, Hanover ISSN 1615-1593 ISBN 978-3-935112-11-6 © Volkswagen AG 2008 Wolfsburg 2008 CONTENTS Contents 1904 – 1945 6 The Volkswagen: from Dream to Reality 1945 – 1949 14 The British and their Works 1950 – 1960 32 Internationalization and Mass Production in Germany’s Economic Miracle 1961 – 1972 60 The Beetle-maker between Boom and Crisis 1973 – 1981 94 The New Generation 1982 – 1991 120 New Brands, New Markets 1992 – 2007 152 Globalization of the Mobility Group The Brands 210 Audi 218 Bentley 224 Bugatti 228 Lamborghini 234 Seat 240 Škoda 246 Volkswagen Financial Services 254 Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles 4 5 1904 – 1945 6 THE VOLKSWAGEN: FROM DREAM TO REALITY 1904 – 1945 The Volkswagen: from Dream to Reality Talk about a ”Volkswagen“ began in Germany in 1904. Republic, inspiring the fantasy of designers. Late fame Engineers were already of the opinion that the future of the was gained by the 18-year old Hungarian technology student automobile industry lay in the mass production of inexpen- Béla Barény, who submitted a ”Fahrgestell-Entwurf für sive small cars. Pioneering developments in America, where einen Volkswagen“ (chassis design for a Volkswagen) in a mass market for automobiles was gradually developing, 1925 and – along with August Horch, Ettore Bugatti, were observed with astonishment.
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