Volkswagen, or VW, is an automotive manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company was founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi party. The original VW Beetle was based on a design by Ferdinand Porsche with the goal of creating a vehicle that every German family could afford. However, the company we know as Volkswagen today did not truly come into being until the 1945 restructuring of the organization by the British military.

After the war, Volkswagen’s production facility was in tatters due to Allied bombing. The British military, without a light vehicle of their own, placed an order for 20,000 Volkswagen cars, providing a lifeline to the struggling company. Despite numerous production challenges, Volkswagen Beetles became extremely popular in Europe and the USA. In 1973 the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T as the best selling automobile of all time with over 16 million units sold. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Volkswagen continued to expand it’s product offerings, developing a reputation for making simple cars with well-built mechanical systems.

Today Volkswagen is known for producing a wide range of vehicles that can accomodate any family size or budget. Performance models like the Golf GTI and Jetta GLI along with family cars like the Tuareg have cemented VW’s position as a leader in the European automotive market.