Volkswagen History

VW first arrived on these shores in 1949 with the launch of the Volkswagen Type 1, a car originally designed by Ferdinand Porsche for Adolf Hitler. Despite those less than favorable ties to the former German leader, VW flourished in the U.S. thanks in large part to the growing popularity of that inexpensive little two-door car, nicknamed the Volkswagen Beetle and the VW Bug. Help also came from the VW Microbus, a camper van that shuttled hippies to and from Grateful Dead concerts for decades, and the two-passenger Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. During those days, the thoroughly odd VW Thing also made the rounds on dealer lots, but not surprisingly, failed to find a substantial following.

Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle continued into the 1970s, during which time the brand added the Super Beetle model and acquired what we know today as Audi. That relationship with Audi led to the debut of the Volkswagen Rabbit (later to become the Volkswagen Golf and once again the Volkswagen Rabbit) and the less popular Volkswagen Dasher, a pair of small, economical vehicles delivered just when Americans were shopping in earnest for fuel-efficient alternatives to large, thirsty domestic cars. The Rabbit was the basis for the Volkswagen Rabbit pickup (a.k.a. the Volkswagen Caddy) and every sorority girl's favorite accessory, the Volkswagen Rabbit Cabriolet. VW engineers also tapped into the Rabbit's success by using its platform to create the sporty Volkswagen Scirocco and the hot-selling Volkswagen Jetta, which is still available today in sedan and SportWagen configurations. Another current model traces its routes back to the lowly Rabbit - the Volkswagen GTI. Applauded for its basic fun when first revealed in the early 1980s, the GTI lost some of its luster over the years when based on the Volkswagen Golf, but with its most recent iteration, has repositioned itself as a genuine hot hatch; sport-minded shoppers of the sedan persuasion can opt for the Jetta-based Volkswagen GLI with the same powertrain. More hardcore enthusiasts have been drawn to previous offerings including the Volkswagen Corrado and the Volkswagen R32, and in an attempt to broaden the brand's appeal while also moving upmarket, vehicles such as the Volkswagen Passat, VW Touareg, and Volkswagen Routan have been added to the portfolio. In a nod to the company's history, the original VW Beetle idea was reintroduced in the mid-1990s via the retro Volkswagen New Beetle.

Looking forward, showcased creations like the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport suggest that VW's future will be home to more enticing rides like the Volkswagen GTI, while simultaneously continuing the fuel-efficiency efforts exemplified by the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.