By: Craig McPherson
The Volkswagen Beetle is considered one of the most iconic cars in automotive history. For sixty-five years, it has been produced longer than any other automobile in a single generation. Over 21.5 million Beetles have ever been manufactured. But where did it all start? And how did the small car evolve over time?
The little car’s story begins back in the year 1934, in Nazi Germany. Ferdinand Porsche would suggest his design for a “people’s car” to Adolf Hitler. Hitler intended car ownership and travel to be part of his Nazi vision of the Volksgemeinschaft, or “People’s Community”. In other words, Hitler wanted a basic, fuel efficient vehicle that was big enough to transport a family of five.
The first Beetles would be built in 1938, but the factory that assembled the cars would be involved in the war efforts of World War Two, causing the factory to be bombed. As a consequence, the car would not be available until 1947, and reproduction would restart to provide ground transportation for Allied occupying troops.
The Volkswagen Beetle would not be available in the United States until 1949, whenDutch importer Ben Pon would attempt to sell Beetles on the Eastern Seaboard. However, by the end of the year, Pon had only sold two cars. What reporters would call “Hitler’s car”, Pon tried to market as the “Victory Wagon”.
The Beetle’s success in America did not begin to rise until the 1950’s and 60’s. One of the main contributors to its success would be the marketing campaigns created by the ad agency DDB, or Doyle Dane Bernbach.
The following excerpt explains how this campaign displayed the car as, “an amusing, lovable, and curious automobile that signaled a quality product in a materialistic society abounding with false promises,” (Bernhard Rieger, 2013).
However, the sales for the little car would reach an all time low in the 1980’s. This is the result of competition from automakers such as Toyota and Honda, which people now viewed as more reliable car brands. Due to the inferior quality, poor sales, and higher prices, Volkswagen’s factory in Pennsylvania would be forced to close down. The last Volkswagen Beetle would be made in 2003.
In conclusion, while it may not have lasted as long as certain other cars, such as the Chevrolet Corvette, the Volkswagen Beetle was certainly a unique car. What was originally designed for citizens of Nazi Germany, became a beloved icon in American pop culture.
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