In 1937, Volkswagen was established in Germany. Given the occasion and setting, it should come as no surprise that the German governmentmore especially, Adolf Hitlerdesigned the vehicle with the intention of fostering a sense of nationalism among its citizens. The German government, who controlled it, chose the name “Volkswagenwerk,” which means “the people’s automobile firm.” The German Labor Front ran it from Wolfsburg, Germany. On select Volkswagen vehicles, the Wolfsburg Edition trim can be found. It is typically positioned in the center and comes with extra amenities not present in the base trim. For instance, the Wolfsburg trim of the 2018 Golf comes after the S trim and offers extras like keyless entry with push-button start, V-Tex leatherette seats, blind spot monitoring, and more.
The Volkswagen factory was in ruins after World War II, and it appeared that the Volkswagen brand might vanish. However, as a result of the Allies’ efforts to revive the German auto sector, Volkswagen started to thrive and is now one of the most popular vehicle brands in the world. Due to the Nazi connection, it took some time for it to catch on in the United States, but it quickly gained popularity.
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What was the initial name of Volkswagen?
The German government, then governed by Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party, establishes a new state-owned vehicle corporation on May 28th, 1937, under the name Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH. It was called simply Volkswagenwerk later that year, meaning “People’s Car Corporation.
Volkswagen’s original owners were the Nazi-affiliated German Labor Front, and the company was based in Wolfsburg, Germany. Hitler’s pet project was the creation and mass production of a cheap yet quick automobile that could sell for less than 1,000 Reich marks (about $140 at the time), in addition to his grandiose ambition to establish a network of autobahns and controlled access motorways throughout Germany. To create the layout for this “Hitler enlisted the German and Austrian automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche to develop the people’s automobile. The Fuhrer said during a Nazi rally in 1938: “This car was created with the general public in mind. Its goal is to satisfy their desire for mobility while also making them happy. Although the KdF (Kraft-durch-Freude)-Wagen ( “In 1939, as World War II broke out and Volkswagen ceased manufacturing, the maiden demonstration of the Strength-Through-Joy vehicle (or STH car) took place at the Berlin Motor Show. The Allies would make Volkswagen the center of their efforts to revive the German auto industry after the war, leaving the factory in ruins.
Due to the car’s historical Nazi links, small size, and unique rounded design, Volkswagen sales in the United States started off slower than in other areas of the world. The advertising firm Doyle Dane Bernbach developed a historic campaign in 1959, dubbed the vehicle the “Beetle and presented its small size as a clear benefit to customers. In the ensuing years, VW surpassed all other auto imports in terms of sales in the country. Volkswagen was effectively denationalized in 1960 when the German government sold 60 percent of the company’s equity to the general public. Twelve years later, the Volkswagen Beetle broke the renowned Model T’s record of 15 million automobiles produced globally between 1908 and 1927.
Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle slowed down in the early 1970s because of the car’s mostly unaltered design since 1935. With the release of sportier vehicles like the Rabbit and later, the Golf, VW recovered. In 1998, the business started offering the acclaimed “while keeping up with the production of its predecessor, the New Beetle. On July 30, 2003, in Puebla, Mexico, the final original Beetle came off the assembly line after over 70 years and more than 21 million cars built.
Are all Volkswagen vehicles given wind names?
Volkswagen has always given its vehicles names that are a little confusing. Many appear like meaningless words, but as Alex Goy for Carfection reveals, most of VW’s names have a purpose.
The names of winds appear in a number of Volkswagen’s most well-known vehicles. The Golf alludes to the Gulf Stream, the Jetta to the jet stream, the Passat to the trade wind, the Scirocco to the Sirocco, a wind from the Mediterranean, and the Polo to polar winds. I also always believed that the Golf and Polo were called after their respective games.
VW therefore enjoyed the winds in the middle of the 1970s, during its early water-cooled days. That subject wasn’t carried on for very long. For a while, VW offered the Golf as the Rabbit in the US. It also had the Fox, which was based on the Gol sold in Brazil. Then Goy makes the observation that Volkswagen has borrowed a number of names from Greek mythology throughout the years, including Eos, Atlas, and Phaeton.
In addition to using Latin terms and their derivatives for some of its vehicles, VW has names for all of its SUVs that begin with the letter T. For instance, the new Arteon is a riff on the Latin term for art, artem.
For considerably more information on the naming of VW models, watch the Carfection film. During my investigation for this article, I also learned that VW sells the SpaceFox in Brazil. I believed you should be aware.
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What does the name Audi mean?
Logo? Of course! When the Auto Union AG was established about 90 years ago, that was also their first thought. How four businesses eventually evolved into four rings and the world-renowned AUDI AG. And here’s why the process of sand painting is so crucial to the creation of logos:
“A good logo is one that your big toe can carve into the sand. Kurt Weidemann, a well-known type designer and graphic artist, said as much (19222011). Based on his statements, the designers’ directions could have been straightforward and basic yet nonetheless clever and memorable nearly 90 years ago. In 1932, the four businesses Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer merged to establish Auto Union AG, which later changed its name to AUDI AG. The business also need a new logo. The creation of the four interlocking rings.
What does the German word “Tiguan” mean?
The German terms for “tiger (Tiger)” and “iguana” are combined to form the moniker Volkswagen Tiguan (Leguan). How do you pronounce Tiguan? The way these German terms are pronounced “TEE-gwan. You might be curious as to how Volkswagen selected the name “For this small SUV model, Tiguan.
What does the German word “Touareg” mean?
The Touareg, Volkswagen’s first-ever SUV, was introduced in 2003. In a news statement, they explained why they chose to adopt the nomadic North African ethnic group’s name: “Touareg” literally translates to “free folk” and is the name of a tribe that lives nomadicly in the Sahara.
What makes it a Passat?
The Passat was the first Volkswagen of the contemporary period, introduced in 1973, and was named from the German word “passatwinde, meaning trade winds. Phaeton, a god who almost lost control of the chariot pulling the sun across the sky, was another character in the Greek mythology series.
(Image source: Volkswagen)
The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf is brand-new. The Golf was first produced in 1974, and it gets its name from the corresponding sport. But it also refers to the German word golfstorm, which is used to describe the Gulf Stream ocean movement. With 35 million units sold, the Golf is the third most popular nameplate globally according to Volkswagen.
What is the Jetta known as over there?
Following the tradition of naming vehicles after winds, the Volkswagen Vento was formally renamed the Jetta in European countries for the third generation, which made its dbut in 1992. 1993 saw the launch of the Jetta 3 in North America following production hiccups and quality issues at the Volkswagen facility in Puebla, Mexico. [24] Wind is the translation of the name “Vento” into Portuguese and Italian. The majority of Europe began selling it in the first quarter of the year, although it wasn’t available in Britain until September 1992.
Volkswagen made the decision to retain the Jetta nameplate due to the second generation’s popularity in North America. To appeal to a younger clientele, the car was given a new name throughout Europe. [25]
A design team led by Herbert Schafer created the styling, which made the car even more aerodynamic than the model it replaced. The Mark 2 looked similar, but there were numerous improvements underneath. The two-door variant was discontinued, and the vehicle’s aerodynamics were enhanced; its current drag coefficient is 0.32. [26] This comprised a new construction that now complied with all applicable crash requirements. [27] The main improvement made by suspensions over earlier iterations was a wider track and even keeping backwards compatibility with older versions, rather than being a revolutionary change. The utilization of recyclable polymers, CFC-free air conditioning systems, and paint without heavy metals also made the vehicle more environmentally friendly. [28]
Many people credit this model generation with preventing Volkswagen from leaving the North American market.
[24]
[29] Sales for Volkswagen of America had fallen to a level last seen in the 1950s at the time of the model’s launch in 1993. In that year, the division only sold 43,902 automobiles. Due of the aforementioned problems at the Puebla factory, sales started off slowly. [30] Sales did, however, sharply pick up in the years that followed, largely due to the success of the Jetta, which remained the best-selling Volkswagen in the USA. [31]
Volkswagen is getting rid of the Passat, but why?
The Passat sedan has weak sales. Volkswagen can no longer make money by selling the Passat sedan. Volkswagen will therefore stop making it. Consumers don’t purchase sedans like the Passat as frequently as they used to due to the global crossover and SUV craze.
Which is better, a Jetta or a Passat?
Although the VW Passat comes with more standard equipment, the VW Jetta has a lower starting price. The VW Passat is more potent, but the VW Jetta has better fuel economy and a six-speed manual transmission that is a fan favorite. The VW Passat is roomier, but the VW Jetta is more maneuverable.
For autos, what does VAG stand for?
Without completely understanding what it is or why it has been suggested that it will assist in fixing your car, you may have heard about VAG or ODIS Diagnostics in the past. Be at ease; we are here to assist. The automotive group known as VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) includes the brands Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT, koda, and Bentley. Offboard Diagnosis Information System, sometimes known as ODIS, is the program that main dealer garages employ.
Your car is compatible with ODIS technology if it is one of the aforementioned makes and was registered in 2014 or later. If not, don’t worry; while ODIS diagnostics is only available for VAG vehicles, we have diagnostic tools for all makes and models. ODIS communicates directly with the German manufacturer’s database, which is intended to simplify diagnostics and repairs for technicians. As soon as they are connected, the professionals can quickly acquire fresh software updates, reset service indications, decipher fault codes, obtain comprehensive repair information, and much more.
It should just take a few minutes to finish a diagnostic test. Each test begins with the technician connecting a diagnostic scanner to examine any error codes that could point to the source of the issue. Then, we can conduct further research to better grasp the problem and the solution that is needed.
Modern cars’ software also changes over time, so CCM must make sure we can always access the most recent and correct information. This is made feasible for us through ODIS. Directly from the VAG corporate offices, we have fast access to the most recent Technical Service Bulletins, Electronic Repair Information, and Workshop Information. We have established ourselves as being in a different league of independent garage, therefore we now have all the main dealer capabilities, but at a fraction of the cost, since this kind of technology is typically only reserved for main dealers.