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Volkswagen Beetle Shape Designed
Ferdinand Porsche, notorious for the main work on the Volkswagen Beetle, designed the shape of the vehicle. Hitler loved it and the production of the vehicle began very shortly after the idea was presented. Pictured: Ferdinand Porsche presenting a prototype of his Beetle to Hitler -
Volkswagen Beetle Commissioned
Adolf Hitler commissioned the Volkswagen Beetle to provide low-cost, convenient transportation for the masses. He wanted a perfect "people's car." Pictured: Hitler's original drawing of what he wanted for the car to be produced -
KdF-Wagen Established
A company was created to build the Volkswagen, called the KdF-Wagen at the time. Pictured: Dein KDF-Wagen board game used to further push notice of new vehicle production -
One Million Test Kilometers on Vehicle IIIA 37003
Tested in the Black Forest (Schwartzwald) among other vehicles, vehicle IIIA 37003 succeeded in driving for 1,000,000 test kilometers. This gave an idea of how quickly production of the vehicle could begin (which was soon!). Pictured: Vehicle IIIA 37003 -
World War II
World War II broke out and halted the production of the vehicle. Those focused on the Beetle switched their focus to military vehicles instead. Pictured: German WWII vehicles -
Volkswagen Returns
The Volkswagen vehicle went back into production, providing cars to occupation forces stationed in Germany. Series production began, and 21.5 million cars were sold, making the Volkswagen Beetle the most popular car manufactured off a single platform of all time. Pictured: 1945 Volkswagen Beetle -
First US Volkswagen
The first Volkswagen vehicle made its way to the United States. This made Americans more aware of the foreign automobile that would be soon to come in the US, increasing potential in sales. Pictured: Two Volkswagen Beetles alongside one another -
Volkswagen of America Formed
The Beetle began selling dramatically as the Volkswagen of America was formed. Sales and service of the foreign car were standardized and performed by many. Pictured: Volkswagen Logo -
"Think Small" Campaign
The "Think Small" Campaign was a method of advertisement for the Volkswagen Beetle. This campaign was an exercise in minimalism, which was additionally an accurate reflection on the product it advertised. Pictured: Poster from "Think Small" Campaign -
Production Record - Five Million
The Volkswagen vehicle hit the milestone of 5,000,000 cars produced. Pictured: Five millionth Volkswagen Beetle -
"Herbie"
Through the "Herbie" franchise, attention was attained by the beloved "Love Bug." This increased sales and brought more and more love to the vehicle. Pictured: "Herbie" -
United States Becomes VW's Most Important Foreign Market
In this year, along with the beginning of the "Herbie" franchise, the United States became Volkswagen's most important foreign market. 40% of production was headed to the United States. Pictured: 1968 Volkswagen Beetle -
Best-Selling Car
The Volkswagen Beetle became the best-selling car of all time, replacing Ford Model T. It is still one of the best-selling cars of all time. This shows how successful the vehicle became and how much it grew over just a few years. Pictured: Volkswagen Beetles -
New Beetle Released
The New Beetle drew inspiration from the original Beetle, but it had its engine in the front, driving in the front wheels, luggage storage in the rear, all among other changes. Pictured: New Beetle with original Beetle -
Last Beetle
After exactly 70 years after the first US sales of the Beetle, the last Beetle was produced. This vehicle can be found in Volkswagen's museum now. Pictured: Last Beetle