VW history
     Four years of intensive work was brought to light on May 26, 1938, for the people of Germany. It was near the little known town of Fallersleben that a huge assembly of German dignitaries and guests had gathered to witness the laying of the cornerstone that was to signal a new future for the citizens of Germany.
    Ever since 1934, when professor Ferdinand Porsche had been hired to deliver an economical car for the people, the man in charge, Adolph Hitler, and the remainder of the German hierarchy, had been awaiting this day. Evolution of the so called Volkswagen, or People's Car, had started out as a pair of experimental cars designated the V1 and V2. The success of these two designs guaranteed further financing for the next generation of prototypes, the V3 series. Most of my life I has assumed the "V" designation for these prototypes stood for "Volkswagen," but I was wrong. During a conversation I had with Herbert Kaes, a first cousin to Dr. Porsche, he told me that the "V" stood for the German word "Versuch", which translates as experimental. The V3 series consisted of three sedans whose durability was tested for over 30,000 miles
     The VW30 series consisted of 30 prototypes, the bodies of which were assembled by the Daimler-Benz factory is Stuttgart, Germany. It would seem that the Porsche staff now assumed that the new cars would be called Volkswagens, thus the new designation "VW" before the number 30 for this series. Once again, extensive testing was scheduled, and SS troops were employed to ensure that secrecy was kept.
    This time the number assigned was V303. This seems to mean they were a continuance of the VW30 series, but this time only three were constructed. Interestingly, some of the changes in this series were the result of a trip professor Porsche made to the United States. Apparently, he noted that the trend in the US cars had changed from having rear hinged (suicide) doors to front hinges. He telegraphed back to his staff to immediately change the design on the V303 series. The ultimate destination for these three Volkswagens was the gaily decorated field near the town of Fallersleben.
    The vast majority of those in attendance on that May afternoon were in German army uniforms, and represented the Nazi ruling class that was in charge of the country at that time. Speeches were given and the three Volkswagens were uncovered. It is interesting to note that the three Volkswagens consisted of a sedan, a sunroof and a convertible. Soon thereafter, it was made known that the convertible version would not be an option for the general public to purchase via the famous stamp saver booklets, due to the high cost of producing this model. The cornerstone was laid, and then Hitler announced that the three cars before him would be known as "KdF Wagens" or "Strength Through Joy Cars."
    To say the least, this came as somewhat of a shock to professor Porsche and his staff who were in attendance. For, all along, everyone associated with the project had expected the car to be named the People's Car, or Volkswagens as we know it today. Dr. Porsche, son of Ferdinand Porsche, remembered this occasion vividly in a conversation that I had with him in December, 1992. Dr. Porsche said, "You see, over this you can have a story. We have always in mind that the Volkswagen is a Volkswagen. And at the cornerstone laying, Hitler said in his speech, 'and I sat that's the KdF Wagen.' And we are not happy because we think, who understands what he means? What's KdF? But, it was an order! It was an order from Hitler. And we say it is crazy!"
    By the end of 1949, Volkswagen Director Heinz Nordhoff was offering an impressive export line of Volkswagens to the eager European market. The standard sedan model was joined by the beautiful, open four seater cabriolet built by Karmann, and a deluxe sedan outfitted with a sliding cloth sunroof manufactured by the Golde firm. Nordhoff, however, was anxious to push the Volkswagen into worldwide prominence and longed to tap into the American automotive market.
    In the late 1940's, the United States was experiencing rapid postwar growth, with many of the returning military veterans starting families and new careers. These veterans, and the civilian populace in general, still had bitter feelings regarding Germany's role in World War II, though. For a consumer market that was accustomed to large, powerful cars from the domestic Detroit automakers, marketing the small, economical Volkswagen was going to be a very hard sell.
 

More Beetle History

    The creator of the Volkswagen, Ferdinand Porsche had his own office in the early 1930s, in Stuttgart. He worked there, along with about ten collaborators as a consultant and constructor for other companies, such as the recently formed Auto Union (Horsch, Audi, Wanderer and DKW) and Mercedes-Benz. Dr Porsche became very famous for the racing cars he designed for the 750 kg racing-class. But as early as 1931 he designed a car that carried many of the features from the first Volkswagen. It had a streamlined design, a central-frame, the engine placed in the back and it was equipped with individual suspension. This car was built by the mc-producer Zundapp, who were planning to start a car production at this time. The test drive of this car took place in 1932, but due to the demand for motorcycles, Zundapp lost the interest in developing the car any further. After this, Dr Porsche was approached by another me company, NSU who planed a small car with a 1500cc engine. The result was "Type 32". The difference from the ZUndapp car was that the suspension had been changed from blade- to torsion suspension. A number of different engines were tested, including a two-stroke engine. But the engine that proved to be most suitable for the car was a boxer engine with four cylinders. This aircooled engine was based on a 90 hp airplane engine that Dr Porsche had designed back in 1912. However, NSU backed out of the project, but a number of prototypes had been built and tested.
    At this time Hitler had gained the power in Germany. Dr Porsche realized that the plans for new roads was suitable for his car. In 1934 Porsche delivered a memorandum to Hitler, where he promised to have prototypes ready within 12 months. The time that followed was hectic for Porsche Buro, three test cars were tested during the fall and winter. An additional 30 cars were built by Mercedes-Benz, and the results were examined by state-employed inspectors. The name of the car was then changed to "KDF-Wagen" in 1938, before the car-exhibition in Berlin. The name was taken from the slogan "Kraft Durch Freude". In Berlin Hitler announced that the Volkswagen finally was finished, after many years of development. The building of the factory began in 1938, but only a few civilian cars were produced before the production was changed due to the war.