Volkswagen was established on 28 May 1937

Volkswagen was established on 28 May 1937 as the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbh ("Society for the readiness of the German People's Car", shortened to Gezuvor) by the National Socialist Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labor Front). The reason for the organization was to make the Volkswagen auto, initially alluded to as the Porsche Type 60, then the Volkswagen Type 1, and ordinarily called the Volkswagen Beetle. This vehicle was outlined by Ferdinand Porsche's counseling firm, and the organization was supported by the backing of Adolf Hitler. On 16 September 1938, Gezuvor was renamed Volkswagenwerk Gmbh ("Volkswagen Factory constrained obligation organization"). 

From the late 1970s to 1992, the acronym V.a.g was utilized by Volkswagen AG as a brand for gathering wide exercises, for example, dissemination and renting. As opposed to mainstream thinking, "V.a.g" had no official importance, and was never the name of the Volkswagen Group. 

On 30 September 1982, Volkswagenwerk made its first step extending outside Germany by marking a co-operation concurrence with the Spanish auto maker SEAT, S.a.in request to reflect the organization's expanding worldwide enhancement from its home office and fundamental plant (the Volkswagenwerk in Wolfsburg), on 4 July 1985, the organization name was changed again – to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (Volkswagen AG). 

In December 2009, Volkswagen AG purchased a 49.9% stake in Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (all the more regularly known as Porsche AG) in an initial move towards an 'incorporated car bunch' with Porsche. The merger of Volkswagen AG and Porsche SE was booked to occur amid the course of 2011. On 8 September 2011, it was proclaimed that the arranged merger "can't be actualized inside the timeline accommodated in the Comprehensive Agreement." As reasons, unquantifiable lawful dangers, including a criminal test into the holding's previous administration group were given. Both gatherings "stay focused on the objective of making a coordinated auto bunch with Porsche and are persuaded that this will occur." On 4 July 2012 Volkswagen gathering affirmed they would wrap up the staying a large portion of Porsche shares for 4.46 billion euros ($5.58 billion) on 1 August 2012 to evade duties of to the extent that 1.5 billion euros, which would need to be paid if the wrap up happened after 31 July 2014. Volkswagen AG obtained the remaining stake in Porsche AG breaking even with 100% of the shares in Porsche Zwischenholding Gmbh, viably turning into its parent organization starting 1 August 2012. 

On 26 March 2007, after the European Union moved against a German law that ensured Volkswagen Group from takeovers, Porsche took its holding to 30.9 percent, setting off a takeover offer under German law. Porsche formally published in a press proclamation that it didn't mean to assume control Volkswagen Group, setting its offer cost at the most minimal conceivable legitimate worth, however proposed the move to dodge a contender taking an expansive stake, or to stop multifaceted investments destroying Volkswagen Group, which is Porsche's most critical accomplice. On 3 March 2008, Porsche published that it has chosen to expand its Volkswagen AG stake up to 51 percent, which would be finished before the end of the year. This was declared hours after VWAG announced it would take a lion's share stake in the Swedish truck and motor producer Scania. 

Volkswagen is vigorously included in games sponsorship, with speculations having incorporated the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the David Beckham Academy. Volkswagen AG entirely possesses the Bundesliga football side Vfl Wolfsburg; the organization is likewise the shirt supporter of Major League Soccer club D.c. United, League of Ireland Premier Division Sligo Rovers and top level of the Mexican football class framework Liga MX group Puebla F.c.. 

The European positioning of automakers is incorporated month to month by the European Auto Manufacturers' Association ACEA. Volkswagen has held the top spot in Europe continuous for more than two decades. 

The organization barely missed being the top worldwide automaker in the first 50% of 2014, offering 5.07 million vehicles in the six months finishing June 30 2014, equitable behind Toyota which scored up 5.1 million vehicle deals. 

Since the begin of exchanging 1961, Volkswagen AG shares have been subjected to two stock parts – the first was on 17 March 1969 when they were part at a proportion of 2:1, from a DM 100 offer to a DM 50 offer. The second part happened on 6 July 1998, the DM 50 offer being changed over into an offer of no general ostensible quality, at a degree of 1

The Volkswagen Citi Golf

The Volkswagen Citi Golf was a car produced by Volkswagen in South Africa from 1984 until 21 August 2009. It was a face-lifted version of the original Volkswagen Golf Mk1 hatchback, which ceased production in Germany in 1983. The car was produced only with right-hand drive.

History: Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) assembled the Mk1 Golf from 1978 to 1984 when it was replaced by the Golf Mk2. VWSA however decided to retain the Mk1 as an affordable, locally manufactured entry-level car. Tooling mostly came from the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant when it ceased production there in 1988.

The original Citigolf was available in a limited range of solid (non-metallic) colours (a fact highlighted in the contemporary advertising campaign which used a tagline "Red, Yellow, Blue... Not Green!"). The early cars were distinguished by white bumpers and wheels, as well as white appliqués carrying the CITIGOLF and CITI graphics mounted on the lower door panels and on the tailgate.

Initially, the bodywork was identical to that of the superseded Mk1 Golf, but a locally penned facelift gave it a sloping grille, similar to that of the Mk2 model Golf, as well as more modern "deep" bumpers in body colour.

In 2004, the Citi Golf received a facelift that included a new dashboard lifted from the Škoda Fabia, as well as larger front passenger windows. Until a further facelift in the second quarter of 2006, it sported tail-lights similar to post-1980 Euro Mk1s. The 2006 facelift saw modifications to the front bumper (adding a second grille in the lower half) as well as new, unique-to-South-Africa taillights incorporating a circular inset taillight–brakelight combination.

A sedan version called the Fox (Volkswagen Jetta A1) was also produced, along with a coupé utility called the Caddy.

The Citi Golf and the Caddy are no longer in production but VWSA still has stock. VWSA now also produces the Golf Mk5, Jetta Mk5, the European VW Polo hatchback and its Brazilian sedan derivative. The Citi Golf was intended to complement this range as an entry-level vehicle.

"Special Edition" Citi Golfs carrying unique trim and equipment combinations have been released throughout the car's production run and include the "Designa", the "Blues", the "Ritz", the "Rhythm" and the "Citi.com" which, in theory, was available only if ordered over the Internet.

Another special edition called the "Deco" introduced colour-coded leather seats to the car in 1995. It was available in three derivatives, namely red, green and a special electric blue. The latter was initially only offered on the Citi but was later transferred to other Volkswagen models as well. The "VeloCiti" model, which included the 1.8iR, was one of the best sellers. Other limited editions included the Citi Billabong and Citi Xcite. The most recent special edition is the "GTS", which takes its cues from the original GTS.

The Citi Golf was, for a time, also available in a 1.8-litre CTi variant with Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection (at a time when other versions still had carburettor engines). The CTi was very similar to the original Golf I GTi. In addition, there was a 1.8-litre carburettor-engined Sport variant (with advertising tagline "New Citigolf Sport, drive it home, Sport, drive it home.").

The last addition to the Citi Golf lineup is the Citi 1.8iR, which was unveiled at the Auto Africa Expo during October 2006 in Johannesburg. It features enhanced styling and specification, including a full bodykit, partial leather front seats, and aluminium trim on the dashboard. The engine is a 1.8-litre fuel-injected unit which, although it shares its displacement with the iconic CTi, pushes out 8 kW of extra power, taking it up to 90 kW. VWSA claims that it can accomplish 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds. This was also a limited edition and only a handful were made between 2006 and 2008.

Punch buggy

Punch buggy (also called punch bug, piggy punch, slug bug, or beetle bug) is a car game generally played by children in which participants punch each other in the arm upon first sight of a Volkswagen Beetle while calling out "Slug bug!" or "Punch buggy!" in reference to the Beetle's nickname, the Bug. The color of the Beetle is also stated.

Volkswagen

1937–1945: People's Car project becomes Kübelwagen


Model of Porsche Type 12 (Zündapp), Museum of Industrial Culture, Nurnberg
Volkswagen was originally founded in 1937 by the Nazi trade union, the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront). In the early 1930s German auto industry was still largely composed of luxury models, and the average German rarely could afford anything more than a motorcycle. Seeking a potential new market, some car makers began independent "peoples' car" projects – Mercedes' 170H, Adler's AutoBahn, Steyr 55, Hanomag 1,3L, among others. The trend was not new, as Béla Barényi is credited with having conceived the basic design in the middle 1920s. Josef Ganz developed the Standard Superior (going as far as advertising it as the "German Volkswagen").[broken citation] Also, in Czechoslovakia, the Hans Ledwinka's penned Tatra T77, a very popular car amongst the German elite, was becoming smaller and more affordable at each revision. In 1933, with many of the above projects still in development or early stages of production, Adolf Hitler declared his intentions for a state-sponsored "Volkswagen" program. Hitler required a basic vehicle capable of transporting two adults and three children at 100 km/h (62 mph). The "People's Car" would be available to citizens of the Third Reich through a savings scheme at 990 Reichsmark, about the price of a small motorcycle (an average income being around 32RM a week).

Despite heavy lobbying in favour of one of the existing projects, Hitler chose to sponsor an all new, state owned factory. The engineer chosen for the task was Ferdinand Porsche. By then an already famed engineer, Porsche was the designer of the Mercedes 170H, and worked at Steyr for quite some time in the late 1920s. When he opened his own design studio he landed two separate "Auto für Jedermann" (car for everybody) projects with NSU and Zündapp, both motorcycle manufacturers. Neither project come to fruition, stalling at prototype phase, but the basic concept remained in Porsche's mind time enough, so on 22 June 1934, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche agreed to create the "People's Car" for Hitler.[citation needed]

Changes included better fuel efficiency, reliability, ease of use, and economically efficient repairs and parts. The intention was that ordinary Germans would buy the car by means of a savings scheme ("Fünf Mark die Woche musst Du sparen, willst Du im eigenen Wagen fahren" – "Five Marks a week you must put aside, If in your own car you want to ride"), which around 336,000 people eventually paid into. Prototypes of the car called the "KdF-Wagen" (German: Kraft durch Freude – "strength through joy"), appeared from 1936 onwards (the first cars had been produced in Stuttgart). The car already had its distinctive round shape and air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mounted engine. The VW car was just one of many KdF programs which included things such as tours and outings. The prefix Volks— ("People's") was not just applied to cars, but also to other products in Europe; the "Volksempfänger" radio receiver for instance. On 28 May 1937, the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH (sometimes abbreviated to Gezuvor) was established by the Deutsche Arbeitsfront. It was later renamed "Volkswagenwerk GmbH" on 16 September 1938.


VW Type 82E
Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Auto Union chief designer, developed the car body of the prototype, which was recognizably the Beetle known today. It was one of the first to be evolved with the aid of a wind tunnel, in use in Germany since the early 1920s.

The building of the new factory started 26 May 1938 in the new town of KdF-Stadt, now called Wolfsburg, which had been purpose-built for the factory workers. This factory had only produced a handful of cars by the time war started in 1939. None was actually delivered to any holder of the completed saving stamp books, though one Type 1 Cabriolet was presented to Hitler on 20 April 1938 (his 49th birthday).

War meant production changed to military vehicles, the Type 82 Kübelwagen ("Bucket car") utility vehicle (VW's most common wartime model), and the amphibious Schwimmwagen which were used to equip the German forces. As was common with much of the production in Nazi Germany during the war, slave labor was utilized in the Volkswagen plant. The company would admit in 1998 that it used 15,000 slaves during the war effort. German historians estimated the that 80% of Volkswagen's wartime workforce was slave labor.[citation needed] Many of the slaves were reported to have been supplied from the concentration camps upon request from plant managers. A lawsuit was filed in 1998 by survivors for restitution for the forced labor. Volkswagen would set up a voluntary restitution fund.