The history of Volkswagen began in 1934 when a talented engineer named Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by Adolph Hitler to build a small, inexpensive car. His creation was a beetle shaped sedan he called Volkswagen, German for the people’s car.
Hitler had a town built near the plant for factory workers; he named it Kraft durch Freude Stadt (derived from the Nazi party’s motto, “Joy through Strength”), and soon decided that Porsche’s creation should be named the KdF-wagen (short for the “Joy through Strength” car). This upset Porsche, who was not political. World War II delayed production as the factory was badly damaged by allied bombings. After the war, the company was renamed Volkswagen and production moved to Wolfsburg where production of the Beetle hit full stride by the late 1940’s. The 1950’s and 60’s saw Volkswagen turn out Beetle after Beetle along with a few other additions to the model line. By 1972, the Beetle had surpassed 15 million units assembled and it was now time for Volkswagen to turn their efforts towards new models and new technologies. The decade saw the introduction of the Passat, Golf and Rabbit as the Beetle was discontinued for the US market. The 80’s and 90’s were somewhat lackluster for Volkswagen. New models with better performance seemed to be the mandate however ho hum marketing and dated styling resulted in sales declines in North America. Towards the end of the decade however, the reintroduction of the new Beetle certainly helped lift Volkswagen out of their doldrums. The new millennium saw Volkswagen move into the luxury segment with the launch of the pricey Phaeton sedan and Touareg SUV. Though well-designed and engineered, the Phaeton was a disappointment sales-wise, perhaps signaling unwillingness on the part of consumers to shell out premium dollars for a brand that lacks the cachet of established upscale names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lucky for Volkswagen that it has seen success with other vehicles in its lineup, which currently includes everything from family-oriented sedans to roomy SUVs. Today, the automaker enjoys a reputation for crafting vehicles that offer refined handling and upscale accommodations.
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2010 Volkswagen GTI – Four Seasons Update – July 2010 Thursday, 29 July 2010, 7:07 am
The GTI still ranks at the top of our list of favorite rides.
Miles: 19,500
Months in Fleet: Eight
Photo Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen GTI – July 2010 – Automobile Magazine
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The Six-Cylinder Survivor Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 7:07 pm
The six-cylinder survivor.
The last place one would expect to find devotion to a two-decade-old, iron-block six-cylinder engine is Volkswagen. The company has developed a line of powerful turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinders, but VW remains committed to an aging engine that defies easy categorization: the VR6.
Photo Gallery: Volkswagen’s VR6 Engine – Automobile Magazine
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First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 7:07 pm
Hits the mark, but we can’t wait for the GLI.
If you think about it, it’s really quite surprising that we, as a country, love the Volkswagen Jetta as much as we have. It’s been VW’s most successful car here for thirty years, and yet it’s been an afterthought this whole time. Take a Golf — one of the most popular cars in the world, but never embraced by the U.S. public — add a trunk, and voila, you have a bestseller.
Photo Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta First Drive – Automobile Magazine
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2010 Volkswagen GTI – Four Seasons Update – June 2010 Friday, 25 June 2010, 5:06 pm
Midway through its Four Seasons test, our two-door GTI has quietly piled on a ton of miles: more than 18,000.
Midway through its Four Seasons test, our two-door GTI has quietly piled on a ton of miles: more than 18,000. That total is all the more impressive for the fact that most of the GTI’s usage has been in daily commuting and weekend drives-weekends like the one associate web producer Evan McCausland recently recounted:
Photo Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen GTI – Four Seasons Update – June 2010 – Automobile Magazine
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Sneak Peek: 2015 Volkswagen Passat Convertible Tuesday, 22 June 2010, 8:06 pm
Taking a look at VW’s drop-top future.
If you’re not crazy about the Volkswagen Eos, you’re not alone. The convertible was signed off by VW’s old management, and according to the company’s new leaders, it combines the worst of all worlds — a retractable hard top along with the old family face sporting a chrome grille and teardrop headlamps. For 2011, the Eos gets an overdue makeover featuring restyled head- and taillights, a new grille, revised bumpers, and a more upmarket interior. The VR6 engine option bit the dust for 2009 (the vast majority of buyers preferred the base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder), but VW will soon add a frugal TDI edition powered by its 140-hp, 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four in combination with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Photo Gallery: 2015 Volkswagen Passat Convertible – Automobile Magazine
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2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition Tuesday, 22 June 2010, 5:06 pm
A more fun Jetta TDI.
If you’re in the market for a Jetta TDI sedan and like to drive, this is your car. The firmer GLI suspension, larger brakes, and upgraded antiroll bars go a long way towards making the Jetta sedan exciting to drive. Of course those upgrades do nothing to address the modest horsepower of a TDI engine, but we’re especially sensitive to the TDI’s horsepower output because we’ve been driving the superb VW GTI for a few months. Anyone considering a TDI vehicle understands the lack of hp is more than made up for by the car’s incredible 41 mpg highway rating and insanely long cruising range.
Photo Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition – Automobile Magazine
Automobile Magazine Volkswagen |
Collectible Classic: 1986 1/2-1988 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V Monday, 21 June 2010, 6:06 pm
The power to stick around.
Over the past thirteen years, the silver spoilered brat pictured here has confidently watched its owner acquire – and then rid himself of – a hot red Nissan, two Mazdas, a VR6-powered Volkswagen, three Mercedes-Benzes, five BMWs, and a pair of Porsches. From its heated garage spot, it has snickered at Ferraris outside braving the rain and Aston Martins fighting the cold. And it laughs so hard it pees – Mobil 1, on the floor – every time some expensive, exotic new car sits out overnight, suffering the indignity of being molested by the neighborhood cat.
Photo Gallery: 1986 1/2-1988 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V – Collectible Classic – Automobile Magazine
2009 Volkswagen Model Lineup
- 2009 Volkswagen GTI
- 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 2
- 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2009 Volkswagen Routan
- 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit
- 2009 Volkswagen R32
- 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible
- 2009 Volkswagen New Beetle
- 2009 Volkswagen EOS
- 2009 Volkswagen GLI
- 2009 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
- 2009 Volkswagen Passat
