Type 1
| Beetle | |
|---|---|
 1949 Beetle Type 11 (Export Model) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volkswagen |
| Also called | |
| Production | 1938–2003: 21,529,464 built |
| Designer | Ferdinand Porsche |
| Variants | |
| Derivatives |
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| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission |
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| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
The Beetle—officially the Type 1, is an economy car that was manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 2003.
It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche and features an air cooled rear-engine, two door coupe or cabriolet body-on-chassis design.
History
Josef Ganz's "Maikäfer" and the Standard Superior
The idea of a "people's car" can traced as far back as 1923, when a young Jewish Hungarian engineering student named Josef Ganz began sketching concepts for a "car for the masses." Ganz's design featured a mid-mounted engine, independent suspension and a streamlined body.
Being a student, Ganz did not have the funding to produce a prototype of his design, but instead began submitting articles on automotive design for various publications. Shortly after completing his studies in 1927, Ganz was hired as editor-in-chief of Klein-Motor-Sport (later renamed Motor-Kritik), where he continued to write articles promoting progressive design and the creation of a car for the average citizen.
In 1929, Josef Ganz contacted motorcycle manufacturers Zündapp, Ardie and DKW with assistance to build a prototype of his concept. The first prototype, the Ardie-Ganz, was built at Ardie in 1930 and a second one was completed at Adler in 1931, which was nicknamed the Maikäfer (‘May-Beetle').
Production of the first car based on Josef Ganz's designs and patents began in 1933. The Standard Superior, built by Standard Fahrzeugfabrik, featured a body-on-tubular chassis, 2-stroke air cooled mid-engine, and independent suspension with rear swing-axles. This car was advertised as the German "Volkswagen," or "people's car," pre-dating the incorporation of Volkswagenwerk GmbH in 1937. Superior production ceased in 1935.
Due to the antisemitic policies of the Nazi Party, Ganz's influence on the development of the Beetle was largely forgotten and has often been left out of official Volkswagen history. His contribution is still widely debated to this day.
Ferdinand Porsche's prototypes
In 1931, Zündapp requested Austrian engineer Ferdinand Porsche design and build a prototype for an "everyman's automobile." This led to the development of three prototypes (two saloons and one coupe) known as the Porsche Type 12. These prototypes features a U-channel center beam chassis, leaf spring suspension, worm-gear steering and hydraulic drum brakes. The drivetrain consisted of a Zündapp-built five-cylinder radial engine (as opposed to Porsche's preferred flat-four engine) and a combined gearbox differential transmission joined by a wet single disc clutch. The Type 12 laid the basic design foundation for what would eventually become the Beetle.
In 1932, Porsche was contacted by NSU Motorenwerke to design and build a prototype automobile. NSU wished to return to manufacturing cars after a period of exclusively building motorcycles. While Zündapp has requested use of their radial engine, NSU placed no such restrictions and gave Porsche full control of development. This resulted in the construction of three prototypes, with two different body styles, called the Type 32. These prototypes featured the rear air-cooled flat-four engine, central tube frame, front axle, rear swing axle and torsion bar suspension that would become quite familiar to Volkswagen owners in the subsequent decades.
Adolf Hitler
In 1924, a young Adolf Hitler spent nine months in Landsberg Prison as a result of his Nazi Party's failed coup the year prior. While serving his sentence, Hitler read several books about Henry Ford's development of mass production techniques. Hitler showed great interest in automobiles, despite never having learned to drive. The future chancellor came to admire Ford and made it among his political ambitions to bring affordable transportation to the people of Germany in the same manner which Ford had done in the United States.
Upon Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the German auto industry was limited to luxury models, which few Germans could afford. Only one German out of 50 owned a car. The newly appointed chancellor began to form plans to utilize state resources to develop an affordable automobile. At the 1933 Berlin Auto Show, he viewed a presentation of the Standard Superior by Josef Ganz. Hitler was quite impressed with the revolutionary design and low price of the Superior. Ganz, however, was arrested by the Gestapo shortly thereafter on falsified charges of blackmailing the German automotive industry. Ganz was eventually released and quickly fled Germany.
In May 1934, at a meeting at Berlin's Kaiserhof Hotel, Hitler outlined his request for a basic vehicle that could transport two adults and three children at 100 km/h while not using more than 7 litres of fuel per 100 km. The engine had to be powerful enough for sustained cruising on Germany's Autobahn, which was under construction at the time. Parts needed to be widely available and quickly and affordably exchanged. The engine had to be air-cooled to avoid radiators freezing during the winter months. It's platform must be easily adapted to a variety of uses, including military applications. This "People's Car" was to be made available to citizens of Germany through a stamp booklet savings plan, for under 1000 Reichsmarks. (At the time, the average weekly income was around 32 Reichsmarks.)
By June 1934, Hitler had assigned the task of development to Ferdinand Porsche. A design team was quickly assembled which included future Porsche designers Erwin Komenda and Karl Rabe. By October 1935, two prototypes known as, a sedan (V1) and convertible (V2), were complete and ready for testing. By 1936, three more prototypes (V3) were finished. These cars were designated Type 60 and built by hand in Porsche's Stuttgart workshop.
Hitler was impressed with the V3 prototype at the Berlin Auto Show and immediately ordered that it enter production. The Reichsverband der Deutsche Automobilindustrie, a special interest group representing German automakers, immediately pushed back against further development, seeing the low cost of the car as a threat to their business. This in turn caused Hitler to declare the project a wholly state-run enterprise of the national labor union, Deutsche Arbeitsfront.
A further thirty development models, known as V30, were produced for Porsche by Daimler-Benz. These vehicles underwent demanding tests through a variety of terrain and environmental conditions. Overall, these cars were subjected to a combined 1.8 million miles over the course of 1937. Though lacking a rear window, all V30s shared the distinctive round shape and the air-cooled, rear-mounted engine of final production models.
The final design added a split rear windshield. In 1938, 44 pre-production models known as the VW38 were built by hand in Stuttgart. The very first convertible model from this batch (chassis 38/31) was presented to Hitler as a gift. Fifty more cars followed in 1939 (VW39), and though still hand-built, some parts utilized the new stamping dies built for production.
The KdF Wagen and a new factory
By 1937, it was decided that a new factory was needed for production of the "people's car." Land was seized in Northern Germany, along the banks of the Mitteland Canal in the village of Fallersleben. Construction of the new factory began in February 1938.
On May 26, 1938, a cornerstone-laying ceremony was held at the site of the new factory with typical Nazi-party fanfare and propaganda photo-ops. In the speech given by Adolph Hitler, he announced the new automobile to be built on the site will be named "Kraft-durch-Freude-Wagen" ("Strength Through Joy Car," abbreviated to KdF-Wagen) after the leisure organization operated by Deutsche Arbeitsfront. He also outlined his plan for construction of a grand factory city known as "Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben" ("City of the Strength Through Joy car at Fallersleben") to be built on the southern side of the canal.
Production of the KdF Wagen was scheduled to begin in the Autumn of 1939. Nazi propaganda claimed the new factory was expected to produce 500,000 vehicles per year, all for the benefit of the German people. However, only about 200 vehicles were produced prior to the outbreak of war. Most of these early production vehicles were given to Nazi Party officials and few, if any, citizens received their car through the stamp-booklet savings plan.
Wartime production
On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, signaling the start of World War II.
Almost immediately, the factory at KdF-Stadt shifted to wartime production. The primary vehicles produced during this time were the Porsche-designed Type 82 Kübelwagen and Type 166 Schwimmwagen. A handful of light vehicles based on the KdF-Wagen were constructed, such as the Type 82E Kommandeurswagen. The manufacturing resources of the factory were also used to produce other military equipment including stoves, aircraft parts and assemblies for the V1 flying bomb. A very limited number of civilian KdF-Wagens were built during the war, which were primarily handed to high-ranking Nazi Party members.
Production at KdF-Stadt was halted in 1944 after the factory sustained significant damage due to Allied bombing. Much of the critical equipment was moved into bunkers, with expectation that production would resume after hostilities ceased.
Due to gasoline shortages in the late stages of the war, a small number of vehicles were converted to utilize wood-burning gas generators. These became known as "Holzbrenner" Beetles.
In early 1945, the tide of war had turned. American troops were advancing deeper into Germany and over two thirds of the factory lay in ruin. Some workers, many of whom were foreign forced laborers, began destroying as much as they could of what was left.
Allied occupation
KdF-Stadt was captured by US troops on April 11, 1945. Over 7,700 forced laborers were liberated from the factory. On May 25, 1945, the city was renamed Wolfsburg, after the nearby Wolfsburg Castle. The Americans occupied Wolfsburg until June 1945, at which time it became part of the British Occupation Zone.
The British intended to dismantle the factory and ship all useable assets to Britain under the Morgenthau Plan. However, no British automaker was interested, claiming the Nazi-built vehicle was "too ugly and too noisy."
Responsibility for the city and the factory then fell to a division of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers commanded by Major Ivan Hirst. At the time, the bombed-out factory was being utilized as a repair shop for Allied military and transport vehicles. Hirst soon discovered that much of the original tooling and parts remained undamaged. His team assembled a few complete vehicles from existing parts and saw the potential in the quirky little car. Realizing that occupation forces required a cheap and reliable form of transportation during Germany's reconstruction, Hirst saw an opportunity. The car was presented to the British Military, who promptly placed an order for 20,000 vehicles. Two weeks later, the order was doubled to 40,000.
Hirst quickly grew the workforce from the remaining 450 post-war workers to over 6,500 employees. At this time, the car reverted to it's original name, "Volkswagen" (People's Car) and the model was designated the "Type 1." The first production Type 1 rolled off the assembly line on December 27, 1945. By March 1946, the Wolfsburg plant was producing 1,000 cars per month, painted army green for the British military.
