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08/03/15
Wolfsburg
Models

Sixty years ago: Volkswagen cracks the threshold of the first million

Sixty years ago: Volkswagen cracks the threshold of the first million
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  • Millionth Volkswagen rolled off the assembly lines on 5 August 1955.
  • Back then only Beetle, Beetle Cabriolet and Transporter in the model range

The first million Volkswagen vehicles were reported ten years after the end of the war. Back then, a respectable record. But Volkswagen was already to celebrate ten million vehicles in 1963. An incomparable success story had started.

When the record of one million vehicles was achieved on 5 August 1955, Volkswagen celebrated a huge party. The Beetle (in the meantime known as the "Ovali" model) and the Transporter, still constructed in Wolfsburg back then, comprised the model range. Additionally, the Beetle convertible, manufactured at Karmann. The star of the anniversary celebration at the works stadium was a golden 30 PS Beetle, gemmed with rhinestones on the chrome parts and the typical oval-shaped rear windscreen. Thousands of employees and their guests celebrated and enjoyed a show with presentations from all export countries.

Only a few people believed in such success back at the end of 1945 when production started. However, there were sufficient visionaries amongst the workers and managers who gave their all for "their" product. It took ten years to crack the first million – of which the majority was the Beetle (Type 1) and its convertible spin-off and the remainder the Transporter (Type 2). This was augmented by the Karmann-Ghia at the end of 1955 and the "Large Beetle" 1500 (Type 3) followed suit in 1961. In the meantime, export was in full swing, with long delivery times for the Beetle. As a consequence, production was boosted and the tenth million already achieved in 1963.

Between 1973 and 1975, the Beetle and its derivates were superseded with the modern, front-wheel drive vehicles Polo, Golf, Scirocco and Passat. The success story continued with an ever-expanding range of models. Today, Volkswagen has a global standing – the overall number of vehicles produced by the Group lies in excess of 200 million.

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The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Starting on September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) will be replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit www.volkswagen.de/wltp.

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such time as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de.