Ferdinand Porsche and the Volkswagen

The development of the Volkswagen Beetle was a central achievement in the early history of the Porsche Company. In January 1934, Ferdinand Porsche wrote an “exposé regarding the construction of a German people's car” that would have a lasting effect on automotive history. The inexpensive compact automobile would become a symbol and icon of mass motorization. An enduring popular favorite, it was also a leader in terms of production duration and quantity, and was discontinued in July 2003 when the last Volkswagen left the assembly line in Mexico. With 21.5 million cars manufactured, the VW Beetle is easily one of the most commonly built automobiles in the world. This book incorporates a comprehensive account of the history of the Beetle's development, including largely unpublished pictorial and documentary material from the holdings of the Porsche archive, while an up-to-date final chapter discusses the subsequent cooperation between Porsche and Volkswagen.