VW’s triumphs and tribulations

Despite falling sales in U.S.,

1972:

Beetle breaks world car production

record set by

15,007,034 units built worldwide

with

Ford Model T

VW introduces new models

1974:

including

firm from potential

bankruptcy

credited with saving

Golf,

New Chancellor of Germany,

1933:

calls for a people’s car –

Adolf Hitler,

“volkswagen” – that average family

can afford

German government founds

1937:

VW buys

1990s:

Bentley, Bugatti,

state-owned

Volkswagenwerk

Skoda

and

Lamborghini, Seat

Designed

1939:

New CEO

1993:

Ferdinand Piech

by

Ferdinand

poaches

from

Jose Ignacio Lopez

first cars

Porsche,

General Motors. Law suits follow

amid claims of industrial espionage

roll off production

line in modern-day

Wolfsburg

After

1945-46:

World War II, heavily

bombed factory restarts production.

British Army buys 20,000 vehicles.

Company renamed

launched

1998:

New Beetle

Volkswagen

After nearly 70 years

Jul 2003:

Volkswagen exports its first

1949:

of production last of 21,529,464

Beetles rolls off line in Mexico

cars to North America

Iconic

1950:

VW buys 49.9% stake in

2009:

VW Microbus

for €3.9 billion

Porsche

camper van

debuts. Factories

opened in

Australia, Britain,

Brazil and South Africa

VW buys remaining half

2012:

of Porsche’s car-making operations

2014:

VW makes

one in nine vehicles

in world and employs

592,000 people.

Annual revenue hits

record €202.5 billion

Advertising

1959:

agency

Doyle Dane

launches

Bernbach

landmark

Beetle

VW admits cheating

Sep 2015:

advertising campaign

U.S. diesel emissions tests – agrees

to recall 11 million diesel vehicles

VW buys

1960s:

Disney’s first

Audi.

Shares tumble as emission

Nov:

Herbie film,

The Love

problems spread to petrol cars

released

Bug,

Pictures: Associated Press, German Federal Archive, Getty Images, VW

© GRAPHIC NEWS

VW’s triumphs

and tribulations

New Chancellor of Germany,

1933:

Adolf Hitler,

calls for a people’s car – “volkswagen” – that

average family can afford

German government founds

1937:

state-owned

Volkswagenwerk

Designed by

1939:

Ferdinand

first cars roll off production

Porsche,

line in modern-day Wolfsburg

Ferdinand Porsche and 1937 VW-30 prototype.

Note rear-hinged doors, lack of rear window, and

louvres required by rear-mounted, air-cooled engine

After World War II, heavily bombed

1945-46:

factory restarts production. British Army buys 20,000

vehicles. Company renamed

Volkswagen

Volkswagen exports its first cars to U.S.

1949:

Iconic

1950:

VW Microbus

camper van

debuts. Factories

opened in

Australia, Britain,

Brazil and

South Africa

Advertising

1959:

agency

Doyle Dane

launches

Bernbach

landmark

advertising campaign

Beetle

1960s:

VW buys

Audi.

Disney’s first

Herbie film,

The Love

Bug,

released

Despite falling sales in U.S., Beetle

1972:

breaks world car production record set by

with 15,007,034 units built

Ford Model T

worldwide

VW introduces new models including

1974:

Golf,

credited with saving

firm from potential

bankruptcy

VW buys

1990s:

Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini,

and

Seat

Skoda

New CEO

1993:

poaches

Ferdinand Piech

Jose Ignacio Lopez

from

General Motors. Law suits

follow amid claims of

industrial espionage

launched

1998:

New Beetle

After nearly 70 years of production

Jul 2003:

last of 21,529,464 Beetles rolls off line in Mexico

2007:

Martin Winterkorn

appointed CEO. He introduces

MQB – Modularer

Querbaukasten – standardised,

interchangeable engines and

transmissions from which to

build variety of cars

VW buys 49.9% stake in

2009:

for €3.9 billion

Porsche

VW buys remaining half of

2012:

Porsche’s car-making operations

VW makes one in nine

2014:

vehicles in world and employs 592,000 people.

Annual revenue hits record €202.5 billion

VW admits cheating

Sep 2015:

U.S. diesel emissions tests –

agrees to recall 11 million

diesel vehicles.

Winterkorn resigns.

Matthias Mueller,

62-year-old Porsche

chief, named CEO

in bid to recover

from scandal

Shares tumble

Nov:

€23 billion

as emission problems

spread to petrol cars.

Volkswagen’s shares have plunged by nearly

30% since scandal broke in September, wiping

€23 billion off company’s market capitalisation

Pictures: Associated Press, German

Federal Archive, Getty Images, Volkswagen

© GRAPHIC NEWS

VW’s triumphs

and tribulations

New Chancellor of

1933:

Germany,

calls for

Adolf Hitler,

a people’s car – “volkswagen” –

that average family can afford

German

1937:

government founds

state-owned

Volkswagenwerk

Designed by

1939:

first cars

Ferdinand Porsche,

roll off production line in

modern-day Wolfsburg

Ferdinand Porsche

and 1937 VW-30

prototype.

Note rear-hinged

doors, lack of rear

window, and louvres

required by rear-mounted,

air-cooled engine

After World War II,

1945-46:

heavily bombed factory restarts

production. British Army buys

20,000 vehicles. Company

renamed

Volkswagen

Volkswagen exports

1949:

its first cars to U.S.

Iconic

1950:

VW Microbus

camper van debuts. Factories

opened in

Australia,

Britain,

Brazil

and South

Africa

Advertising agency

1959:

Doyle Dane Bernbach

launches landmark

advertising campaign

Beetle

1960s:

VW buys

Audi.

Disney’s first

Herbie film,

The Love Bug,

released

Despite falling sales in

1972:

U.S., Beetle breaks world car

production record set by

with 15,007,034

Ford Model T

units built worldwide

VW introduces new

1974:

models including

credited with saving

firm from potential

bankruptcy

Golf,

VW buys

1990s:

Bentley, Bugatti,

Lamborghini,

Seat

and

Skoda

New CEO

1993:

Ferdinand Piech

poaches

Jose

from

Ignacio Lopez

General Motors.

Law suits follow

amid claims of

industrial espionage

launched

1998:

New Beetle

After nearly 70 years

Jul 2003:

of production last of 21,529,464

Beetles rolls off line in Mexico

2007:

Martin

Winterkorn

appointed

CEO. He

introduces

MQB –

Modularer

Querbaukasten –

standardised, interchangeable

engines and transmissions

from which to build variety of cars

VW buys

2009:

49.9% stake in

for

Porsche

€3.9 billion

VW buys

2012:

remaining half of Porsche’s

car-making operations

VW makes one in nine

2014:

vehicles in world and employs

592,000 people. Annual revenue

hits record €202.5 billion

VW admits cheating

Sep 2015:

U.S. diesel emissions tests –

agrees to recall 11 million

diesel vehicles. Winterkorn

resigns.

Matthias Mueller,

62-year-old Porsche

chief, named CEO

in bid to recover

from scandal

€23bn

Shares tumble as

Nov:

emission problems spread to

petrol cars. Volkswagen’s shares

have plunged by nearly 30%

since scandal broke in

September, wiping €23 billion off

company’s market capitalisation

Pictures: Associated Press, German

Federal Archive, Getty Images, Volkswagen

© GRAPHIC NEWS