Since its beginning in 1933, Volkswagen's history has been long and storied. As a company, it began with the idea of a 'people's car.' With Hitler's rise to power in Germany through the Nazi regime, that idea came to fruition. In a meeting with Ferdinand Porsche and representatives of the Daimler-Benz Corporation, Hitler demanded they create a strong, reliable, and affordable car for the German people to buy. And that's what Ferdinand Porsche aimed to do.
Beginning with the 'beetle,' as many liked to call it, Porsche continued on designing new and improved automobiles for the German military and citizenry. This continued on for several years, with a Volkswagen factory opening in Wolfsburg as a result. After the end of the Second World War, the company fell under British control during their occupation of Wolfsburg. In 1945, the British authorities put in an order for 20,000 cars to the factory. From then on, Volkswagen was on its way to mass production.
Two years later, in 1947, Volkswagen was exhibited at an export fair in Hanover, after which they began taking on foreign orders. The next year, with changes in leadership, Volkswagen continued to modernize its automotive technology, bringing new engineers, ideas, and innovations.
In 1949, as a result of the continued need for domestic vehicles that came along with Germany's economic come-back, the company "Volkswagen-Finanzierungs-Gesellschaft GmbH" was formed. Their goal was to increase car sales to the German people. Car cabins got bigger and more comfortable, and vehicle servicing points helped the car service industry develop along with it. That same year, the Volkswagen factory was transferred to the Federal Republic of Germany and continued to crank out new and improved German vehicles.
Through the 1950s, Volkswagen's production had cleared half a million cars and became a staple in Germany. In 1965, Volkswagen AG acquired the Audi company from Daimler-Benz, becoming the Volkswagen-Audi Group. Later, it would include the Spanish company SEAT, as well as the Czech factory Skoda. Nowadays, Audi AG is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and is given complete independence as a company.
Over the next 30 years, Volkswagen continued to innovate and create a variety of new car models, from larger vehicles to smaller, faster, and more compact models. Due to consistently high sales and financial success, Volkswagen now turned to the niche market and acquired the famous Porsche brand. The real turning point in recent history was in 1998, when three luxury brands of premium cars, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti, all came under Volkswagen's control, boosting not only their sales but also their reputation considerably.
Having all these car companies under the same control has given Volkswagen massive success up to the present day. The Volkswagen Group has become the world's largest car dealer, pushing Toyota into second place. Volkswagen continues to sell millions of its cars and invests in new products, designs, technologies, and advanced automobile systems.
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