To all,

	I found this in a book i just finished. Thought it may be of interest to some.

History of the Volkswagen

5/18/37	Initial company registration under the name of �Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des 
	deutschen Volkswagens mbH� (Company for the Development of the German People�s 		
	Car).

5/26/38	Laying of foundation stone for the Volkswagen plant near Fallersleben 50 miles East of 
	Hanover.

7/1/38	The provincial authorities decide that the plant and the locality shall be known as �Stadt 
	des KdF	Wagens� (Town of the Strength-through-Joy Car).

9/16/38	The original company is renamed �Volkswagen Werk GmbH� and registered as a private limited 
	company.

1939	Construction of the first permanent living accommodation in the new township.

1940	Production is commenced of a military version of the Volkswagen.

1942	Production is commenced of the amphibian version of the military Volkswagen; a total of 
	70,000 	vehicles of both types had been produced by the end of the war.

1944	Two-thirds of the plant destroyed by daylight raids of the allied forces. By the end of the 
	year, a total of 336,000 people had entered into savings agreements to a value 	of 267 
	million Reichsmark for the purchase of people�s cars. The German Labour Organization in 
	charge of marketing the car invest these payments in a special account in the state-owned 
	financial institution �Bank of German Labour�.

4/10/45	Occupation by American troops; at this time, 17,109 people are living in the town, 
	including 8,234 German nationals. The majority of these people live in makeshift 
	accommodations.
	
5/28/45	The British Military Government appoints a new town administration and it is decided to 
	give the Volkswagen town the name of Wolfsburg. The Volkswagen Company is temporarily 
	renamed �Wolfsburg Motorenwerke� (Wolfsburg Engine Company).

	In accordance with Law No. 52, the Allied Military Government confiscates all liquid assets 
	of the 	Volkswagen plant. The Russian Military Government in Berlin confiscates the special 
	savings account in the Bank of German Labour.

6/45-	Limited production is commenced. Apart from repairs to British military vehicles, 1,785 
12/45	Volkswagens are �produced� from salvaged components and supplied exclusively to the 
	occupying armed forces and in the shape of a light delivery vehicle, to the German Post 
	Office.

1946	Total production for that year amounts to 10,020 Volkswagens.

5/47	The first 56 Volkswagens ever exported are delivered to the Netherlands. Total vehicle 
	production for that year only amounts to 8,989 Volkswagen.

1/1/48	Heinrich Nordhoff becomes head of the Volkswagen organization.

7/29/48	The registered head office of the company is moved from its original seat at Berlin to 
	Wolfsburg.

12/48	Production by the end of the year amounts to approximately 20,000 vehicles.

1/49	In January, two Beetles are shipped from Dutch ports: destination, the U.S. This is the 
	first official importation of Beetles into America.

5/13/49	Production of the 50,000th Volkswagen since the end of the war.

7/1/49	The export model of the Beetle with improved finish and interior fittings is introduced at 
	a price of 5,450 Deutsch Marks.
8/1/49	Introduction of an additional model, a four-seater Volkswagen open tourer developed in 	
	association with the coach builders Wilhelm Karmann GmbH of Osnabruck, who produce the 	
	body on a chassis supplied from Wolfsburg.

9/6/49	The Allied Military Government relinquishes control of the confiscated liquid assets of the 
	Volkswagen plant. The Russian Military Government, however, retains the confiscated savings 
	account.

10/49	Two members of the public who had contributed to the savings scheme commence legal action 
	against the company for the supply of their cars.

2/50	The first Volkswagen �Transporter�, a light truck of new design, is introduced. Production 
	is commenced on March 8th at the rate of ten vehicles per day.

3/4/50	Production of the 100,000th Volkswagen since the end of the war.

10/5/51	Production of the 250,000th Volkswagen since the end of the war.

1952	Foundation of Volkswagen Canada Ltd. as sales organization.

1953	The Volkswagen do Brasil S.A. is established as manufacturing company.

7/3/53	Production of the 500,000th Volkswagen since the end of the war.

1954	The Volkswagen Co. achieves a turnover in excess of 1,000 million Deutsch Marks for the 
	first time. From then on, a success reward is paid annually to every employee.

1955	Volkswagen of America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary company, is established at Englewood 
	Cliffs, NJ, as the marketing and servicing organization in the USA.

8/5/55	Production of the millionth Volkswagen. On this occasion, the town of Wolfsburg grants 
	honorary citizenship to Professor Nordhoff.

9/55	Introduction of the Karmann-Ghia coupe, developed jointly by the Volkswagen Company and the 
	coach builders Wilhelm Karmann GmbH of Osnabruck.

11/55	For the first time, annual average daily production exceeds 1,000 vehicles.

4/56	At a newly constructed plant at Hanover, production is commenced of the first Volkswagen 
	�Transporter� light truck.

7/56	The Volkswagen Company acquires a financial holding in the business of its South African 
	importer and establishes an assembly plant in South Africa. 

9/57	Introduction of the Karmann-Ghia drophead coupe at the Franfurt International Motor Show.

12/6/57	Australian subsidiary company Volkswagen (Australasia) Pty Ltd is established in Melbourne, 
	Australia.

1958	A new Volkswagen plant at Kassel commences production of service exchange units.

1959	Production at the Volkswagen plant at Hanover is extended to include the manufacture of all 
	Volkswagen engines, in addition to the �Transporter� light truck.

1960	The French subsidiary company Volkswagen-France is established in Paris as a marketing 	
	organization.

8/22/60	The Volkswagen Company is transformed from a private company into a public company. 40% of 
	the share capital is divided between the Federal State and the Government of Lower Saxony. 
	50% of the shares are made available to the general public.

10/60	Stiftung Volkswagen is established as a foundation to sponsor scientific and technical 
	research and training. The foundation�s initial capital is provided from the sale of 
	Volkswagen shares.

1/1/61	Volkswagen shares are traded for the first time at the German stock exchanges.

7/1/61	The first Annual General Meeting of the Volkswagen Company as a public company is attended 
	by 2,000 people and is held in one of the assembly shops at the Wolfsburg plant.

9/1/61	The new Volkswagen 1500 model goes into production as a limousine and also as a Karmann-	
	Ghia coupe.

10/61	A settlement is reached in the legal proceedings first instituted in 1949 concerning the 
	savings scheme.	

12/4/61	The five millionth Volkswagen is produced since June 1945.

12/61	The total annual production of the Volkswagen Company for the first time exceeds one 
	million.

2/62	Production is commenced of the Volkswagen �Variant� model.

6/62	the increasing demand for Volkswagens necessitates the engagement of Italian labour, for 
	whom a special housing estate id erected in Wolfsburg.

8/63	The Volkswagen 1500S is introduced as an additional model.

1963	More than half of the German automobiles exported during this year are Volkswagens. 

1964	Formation of the Mexican subsidiary Volkswagen de Mexico S.A. de CV.

10/64	The German post Office takes delivery of its 25,000th Volkswagen.

12/1/64	Production is commenced at the new Volkswagen plant at Emden, building vehicles specially 
	for the North American market.

1/65	The Volkswagen Company takes over the Auto-Union Company from Daimler-Benz.

8/65	Introduction of the additional Volkswagen 1600 TL model with fastback.

9/15/65	The ten millionth Volkswagen is produced since June 1945.

12/65	The Volkswagen Company opens a new Research and Development Center and proving ground 	
	near Wolfsburg.	

1966	The Volkswagen Company enters the car hire business y establishing the Volkswagen Leasing 
	Company.

6/66	The Volkswagen Company and Daimler-Benz jointly the Deutsche Automobilgesellschaft mbH in 
	Hanover, a company which is to concentrate on research and development projects.

8/67	Volkswagen  introduces a new range of light trucks.

4/12/68	Professor Dr. Nordhoff dies at the age of 69.

5/1/68	Dr. h.c. Kurt Lotz becomes Presiden of the Volkswagen organization. Since the middle of 
	1967, he had been acting as deputy to Professor Nordhoff.

8/68	As an additional model, the Volkswagen 411 is introduced as a two-door and four-door 
	limousine.

11/68	The fifteen millionth Volkswagen is completed since June 1945.

12/68	The Brazilian subsidiary Volkswagen do Brazil introduces the four-door �Brasilia� limousine 
	specially developed for the South American market.

	An extensive roving ground is established near the village of Ehra.

	By 12/68 the Volkswagen Foundation has supported 2,000 projects at a cost of 390 million 
	Deutsch Marks.

5/69	Construction is commenced at Salzgitter of the sixth Volkswagen plant within Germany.

7/69	The NSU Company is absorbed by Audi. In the new company Audi NSU Auto Union AG, 	
	Volkswagen have a 59.9% share.

8/69	As additional models, the Volkswagen-porsche 914 and 916 sports cars are introduced.

	The power unit of the Volkswagen 411E is equipped with electronic fuel injection.

	As an additional model, the Volkswagen 181, a multi-purpose vehicle, is introduced.

9/69	A further subsidiary known as Volkswagen-porshce Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, a joint venture 
	of the Volkswagen and Porsche companies, is established to market sports cars.

	The Volkswagen Company acquires 1/3 of the share-holding in the newly formed Swedish 	
	marketing company Svenska Volkswagen AB, Sodertalje.
	
8/70	The additional Volkswagen Beetle model 1302 S for the first time utilizes Macpherson struts 
	instead of torsion bars for the front suspension.

9/70	Production is commenced at Salzgitter of the additional Volkswagen K 70 model.