The Volkswagen Beetle was the idea of Ferdinand Porsche, who is well known for designing expensive sports cars that Americans still use today.  Porsche had been designing cars since the 1900s and one of his first was the Porsche-Lohner Chaise, seen at the right.

Ferdinand Porsche had long desired to build a "Volksauto" or "People's Car."  Then in 1933 Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany.  Adolf Hitler's idea was to build an autobahn, or highway where all of the German people could drive their very own cars.  In 1934, Hitler joined with Porsche to build the Volksauto.

In 1935, three Volkswagen prototypes were built and ready to be tested.  Flaws were discovered, so new, modified cars were made.  These thirty cars were called VW30s were to be test driven by army officers  This car had been given the name Volkswagen which translates from German, into "People's Car."

On May 26th, 1938, the corner of the Volkswagen factory was laid.  Hitler referred to the car as the Kdf- Wagen (kraft durch Freunde) or Strength Through Joy car.  A program was started to allow the German workers to buy stamps every week and place them in a savings card or "Sparkarte"  No workers ever received a car.  In September of 1939 World War II broke out.

During the Second World War few Volkswagens were produced.  The factory was mainly concentrated on military vehicles.  The Volkswagen factory was hit several time by Allied Aircrafts as you can see at the right.

By the end of the war the town simply called Kdf-stadt, had been occupied by the Americans and he British.  The town that was founded for the Volkswagen factory is known today as Wolfsburg.  The British, under the lead of a Captain Bryce, took control of the factory.

The Volkswagen factory boosted the German economy after the end of the war.  Today Volkswagen Beetles are made all over the world.