1. The idea for the Beetle came from Adolph Hitler, Hitler also had plans for the styling of the Volkswagen, he is reputed to have said "It should look like a Beetle, you have to look to nature to find out what streamlining is.” Hence the name Beetle. http://www.myvwsite.com/linkspage2.html
2. In Brazil the Beetle remained in production until the nineties, the production continued in Mexico until 2003. Beetles from these countries were then exported to Europe until 1985. With over 22 million cars built to date, it's the largest-production car of a single design; so one could argue that it's also the most significant motor vehicle ever produced. It has provided economical motoring to vast numbers of people. http://volkswagenbeetle.goyalive.com/
4. Who designed the Beetle? Ferdinand Porsche
5. Which engine component don't original Beetles have? Radiator
6. Where in the world did Beetles originate? Germany
7. What two countries still manufacture Beetles? Brazil and Mexico
8. Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann worked as a foreman at a Volkswagen factory in Argentina before being captured by the Mossad in 1960.
9. You can identify early Volkswagen engines by the serial number on the crankcase. To tell if your vehicle has its original engine, you can match its number against the chassis number. That number is under the Beetle's rear seat, or on the frame in front of the transmission on other models. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5513364_early-vw-engine-identification.html
10. Early VW engines were air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder power plants ranging from 1,100 to 1,600 cubic centimeters, according to Oldandsold.com.
11. Volkswagen literally means the ‘people’s car’ and it is thought that the brief that Hitler gave Porsche was that he should design and produce a car that would carry two adults and three children at a speed of 60mph with at least 33 mpg. This was the sort of thing that Porsche was looking to produce. Hitler set the price at 1000 Reich marks, the equivalent of 250 dollars in 1933 which was about the price of a motorcycle at the time. It seemed an unrealistically low price to Porsche, but nevertheless he accepted the challenge and the Volkswagen Beetle was born. http://www.helium.com/items/1762045-the-history-of-the-volkswagen-beetle
From the TV series “Mad Men” the discussion in the office about the Volkswagen ad that caused a 15 minute discussion was from this original ad found at http://www.powerwriting.com/vw-lemon-ad.html:
Volkswagen of America
(A) Doyle Dane Bernbach, New York
(Ad) Helmut Krone
(P) Wingate Paine
Circa 1960s
Ad copy
The Volkswagen missed the boat.
The chrome strip on the glove compartment is blemished and must be replaced. Chances are you wouldn't have noticed it; Inspector Kurt Kroner did.
There are 3,389 men of our Wolfsburg factory with only one job; to inspect Volkswagens at each stage of production. (3,00 Volkswagens are produced daily; there are more inspectors than cars.)
Every shock absorber is tested (spot checking won't do), every windshield is scanned. VWs have been rejected for surface scratches barely visible to the eye.
Final inspection is really something! VW inspectors run each car off the line onto the Funktionsprüfstand (car test stand), tote up 189 check points, gun ahead to the automatic brake stand and say "no" to one VW out of fifty.
This preoccupation with detail means the VW lasts longer and requires less maintenance, by and large, than other cars. (It also means a used VW depreciates less than any other car.)
We pluck the lemons; you get the plums.
This ad was particularly interesting about how it states the car is a “lemon,” but as you read through the ad it actually states that there are rigorous quality standards and requirements that the VW must meet after it has been built in order to leave the production line. My interpretation of the scene in Mad Men was that there was not much humor or sarcasm used in advertising at the time and that even though they did not care for the car, the ad was unique and funny.
