There’s plenty of debate whether the 1908 Ford Model T or the Volkswagen Beetle had a bigger impact on the development of the automobile as a cultural icon. Both of these Everyman vehicles were produced in phenomenally high numbers and helped to shape the future of cars. The Model T left its mark with a low cost and incredible versatility, as well as a simple design that lasted for decades. The Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle stuck around even longer, in an era marked by constant changes in technology. So what set it apart?
The little car that would go on to sell over 21 million units was first imagined in 1933. In a twist of fate that surprises some people, the car was commissioned by Adolf Hitler, and designed by Ferdinand Porsche (who may have cribbed much of it from a Czechoslovakian Tatra). The car was intended to be a durable, easily-produced vehicle for the masses, and Hitler dubbed it the KdF-Wagen. The acronym stood for "Kraft durch Freude," which translates to "Strength through Joy." And then World War II happened.
Understandably, the KdF-Wagen didn’t get off the ground. After the war, however, the factory was in British hands, and they fired it up to provide transportation for British soldiers on German soil. Renamed the Volkswagen Type 1, the car joined the ranks of simple, affordable cars like the Citroen 2CV and 1957-1975 Fiat 500 as the nations of Europe got back on wheels. The first Type 1 quickly picked up the nickname "Beetle," and was first imported to the United States in 1949, but it took a few years to catch on. Only 159 were sold in 1949 and 1950. Things took off in the late 1950s, and at its height the Type 1 was selling over a million units a year.
Continue reading for my full review of this original Beetle.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/1ENHVgt
via IFTTT
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire