Discover the amazing feeling of driving a Volkswagen car


Volkswagen 90s cars

Volkswagen AG, or VW, is an automobileversion of the Golf was badged Vento in
manufacturer based in Wolfsburg,Europe (but remained Jetta in the USA,
Germany. It forms the core of Volkswagenwhere its popularity outstripped the
Group, one of the world's four largestGolf).
car producers.The fourth incarnation of the Golf
The name means "people's car" in German,arrived in Europe in late 1997, (and in
in which it is pronounced . Its GermanNorth America in 1999), its chassis
tagline is "Aus Liebe zum Automobil",spawned a host of other cars within the
which is translated as "For the love ofVolkswagen group—the Volkswagen Bora
the car" - or, "For Love of the People's(the sedan, still called Jetta in the
Cars," as translated by VW in otherUSA), VW New Beetle, SEAT Toledo, SEAT
languages.León, Audi A3, Audi TT and Skoda
Though the origins of the company dateOctavia. However, it was beaten into
back to the 1930s, the design for thethird place for the 1998 European Car of
car that would become known as thethe Year award by the winning Alfa Romeo
Beetle / "Käfer" date back even156 and runner-up Audi A6. The current
further, as a pet project by carVolkswagen Golf was launched in late
designer Ferdinand Porsche2004, came runner-up to the Fiat Panda
(1875–1951). Adolf Hitler's desirein the 2004 European Car of the Year,
that almost anybody should be able toand has so far spawned the new
afford a car coincided with thisgeneration SEAT Toledo, Skoda Octavia
design—although much of this designand Audi A3 hatchback ranges as well as
was inspired by the advanced Tatra carsa new mini-MPV, the Seat Altea. The
of Hans Ledwinka.fifth-generation Golf was introduced in
Hitler, who had a keen interest in carsEurope in late 2003, and the GTI boasts
even though he didn't drive, demandeda 2.0 L Turbocharged direct injection
Porsche make changes to the originalengine. The fifth-generation Golf, now
design to make it more suited for thewith the Rabbit name once again, went on
working man. According to the historiansale in the U.S. and Canada in June
Richard Evans, Hitler personally2006. (The GTI version arrived in North
designed the distinctive rounded shapeAmerica four months earlier.) Volkswagen
of the car he desired Porsche to build.of America believes that returning to
Changes included better fuel efficiency,the Rabbit nameplate will help the
reliability, ease of use, andGolf's sales in these two countries. The
economically efficient repairs andfifth-generation Jetta, and the
parts. The intention was that ordinaryperformance version, the GLI, are also
Germans would buy the car by means of aavailable in the United States and
savings scheme ("Fünf Mark die WocheCanada.
musst Du sparen, willst Du im eigenenThe other main models have been the
Wagen fahren" — "Save five Marks aPolo, a smaller car than the Golf, and
week, if you desire to drive your ownthe larger Passat for the segment above
car") which around 336,000 peoplethe Golf. As of 2006, there have been
eventually paid into. Volkswagen honoredfour incarnations of the Polo: Mk 1
its savings agreements after World War(1976), Mk 2 (1981, facelifted 1990), Mk
II; Ford, which had a similar "coupon"3 (1994, facelifted 1999) and the
savings system, reportedly did not.current Mk 4 (2002, facelifted 2005).
Prototypes of the car called theThe Scirocco and Corrado were both
"Kdf-Wagen" (German: Kraft durch FreudeGolf-based coupés.
= "strength through joy"), appeared fromBy the early nineties, Volkswagen's
1936 onwards (the first cars had beensales in the United States were below
produced in Stuttgart). The car already100,000, and many car buyers found the
had its distinctive round shape andcompany's products to be lacking in
air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mountedvalue. Some automotive journalists
engine, features similar to the Tatra.believed that Volkswagen would have to
The VW car was just one of many KdFquit the North American market
programs which included things such asaltogether. VW eventually realized that
tours and outings.the Beetle was the heart and soul of the
Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Porschebrand in North America, and the firm
chief designer, developed the car bodyquickly set about creating a new Beetle
of the prototype, which was recognizablyfor American and Canadian showrooms.
the Beetle we know today. It was one ofIn 1994, Volkswagen unveiled the J
the first to be designed with the aid ofMays-designed Concept One, a
a wind tunnel; unlike the Chrysler"retro"-themed car with a resemblance to
Airflow, it would be a success.the original Beetle but based on the
The new factory in the new town ofPolo chassis. Its genesis was secret and
KdF-Stadt, now called Wolfsburg,in opposition to VW management, who felt
purpose-built for the factory workers,it was too backward-looking. Management
only produced a handful of cars by thecould not deny the positive public
time war started in 1939. None wereresponse to the concept car and gave the
actually delivered to holders of thegreen-light to its development as the
completed saving stamp books, though oneNew Beetle. The production car would be
Type 1 Cabriolet was presented to Hitlerbased on the Golf rather than the Polo,
on his fiftieth birthday, in 1938.because the Polo chassis was too small
War meant production changed to militaryfor the car to pass crash test standards
vehicles, the Type 81 Kübelwagenin the U.S. It has been quite popular in
utility vehicle (VW's most commonthe North America, less so in Europe.
wartime model) and the amphibiousVolkswagen's fortunes in North America
Schwimmwagen.improved once the third-genration Golf
In 1991, Volkswagen launched theand Jetta models became available there.
third-generation Golf, garnering theSharp advertising and savvy promotional
European Car of the Year for 1992 (thestunts, like including Trek bicycles and
previous two generations were nominatedaccompanying bike racks with a limited
but lost to the Citroën CX in 1975 andediiton of the 1996 Jetta sedan, were
the Fiat Uno in 1984). (The Mark 3 Golfcredited for the firm's recovery in the
and Jetta debuted in North America justU.S. and Canada, but the introductions
before the start of 1994 model year,of the New Beetle and the
first appearing in southern Californiafifth-generation Passat were a major
in the late spring of 1993.) The sedanboost to the brand.



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