| Volkswagen AG, or VW, is an automobile
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| | Europe (but remained Jetta in the USA,
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| manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Germany.
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| | where its popularity outstripped the
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| It forms the core of Volkswagen Group,
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| | Golf).
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| one of the world's four largest car
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| | The fourth incarnation of the Golf
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| producers.
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| | arrived in Europe in late 1997, (and in
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| The name means "people's car" in German,
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| | North America in 1999), its chassis
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| in which it is pronounced . Its German
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| | spawned a host of other cars within the
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| tagline is "Aus Liebe zum Automobil",
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| | Volkswagen group—the Volkswagen Bora
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| which is translated as "For the love of
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| | (the sedan, still called Jetta in the
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| the car" - or, "For Love of the People's
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| | USA), VW New Beetle, SEAT Toledo, SEAT
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| Cars," as translated by VW in other
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| | León, Audi A3, Audi TT and Skoda
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| languages.
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| | Octavia. However, it was beaten into
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| Though the origins of the company date
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| | third place for the 1998 European Car of
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| back to the 1930s, the design for the car
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| | the Year award by the winning Alfa Romeo
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| that would become known as the Beetle /
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| | 156 and runner-up Audi A6. The current
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| "Käfer" date back even further, as a pet
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| | Volkswagen Golf was launched in late
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| project by car designer Ferdinand Porsche
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| | 2004, came runner-up to the Fiat Panda in
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| (1875–1951). Adolf Hitler's desire that
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| | the 2004 European Car of the Year, and
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| almost anybody should be able to afford a
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| | has so far spawned the new generation
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| car coincided with this design—although
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| | SEAT Toledo, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3
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| much of this design was inspired by the
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| | hatchback ranges as well as a new
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| advanced Tatra cars of Hans Ledwinka.
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| | mini-MPV, the Seat Altea. The
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| Hitler, who had a keen interest in cars
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| | fifth-generation Golf was introduced in
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| even though he didn't drive, demanded
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| | Europe in late 2003, and the GTI boasts a
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| Porsche make changes to the original
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| | 2.0 L Turbocharged direct injection
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| design to make it more suited for the
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| | engine. The fifth-generation Golf, now
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| working man. According to the historian
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| | with the Rabbit name once again, went on
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| Richard Evans, Hitler personally designed
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| | sale in the U.S. and Canada in June 2006.
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| the distinctive rounded shape of the car
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| | (The GTI version arrived in North America
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| he desired Porsche to build. Changes
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| | four months earlier.) Volkswagen of
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| included better fuel efficiency,
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| | America believes that returning to the
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| reliability, ease of use, and
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| | Rabbit nameplate will help the Golf's
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| economically efficient repairs and parts.
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| | sales in these two countries. The
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| The intention was that ordinary Germans
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| | fifth-generation Jetta, and the
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| would buy the car by means of a savings
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| | performance version, the GLI, are also
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| scheme ("Fünf Mark die Woche musst Du
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| | available in the United States and
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| sparen, willst Du im eigenen Wagen
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| | Canada.
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| fahren" — "Save five Marks a week, if
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| | The other main models have been the Polo,
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| you desire to drive your own car") which
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| | a smaller car than the Golf, and the
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| around 336,000 people eventually paid
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| | larger Passat for the segment above the
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| into. Volkswagen honored its savings
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| | Golf. As of 2006, there have been four
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| agreements after World War II; Ford,
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| | incarnations of the Polo: Mk 1 (1976), Mk
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| which had a similar "coupon" savings
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| | 2 (1981, facelifted 1990), Mk 3 (1994,
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| system, reportedly did not. Prototypes of
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| | facelifted 1999) and the current Mk 4
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| the car called the "Kdf-Wagen" (German:
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| | (2002, facelifted 2005). The Scirocco and
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| Kraft durch Freude = "strength through
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| | Corrado were both Golf-based coupés.
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| joy"), appeared from 1936 onwards (the
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| | By the early nineties, Volkswagen's sales
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| first cars had been produced in
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| | in the United States were below 100,000,
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| Stuttgart). The car already had its
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| | and many car buyers found the company's
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| distinctive round shape and air-cooled,
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| | products to be lacking in value. Some
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| flat-four, rear-mounted engine, features
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| | automotive journalists believed that
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| similar to the Tatra. The VW car was just
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| | Volkswagen would have to quit the North
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| one of many KdF programs which included
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| | American market altogether. VW eventually
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| things such as tours and outings.
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| | realized that the Beetle was the heart
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| Erwin Komenda, the longstanding Porsche
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| | and soul of the brand in North America,
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| chief designer, developed the car body of
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| | and the firm quickly set about creating a
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| the prototype, which was recognizably the
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| | new Beetle for American and Canadian
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| Beetle we know today. It was one of the
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| | showrooms.
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| first to be designed with the aid of a
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| | In 1994, Volkswagen unveiled the J
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| wind tunnel; unlike the Chrysler Airflow,
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| | Mays-designed Concept One, a
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| it would be a success.
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| | "retro"-themed car with a resemblance to
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| The new factory in the new town of
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| | the original Beetle but based on the Polo
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| KdF-Stadt, now called Wolfsburg,
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| | chassis. Its genesis was secret and in
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| purpose-built for the factory workers,
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| | opposition to VW management, who felt it
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| only produced a handful of cars by the
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| | was too backward-looking. Management
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| time war started in 1939. None were
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| | could not deny the positive public
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| actually delivered to holders of the
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| | response to the concept car and gave the
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| completed saving stamp books, though one
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| | green-light to its development as the New
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| Type 1 Cabriolet was presented to Hitler
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| | Beetle. The production car would be based
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| on his fiftieth birthday, in 1938.
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| | on the Golf rather than the Polo, because
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| War meant production changed to military
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| | the Polo chassis was too small for the
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| vehicles, the Type 81 Kübelwagen utility
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| | car to pass crash test standards in the
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| vehicle (VW's most common wartime model)
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| | U.S. It has been quite popular in the
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| and the amphibious Schwimmwagen.
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| | North America, less so in Europe.
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| In 1991, Volkswagen launched the
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| | Volkswagen's fortunes in North America
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| third-generation Golf, garnering the
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| | improved once the third-genration Golf
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| European Car of the Year for 1992 (the
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| | and Jetta models became available there.
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| previous two generations were nominated
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| | Sharp advertising and savvy promotional
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| but lost to the Citroën CX in 1975 and
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| | stunts, like including Trek bicycles and
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| the Fiat Uno in 1984). (The Mark 3 Golf
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| | accompanying bike racks with a limited
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| and Jetta debuted in North America just
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| | ediiton of the 1996 Jetta sedan, were
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| before the start of 1994 model year,
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| | credited for the firm's recovery in the
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| first appearing in southern California in
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| | U.S. and Canada, but the introductions of
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| the late spring of 1993.) The sedan
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| | the New Beetle and the fifth-generation
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| version of the Golf was badged Vento in
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| | Passat were a major boost to the brand.
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