Tag: VOLKSWAGEN

The history of the Volkswagen Group began in the autumn of 1933 in a hall of the Kaiserhof Hotel in Berlin. There were three interlocutors: Adolf Hitler, Jacob Werlin from Daimler-Benz, and Ferdinand Porsche.

Hitler made a demand: to create for the German people a strong and reliable car, worth no more than 1000 Reichsmarks. Also, the car must be assembled at the new factory, embodying the new Germany.

On a piece of paper, he threw a sketch, outlined the main points of the program and asked to name the designer who will be responsible for the execution of the government order.

Jacob Verlin proposed the candidacy of Ferdinand Porsche. The future car was named “Volks-Wagen” (“national car”).
On 17 January 1934, Ferdinand Porsche sent the drawings of the prototype of the “people’s car” based on the previously developed Porsche Typ 60 to the Reich Chancellery in Germany.

In June 1934, a contract was signed between the RDA (Reichsverband der Automobilindustrie) or “German Automobile Association”, and “Dr. Ing. h.c.”. F. Porsche GmbH” (Konstruktionen und Beratungen für Motoren und Fahrzeugbau) – the company of Ferdinand Porsche, for the development of three prototypes of “national car”.

The monthly project budget amounted to 20,000 Reichsmarks with a time limit of 10 months for all developments.

The following data should be taken into account as the main characteristics: 5 seats, track width – 1200 mm, axle spacing – 2500 mm, maximum power – 26 hp, maximum speed – 3500 rpm, unloaded weight – 650 kg, the price on sale – 1550 Reichsmarks, maximum speed – 100 km / h, maximum slope – 30%, the average fuel consumption – 8 liters per 100 km.