Volkswagen Type 1

Designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s, the Volkswagen, “the people’s car”, was commissioned by the Nazi regime to put German families on wheels. But the war halted the project, and almost no private buyer ever received the promised car.

After 1945, the partly destroyed Wolfsburg factory was restarted at the instigation of a British officer, Major Ivan Hirst. The Type 1 was then reborn as a simple, tough and economical car. Its rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-four feared neither frost nor overheating, and its rounded silhouette became instantly recognisable. In the United States, a now-famous advertising campaign made it a cult car.

In 1972, the Beetle overtook the Model T’s production record. Production continued in Mexico until 2003, for a total of more than 21.5 million. From camper vans to beach buggies, it gave rise to a whole culture.