Take A Look Back At The First 70 Years Of VW In America

A Look Back At The First 70 Years Of VW

Volkswagen was founded in 1937, but it wasn't until 1949 that the first examples arrived in the U.S. thanks to Dutch businessman Ben Pon who had privately imported two 1949 Beetles to New York. Although It would be another six years before Volkswagen of America officially sold cars here, VW used the 2019 L.A. Auto Show to celebrate its 70th anniversary in North America. From its basic beginnings with the Beetle and Type 2 Bus through sportier offerings in the '70s and '80s, here's a look at some of the more important vehicles from VW's first 70 years as well as some of the modern vehicles they have gone onto inspire.

A Look Back At The First 70 Years Of VW

Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Type 1 was first introduced in 1938, but it wasn't until 1949 that these cars – affectionately known as the Beetle – became the first Volkswagens in America. VW says that the one shown here is "nearly identical" to the Beetles Ben Pon imported. While U.S. sales of the Beetle halted in 1979, these iconic cars remained in production globally until 2003. By the time the last original Beetle rolled off the assembly line, almost 22 million of these cars had been sold worldwide over the incredible 65-year production run.

Evolution of the Volkswagen Beetle

The overall design of the Beetle didn't change too much from 1949 until the final Super Beetle Convertible was sold in the U.S. in 1979. It would be almost 20 more years before the 1998 New Beetle went into production with a similar shape as the original, and the third-gen Beetle was introduced for the 2012 model year. This year marked the end of the line for the Beetle, which was celebrated by the 2019 Beetle Final Edition, and it is the first time since World War II that VW didn't produce the Beetle.

Volkswagen Type 2 Bus

Another milestone for VW in 1949 was the introduction of the Volkswagen Type 2 van. These were based off the same rear-engine platform as the Beetle, and they became almost as much of an icon too. Like the Beetle, the Type 2 ended sales in the U.S. in 1979, but VW kept producing the Kombi in Brazil until 2013. Shown here is a 1954 Volkswagen Type 2 cargo van.

Evolution of Volkswagen People Movers

The Volkswagen Type 2 was VW's original people mover, and this has evolved through the current version, which is called the Transporter. While VW has killed off its minivan here in the U.S., the three-row Atlas now fills the role as the brand's family friendly vehicle. The 2019 Atlas is shown here with the highly collectible 1967 Volkswagen 21-Window Bus, and in the future, VW has plans to introduce an electric van with retro styling to look similar to the Type 2.

Volkswagen Squareback

The Volkswagen Type 3 was developed as a small car with more practicality than the Beetle. The station wagon version was called the Squareback, which was designed to still haul a family and cargo but carried over the Beetle's rear-engine design.

Evolution of Volkswagen's compact utility vehicles

The Squareback was VW's original compact family hauler, and this segment lives on today with models like the Golf Alltrack station wagon and Tiguan crossover.

Volkswagen Dasher

Looking to go after more of a premium segment than the Beetle, Volkswagen introduced the Dasher in 1974. This car was available in sedan, hatchback and wagon, and it was known as the Passat in Europe. The Passat name wasn't sold in the U.S. until 1989.

Evolution of the Volkswagen Passat

Following the introduction of the Volkswagen Dasher in 1974 and its 1981 successor, called the Quantum in the U.S., the Passat name was finally introduced for the American market in 1989. Today, this mid-size sedan is produced in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Volkswagen just introduced the redesigned 2020 Passat (shown here alongside the 1977 Dasher).

Volkswagen Jetta Mk1

Created as a sedan version of the Golf/Rabbit, the Jetta was introduced in the U.S. for the 1980 model year, and today this sedan is in its seventh generation. Shown here is a 1982 Volkswagen Jetta Mk1.

Evolution of the Volkswagen Jetta

There have been seven generations of the Jetta since the compact sedan debuted back in 1980. While the current Volkswagen Jetta is still based on the Golf, the sedan and hatchback no longer have similar styling as they did previously. The 1982 Jetta Mk1 is shown here with the latest 2019 Jetta Mk7.

Volkswagen GTI

Volkswagen created the hot hatch segment in 1975 with the introduction of the GTI. This was a sportier version of the Volkswagen Golf, and it's still an impressive halo vehicle for the VW lineup.

Evolution of the Volkswagen GTI

The original GTI defined the hot hatch segment with its 90 horsepower engine and five-speed manual transmission. Today, the GTI lives on with a much more power 228 horsepower engine, but if that's not good enough, the Golf R delivers 288 hp! Shown here is the 2019 GTI Rabbit Edition.

Karmann Ghia

Built by German coachbuilder Karmann, the Karmann Ghia gave the Volkswagen lineup a sporty model that used the same components as a regular Beetle. The Karmann Ghia was sold in the U.S. from 1955 until 1974.

Volkswagen Thing

Originally designed as a military vehicle for European nations, the Type 181 was an off-road friendly model. For the North American markets, this uniquely styled vehicle was renamed the Volkswagen Thing. 

Volkswagen Scirocco

As a successor to the Karmann Ghia, Volkswagen introduced the Scirocco, which was penned by Italian designer Giugiaro. The Scirocco was sold in the U.S. from 1975 until 1988, and the 1981 Scirocco shown here, is owned by Volkswagen of America and has fewer than 1,000 miles on the odometer.