…As It Celebrates 80 Years Anniversary
[dropcap]V[/dropcap]olkswagen AG has celebrated 80 years of auto making, rolling out 150 Millionth car off its assembly line in Wolfsburg.
By implication, Since founded over eighty years ago, Volkswagen has manufactured 150 million vehicles, including icons such as the Golf or the Beetle, have been built around the world at over 50 production sites in 14 countries.
The brand’s current product portfolio includes over 60 models worldwide. Last Friday, the anniversary car, a blue Golf GTE, rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg. The plug-in hybrid is, according to its maker, a symbol of the future of mobility at Volkswagen – and at the same time, it is testimony to a powerful team performance.
Addressing his production team in Assembly Hall 12 on the anniversary day, Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand described Volkswagen’s rolling out of 150 million vehicles as a dream come true.
He stated: “150 million vehicles -that means we have made the dream of owning a car come true 150 million times for customers all over the world. You and your day-to-day work are the basis for this success. My colleagues on the Board of Management join me in thanking all Volkswagen employees – at all our sites. This anniversary would not have been possible without your commitment.”
In 2017 alone, Volkswagen is launching over 10 new models worldwide. There will be 19 new SUVs in total by 2020. The I.D. family with the new electric architecture (MEB) then marks the start of the Volkswagen brand’s electric offensive from 2020. One million electric Volkswagens are to hit the road by 2025.
Technological digitalization, increasing connectivity and sensor technology bring entirely new perspectives.
“In the present phase, it is vital that Volkswagen continues to develop successfully. Because we are a strong team, we get the job done, and we have a good plan for the future. We must consistently work on our performance in order to remain successful. Past success is no guarantee for the future”, Diess added.
In his own remark, Chairman of the Volkswagen Group and General Works Council, Bernd Osterloh described 150 million vehicles as a truly incredible number.
“It is 150 million Volkswagens that have taken their drivers hundreds of thousands of kilometers, commuting to work, enjoying leisure time, going on vacation, or traveling on business,” he pointed out. “This anniversary proves our colleagues have done a splendid job for generations. Here at Volkswagen, we build top-quality cars. And we will continue to do so in future. Our workforce has every reason to be proud of that.”
The series production of the Volkswagen brand began on December 27, 1945 with the Type 1 Käfer. In the post-war era, it was the Volkswagen Beetle that initially shaped the automobile industry. All in all, 21.5 million of this much-loved small car were built before production finally came to an end in Mexico in 2003.
The Volkswagen Golf topped the Beetle record. The 25 millionth Volkswagen Golf left the assembly line in Wolfsburg in 2007, by 2013 the number had already risen to 30 million. Today, Volkswagen produces the bestselling Golf in the seventh generation and has already built more than 34 million worldwide. For decades, the Golf has been the yardstick in the compact segment.
The Volkswagen brand’s product portfolio currently includes more than 60 models worldwide. Apart from the Beetle and the Golf, more than 20 million Passat, some 19.5 million Jetta and almost 17 million Polo have been produced.
The workforce at the main plant in Wolfsburg in particular has made a key contribution to last week’s anniversary, building over 44 million vehicles since production began some 72 years ago.
