Volkswagen, also known as VW, is one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers. It is well known for its passenger and commercial vehicles, particularly the iconic Beetle. Volkswagen headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Volkswagen's story began in 1934 where development work on the “people’s car” started on a small and affordable vehicle for the public - Volkswagen translates as 'people's car' in German.
Initially, Adolf Hitler approved Ferdinand Porsche’s (Czech-German automotive engineer and founder of Porsche) design of the people's car intending to start production in 1938, the government even built a factory to produce the car. However, due to the outbreak of World War II, the factory was repurposed to make military vehicles and equipment, which prevented the mass production of cars.
After the war, Volkswagen began building the saloon in 1945. Five years later, the Type 1, also known as the Beetle and the Type 2 Transporter, was added to the model range. By the 1970s, production had expanded rapidly and the Passat, Scirocco, Golf and Polo models were born. The Golf GTI became an instant hit!
In 1979 Terry Lister and Keith Bradshaw founded Listers and opened their first Listers Volkswagen Dealership in Coventry. On the left is a timeline of Listers' journey with Volkswagen, showcasing when each dealership opened. As you may already know, we operate ten Volkswagen sites, with the latest opening in 2018 on Belton Road, Loughborough.
Volkswagen's latest models, including the all-electric ID.3 and ID.4 are the blueprints for Volkswagen's future - perfect if you're thinking of becoming more eco-friendly.