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With more than 21 million built between 1945 and 2003, the Volkswagen Beetle was and remains the world's most popular car. It therefore needs no justification as a subject in the Haynes Great Car Series, where stunning studio photography combines with rarely seen archive material and a lively narrative covering all the key elements in the history of perhaps the humblest of motoring icons.
Focusing more on the history of this classic rather than on technical specifications, author Richard Copping explains how Ferdinand Porsche was financed by Adolf Hitler to produce what was dubbed 'the people's car'. However, Porsche wasn't interested in politics; he simply wanted to see his design come to life.
After the war, while Germany was occupied by the Allies, a British officer, Major Ivan Hirst took control of the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg and identified a desperate need for transport among the stationed forces.
The Beetle was produced in sufficient numbers that it was able to survive after the Allies had left Germany, eventually being exported to every corner of the globe and enjoying a longevity that other manufactures could only dream of. Volkswagen finally ceased production of the Beetle in Germany in 1978, but Mexican production continued until as recently as 2003.
Porsche and Hirst helped to ensure that the distinctive shape of the Beetle would become familiar to billions of people around the world. Perhaps controversially, however, the author argues that the success of the Beetle, and indeed Volkswagen, can be attributed in no small part to Heinz Nordhoff, Volkswagen's first German Director General, who served from 1948 to 1968.
Where others would have changed the design of the Beetle after a few years, Nordhoff went to extraordinary lengths to build perfection into the one model, and it is this enduring policy of continual improvement that helped to secure Volkswagen's position as one of the most significant manufacturers in automobile history.
Volkswagen Beetle: Haynes Great Car Series is the perfect introduction to the Volkswagen Beetle for classic car enthusiasts who will relish this visually stunning celebration.
Author
Richard Copping is a lifelong Volkswagen enthusiast and has written many books and magazine articles on Volkswagens, including Volkswagen Transporter: The First 60 Years for Haynes. He is also a former editor of VW Motoring magazine. He lives in Cumbria.
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Review copies available
Notes to Editors:
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