Brand timeline: Volkswagen

Volkswagen has been around since the origins of the motor vehicle. Founded in 1904 in Germany, Volkswagen famously means ‘People’s car.’ It has a strange history as it was originally championed by Adolf Hitler, run by the British military after WWII, beloved as a cultural icon and, this year, rocked by a major emissions scandal

1904-1937 Originally, volkswagen was a classification for a type of car. Most manufacturers marketed cheap, mass- produced models known as volkswagens.

1937-1939 The job of turning that into a brand fell to Ferdinand Porsche who built three prototype vehicles. Then, in 1936, the company was established as Volkswagenwerk. It was placed under the supervision of Germany’s central government.

1939-1945 The New York Times coins the term ‘Beetle’ when referring to the volkswagen. The company was incorporated in 1938 and its logo is simplified in the pre- war era. In June 1945, management of the VW plant is given to the British military which will oversee it until 1949.

1947 In a visit to the VW plant, Dutch importer Ben Pon spotted a vehicle created by VW employees made to ease transportation around the facility. He transformed that workhorse into the VW Transporter camper van. Not only was it useful for industry, it became a symbol for the American hippie movement in the 1960s.

1948-1960 The first incarnation of the now-iconic VW logo, trademarked in 1953 was designed by Austrian engineer Franz Reimspiess in 1948. Partly due to the Beetle’s success – the bug had a 40% market share in the 1940s – VW becomes a symbol for Germany’s economic regeneration.

1960-1967 Production takes off due to the success of the Beetle and the Transporter.

1967-1978 Volkswagen’s 20 millionth car rolls off the production line in 1971. In 1973, VW GB unites Audi and Volkswagen. The brands are then unified in 1974 in Germany Technological advancements to the assembly lines in VW’s German factories enhance efficiency and production rates.

1978-1995 Wally Olins, former chairman of Wolff Olins and Saffron Brand Consultants, worked on the new V.A.G. corporate brand – the merger of Volkswagenwerk AG and Audi. He said, “It’s a classic example of an appalling name. It’s unpronounceable and has horrible historical connotations – Hitler was one of its original supporters – but it’s a very successful brand.” His iconic design drew from Reimspiess’ initial work but set the tone for the three iterations that were to follow it. In 1981, the Auto 2000 is released, promoting VW’s commitment to energy-efficient cars. In 1984, according to VW GB’s digital timeline, “Volkswagen offers special conversion parts for all of its models, cutting hydrocarbon and nitrogen emissions by half.” 1991 sees VW establish brand management boards for its four properties: VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda.

1995-1999 The Volkswagen Group is officially ushered in as the corporate brand name.

1999 The 1995 logo is updated with a lighter blue and a bit of a gradient.

2000-present The gradient-ified logo displayed on millions of cars today came into effect in 2000. News broke in September that VW’s cars were manipulating emissions tests. This scandal has thrown the company into crisis-mode as fines have been levied and as investigations continue across the industry. The main challenge it will have to overcome as a brand will be the damage to its reputation, not to mention its damaged stock price – down between 50 and 70 points since.