GILES CHAPMAN
The KdF car, a German acronym for Strength Through Joy, was conceived by Adolf Hitlers Third Reich as a true German peoples car. There is precious little in the legacy of 1930s Nazi Germany that is positive, but after the Second World war and with a little help from the British the Volks Wagen really did help put the average man on the road in a car, designed by the great Ferdinand Porsche, that was reliable and well-built. First it set benchmarks for customer satisfaction across Europe, and sales soared. Then it arrived in North America and the slope-backed, rear-engined economy car became a cult hit. By the time the very last original Beetle was built in 2003, over 21m had been built, making it by a long chalk the best-selling single car model of all time. Although its concept is dated by modern standards, the Beetle magic is undimmed, which is why Volkswagen introduced an all-new, modern Beetle in 1998. It has carved out a niche as a distinctive and eye-catching car in a world of automotive clones. Giles Chapman is an award-winning writer and commentator on the industry, history and culture of cars. He has been editor of Classic & Sports Car, the worlds best-selling classic car magazine, and since 1994, hes worked freelance across a huge variety of media. Hes the author of more than 15 books including My Dad Had One Of Those, Worst Cars, Chapmans Car Compendium and 100 Cars Britain Can Be Proud Of. He lives in Kent. - See more at: http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/the-vw-beetle-story.html#sthash.eVFeztHs.dpuf
