Lots Of Bugs

Wed., Sept. 22, 1999

Volkswagen celebrated its 100 millionth car Tuesday a silver “New Beetle” made in Mexico. Board member Klaus Kocks said the jubilee car was a symbol of how far Europe’s biggest automaker has come since the company’s beginnings in 1938. VW marked the event with a street party at the famed Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The New Beetle, launched last year, has been a hit in the United States but has yet to take off in Europe. With its bug-eyed headlights and rounded roof, it’s meant to meld the original’s shapes with new technology. Born under Hitler’s regime, the Volkswagen - German for “people’s car” - was meant to offer affordable cars for the nation, modeled on what Henry Ford had done for Americans. Workers paid for their cars by payroll deduction, but very few actually ever took delivery. The VW plant in Wolfsburg was rebuilt under U.S. leadership after being heavily damaged by Allied bombs in World War II, and the hardy car went on to become a worldwide success.

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Lots Of Bugs

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