Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
Company History
Volkswagen History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1937 in Berlin, Germany
When was Volkswagen founded?
Volkswagen was founded in 1937 in Berlin, Germany by Ferdinand Porsche, making it 89 years old.
- Founded
- 1937
- Founding place
- Berlin, Germany
- Founders
- Ferdinand Porsche
- Headquarters today
- Wolfsburg, Germany
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1937–2025)
- Current CEO
- Oliver Blume
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1937 | Volkswagen founded |
| 1945 | Wolfsburg restarted |
| 1965 | Audi foundation added |
| 1974 | Golf production begins |
| 1998 | Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini Acquired |
| 2012 | Porsche consolidated |
| 2015 | Matthias Müller becomes CEO |
| 2015 | Emissions Scandal |
| 2018 | Herbert Diess becomes CEO |
| 2022 | Oliver Blume becomes chairman |
| 2024 | Rivian software joint venture |
| 2025 | Revenue reaches ~$364B (EUR321.9B) |
- Where was Volkswagen founded?
- Volkswagen was founded in Berlin, Germany in 1937. wikidata.org
- Who founded Volkswagen?
- Volkswagen was founded by Ferdinand Porsche.
- When did Volkswagen start?
- Volkswagen was founded in 1937.
- How old is Volkswagen?
- Volkswagen is 89 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Volkswagen began in 1937 as a company set up by the Nazi-era German Labour Front (DAF) to mass-produce a 'people's car' designed by Ferdinand Porsche's engineering office. The factory at what became Wolfsburg was built from 1938, but almost no cars reached civilian buyers before World War II. The plant instead produced military vehicles and armaments, relying heavily on forced labor, a history Volkswagen has documented and acknowledged. After 1945 the British military government took control, and Major Ivan Hirst restarted Beetle production, initially for the occupying forces. In 1949 control passed to the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Lower Saxony, and under Heinrich Nordhoff the Beetle became an export success.
Founders
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) was an Austrian-born automotive engineer who had worked for Lohner, Austro-Daimler and Daimler-Benz before opening his own design office in Stuttgart in 1931. In 1934 his office received the commission from the German government to develop an affordable 'people's car'. The company that became Volkswagen was set up in 1937 to build it, and Porsche led development of the air-cooled, rear-engined KdF-Wagen that was later sold as the Beetle. He also took part in planning the Wolfsburg plant. Volkswagen was a state project of the German Labour Front rather than a company Porsche owned; his own business later grew into Porsche AG. Ferdinand Porsche was born in 1875.
Key Milestones
Volkswagen founded
Volkswagen was founded under the German Labour Front as part of a state-directed people's car program.
Source: volkswagen-group.comWolfsburg restarted
British military administration helped restart peacetime production at Wolfsburg after World War II.
Source: volkswagen-group.comAudi foundation added
Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz, creating the foundation for modern Audi.
Source: volkswagen-group.comGolf production begins
The Golf gave Volkswagen a modern front-engine, front-wheel-drive compact platform after the Beetle era.
Source: volkswagen-group.comBentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini Acquired
Volkswagen bought Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini in 1998.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPorsche consolidated
Porsche became a controlled sport-luxury profit anchor within Volkswagen Group.
Source: volkswagen-group.comMatthias Müller becomes CEO
Matthias Müller became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2015. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2015 to 2018.
Source: wikidata.orgEmissions Scandal
US regulators accused Volkswagen in September 2015 of fitting diesel cars with software that cheated emissions tests.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHerbert Diess becomes CEO
Herbert Diess became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2018. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2018 to 2022.
Source: wikidata.orgOliver Blume becomes chairman
Oliver Blume became chairman of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2022. He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRivian software joint venture
Volkswagen and Rivian launched a software joint venture targeting next-generation electrical architecture.
Source: volkswagen-group.comRevenue reaches ~$364B (EUR321.9B)
Volkswagen reported ~$364 billion (EUR321.9 billion) in sales revenue, ~$10.1 billion (EUR8.9 billion) in operating result, and 8.984 million deliveries.
Source: volkswagen-group.comMajor Acquisitions
Auto Union / Audi
1965Volkswagen agreed at the end of 1964 to take over Auto Union, based in Ingolstadt, from Daimler-Benz, gaining extra production capacity as Beetle demand peaked; the purchase was completed in 1965-1966.
Bentley Motors
1998Volkswagen bought Rolls-Royce Motor Cars from Vickers in 1998, but BMW secured the Rolls-Royce name, so from 2003 Volkswagen kept Bentley and the Crewe factory.
Porsche AG
2012After Porsche SE's failed attempt to take over Volkswagen in 2008-2009, Volkswagen bought 49.9% of the Porsche car business in 2009 and the remaining 50.1% in August 2012, making Porsche AG a wholly owned subsidiary.
SEAT
1986Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft acquired SEAT in 1986.
Bugatti
1998Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft acquired Bugatti in 1998.
Keep researching Volkswagen
Volkswagen Company History FAQ
When, where, and how was Volkswagen originally established?
Volkswagen was founded on May 28, 1937, in Berlin, Germany, as "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH" (renamed Volkswagenwerk GmbH in 1938) to manufacture an affordable "people's car" designed by Ferdinand Porsche.
Who was Major Ivan Hirst and how did the British Army save Volkswagen after WWII?
In 1945, British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst took control of the bomb-damaged Wolfsburg factory; recognizing its industrial potential, he secured a British Army order for 20,000 cars, preventing the factory's dismantling and reviving the Beetle.
Who was Heinrich Nordhoff and what was his contribution to Volkswagen's success?
Appointed managing director in 1948 by the British military government, Heinrich Nordhoff turned the Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1) and Transporter (Microbus) into global export blockbusters renowned for bulletproof air-cooled reliability.
How did the Volkswagen Beetle achieve historic global production records?
On February 17, 1972, production of the Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T to become the world's most-produced single automotive model, eventually surpassing 21.5 million units produced across six decades.
When and how did Volkswagen acquire Auto Union (Audi)?
In 1964, Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz, reviving the historic Audi four-ring brand and gaining modern water-cooled, front-wheel-drive technology that directly paved the way for the iconic Volkswagen Golf in 1974.
How did Ferdinand Piëch assemble Volkswagen's multi-brand luxury empire in the 1990s?
Under visionary engineering CEO Ferdinand Piëch (1993–2002), Volkswagen acquired Škoda, SEAT, Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, and initiated heavy truck consolidation with Scania and MAN, building the world's most diverse automotive group.
What was the landmark 2008–2012 takeover battle between Porsche and Volkswagen?
In 2008, Porsche attempted an audacious leveraged takeover of the much larger Volkswagen; after the financial crisis derailed Porsche's debt financing, the tables turned and Volkswagen fully acquired Porsche AG's operating automotive business in 2012.
What was the September 2015 "Dieselgate" emissions scandal?
The US EPA revealed that Volkswagen had installed illegal "defeat device" software in 11 million diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests; the scandal cost VW over €32 billion in fines, settlements, and vehicle buybacks, prompting CEO Martin Winterkorn's resignation.
How did Herbert Diess drive Volkswagen's electric vehicle pivot (2018–2022)?
CEO Herbert Diess launched the €30+ billion electric offensive centered on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform, introducing the ID.3, ID.4, and ID.Buzz while establishing the CARIAD software and PowerCo battery divisions.
When did Oliver Blume become CEO of Volkswagen Group?
Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG, was appointed Group CEO on September 1, 2022, succeeding Herbert Diess to restore software execution, streamline brand performance programs, and forge external technology alliances.
What was the landmark 2024 partnership between Volkswagen and Rivian?
In June 2024, Volkswagen Group announced a $5.0 billion investment and 50/50 joint venture with Rivian to adopt Rivian's cutting-edge zonal electrical architecture and software platform for next-generation VW vehicles.
What was Volkswagen Group's global operational scale in 2025?
In 2025, Volkswagen Group delivered 8.984 million vehicles worldwide, generated €321.9 billion in sales revenue, and employed approximately 663,000 people across 114 production plants worldwide.
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