Volkswagen Beetle: a Glimpse Into the History of the People?s Classic Car

The Volkswagen Beetle is one of the most popular classic cars that both collectors and the common people have. It is no wonder, since not only is it cheap and cute, it also carries with it a great deal of history. Here we will take a trip down memory lane and look at the Beetle’s great past.
The Birth of the People’s Car
It may not be known to many, but little Herbie started out as a Porsche. In the 1930s, Ferdinand Porsche was already designing economy cars, but could not find the proper funding fro research and production.
Then Adolf Hitler came, with several sketches of what he called as the “Volks-Wagen,” which literally means “the people’s car.”(Yes, you read that right: Adolf Hitler provided the concept for the Volkswagen.) The Fuhrer asked Mr. Porsche to make a car that could carry two adults and three children at a speed of 62mph. And so, the Volkswagen Beetle was born.
It was initially named as the Porsche 60, and was available at the very low price of 990 Reichsmark (less than 0 at that time). The Porsche 60 is very similar to what the Beetle looks like now. Perhaps the only difference is with the engine and the windows. It was the most popular car for the Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy), the leisure organization of the Nazi party.
Rejections and Success