A Brief Overview Of Post War Volkswagen Cars

At the end of the Second World War the responsibility for Volkswagenwerk is passed to the British Military Government. Major Ivan Hirst took over the war battered factory and began dismantling it in order to bring it back to the UK. However he struggled to find interest from potential British buyers. The company remained in Germany and began producing cars for the British Army. In 1948 control was passed back to Germany and the Type 1 Beetle was born. Production of the Type 1 grew rapidly after a slow start, and the company began designing new models to compliment the Beetle. In March 1950 the now much loved and sought after Type 2 went into production, creating a larger product with more versatility. In 1956 the Transporter, now a hugely popular van with many variants, acquired it's own plant in Hanover. This was the start of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle brand we see today. In 1964 Volkswagen bought Auto Union who owned Audi.

In 1969 they also purchased NSU Motorenwerke AG, and merged the two to form the Audi brand we know today. In 1973 the Passat went into production, with a range if engines topping off at 110bhp. In 1974 the first of Volkswagen's now much beloved Golf rolled off the production line at Wolfsburg. The Golf's popularity is almost immediate, and it is crowned the successor to the Beetle. 1975 saw the Polo for the first time, and in 1976 the GTI was added to the Golf line up, now one of Volkswagen's most iconic cars. The sports feel must have appealed to Volkswagen because Scirocco hatchback was released in the same year, a sports car which was relaunched again in 2008 and proved very popular both first and second time round. The 1980s and 1990s were a relatively quiet time for Volkswagen. The American market fell sharply in the 1980s, rising with the new car introductions, they promptly falling again. In August 2002 the Touareg luxury off roader came into production opening up a whole new market for Volkswagen, the popular high end 4x4 segment. The Touareg was well equipped and more affordable than many other vehicles in this area, with a range of petrol and diesel engines available. In December of the same year the Touran compact van/people carrier was introduced, available with 5 or 7 seats, and proved very popular with families requiring the flexibility of space it offers. Volkswagen's history has been varied and never dull, with new inspiration, wards, and models filling the years. Peter Cooper Volkswagen Group based on the South Coast have a wide range of used Volkswagen cars, as well as all the services you'd expect from a leading main dealership including Volkswagen servicing, body repairs, Motability and more.

The automaker’s slick take on LED lighting and “less-is-more” external styling touches make it hard to not like the way it looks. The Touareg may be a little vanilla, but it’s tastefully done. I found that for the most part, its shell was both functional and handsome at once. Touched up to be attractive, simple, and not too unwieldy looking, with very nice LED lighting front and rear. Hands-free power lift gate, shark fin antenna, contrasting roof rails, heated washer nozzles, rain-sensing wipers, and a snazzy dual exhaust. Power folding, LED-lit mirrors and a keyless entry system make night drives a lot safer and easier. There’s some excessive use of chrome; even the bumper skid plate gets slathered in the stuff. Dated-looking in that it so closely resembles older models. During the course of the week, I found that part of me loves Volkswagen’s 3.6-liter V6, and part of me despises the fact that for perhaps obvious reasons we can’t review its diesel-chugging brother.

The FSI engine still does deliver the goods, but with less torque and worse mileage. Calm and content with regular unleaded, it’s quite thirsty and its older architecture is apparent in that it feels slightly underpowered by the 3.6 that just so happens to be mated to a smooth-sailing eight-speed auto. On the upside, off-road options come standard in Lux trim, so if your final destination requires some mild mud-slinging, the Touareg has you covered. While it may not be the most powerful V6 you can get in a modern SUV today, it’s by no means inadequate either. Does not require premium gasoline, and is established enough where it can be serviced down the line by damn near anybody. Features 4Motion all-wheel drive, with an off-road setting that allows low-range ratios of 2.66:1 to be electronically activated with a switch. Guzzles gas faster than other V6 SUVs in the segment and doesn’t feel all that potent despite having a 3.6-liter displacement. TDI is off the table, so torque and fuel economy are down. The Touareg’s cabin is a lovely, leather-filled cockpit that can best be described as responsibility refined.

It’s a very grown-up, generously appointed place to ride, drive, or just relax, with a lot of Audi influence giving it some luxury cred. Even after eight hours of windshield time, the driver and passenger seats remained extremely comfortable, with a lot of adjustability helping in no small way. Stately, super quiet, and incredibly comfortable cabin, with the leather-wrapped heated/vented seats being a keystone. A cooled glovebox, one-touch express windows all around, large panoramic sunroof, and a heated steering wheel all add up for a big impact. Loads of stow space in the rear, and the second row is quite spacious. Rear storage privacy screen likes to pop up, thus obstructing your view, and the absence of a rear bench infotainment setup or any USB plugs show the Touareg’s age. Variable cruise control, autonomous braking, forward collision warnings, lane departure alerts, and VW’s “Intelligent Crash Response System” all make for a very safe vehicle. Multiple parking monitors, a very instructive and easy to use touchscreen, and surprisingly nice stock audio components. Lane departure warnings don’t always engage, and when they do it’s just a small icon in the gauge cluster and a vibration in the steering wheel that’s hardly noticeable.