Evolution of Volkswagen Beetle.doc

1.0 INTRODUCTIONThe Volkswagen Beetle, officially called the Volkswagen Type 1, the history of the Beetle started in 1934 when in the Hall of Berlin Adolf Hitler announced that the car had not to be an exclusive privilege of the rich. To Ferdinand Porsche, defined by him as the most famous designer of all time, he entrusted the assignment to construct the Volkswagen (the peoples car); and he did not limit himself just to the definition of the name, but dictated also terms about the peculiarities that it had to have (speed, consumption, price, etc.). Its an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until now. With over 21 million manufactured in an air-cooled, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive configuration, the Beetle is the longest-running and most-manufactured car of a single design platform anywhere in the world. Like its contemporaries, the Mini, the Fiat 500, the Beetle has long outlasted predictions of its lifespan. It has been regarded as something of a cult car since its 1960s association with the hippie movement and surf culture; and the obvious attributes of its unique and quirky design.2.0 INNOVATION PROCESSInitially designated the Porsche Type 60 by “Ferdinand Porsche”, the design team included Erwin Komenda and Karl Rabe. In October 1935 the first two Type 60 prototypes, known as the V1 and V2. In 1936, testing of three further V3 prototypes, built in Porsches Stuttgart shop, began. A batch of thirty W30 development models, produced for Porsche by Daimler-Benz, underwent 2,900,000 km of further testing in 1937. All cars already had the distinctive round shape and the air-cooled, rear-mounted engine. Included in this batch was a rollback soft top called the Cabrio Limousine. A further batch of 44 VW38 pre-production cars produced in 1938 introduced split rear windows; both the split window and the dash were retained on production Type 1s until 1953.The VW38 cars were followed by another batch of 50 VW39 cars, completed in July 1939.2.1 Wartime Production The factory had only produced a handful of cars by the start of the war in 1939; the first volume-produced versions of the cars chassis were military vehicles, the Type 82 and the amphibious Type 166. A handful of Beetles were produced specifically for civilians, primarily for the Nazi elite, in the years 1940 to 1945, but production figures were small. 2.2 Post-War Production and boomMass production of civilian VW cars did not start until post-war occupation. The Volkswagen factory was handed over by the Americans to British control in 1945; it was to be dismantled and shipped to Britain. But no British car manufacturer was interested in the factory; the vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirement of a motor-car . it is quite unattractive to the average buyer . To build the car commercially would be a completely uneconomic enterprise. The factory survived by producing cars for the British Army instead. The re-opening of the factory is largely accredited to British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst . March 1946 the factory was producing 1,000 cars a month, which Hirst said was the limit set by the availability of materials. During this period, the car reverted to its original name of Volkswagen and the town was renamed Wolfsburg. The first 1,785 Type 1s were made in 1945. Following the British Army-led restart of production, former Opel manager Heinz Nordhoff was appointed director of the Volkswagen factory. Under Nordhoff, production increased dramatically over the following decade, with the one-millionth car coming off the assembly line by 1955. 2.3 Beetle Decline Though extremely successful in the 1960s, the Beetle was faced with stiff competition from more modern designs; sales began dropping off in the mid 1970s. There had been several unsuccessful attempts to replace or supplement the Beetle in the VW product line throughout the 1960s; the Type 3, Type 4, and the NSU-based K70 were all less successful than the Beetle, though aimed at more upscale markets for which VW lacked credibility. The over-reliance on the Beetle meant that Volkswagen was in financial crisis by 1974. It needed German government funding to produce the Beetles replacement. Only when production lines at Wolfsburg switched to the new watercooled, front-engined, front-wheel drive Golf designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1974, did Volkswagen produce a car as successful as the Beetle. The Golf would be periodically redesigned over its lifetime entering its sixth generation in 2008 with only a few components carried over between generations, while the Beetle used only minor refinements of its original design.3.0 EVOLUTIONVWBeetle Type 1 (1938 1953)The Beetle type 1 featured a rear-located, rear-wheel drive, air-cooled four-cylinder, boxer engine in a two-door bodywork featuring a flat front windscreen, accommodating four passengers and providing luggage storage under the front bonnet and behind the rear seat and offering a coefficient of drag of 0.41. The bodywork attached with eighteen bolts to its nearly flat chassis which featured a central structural tunnel. Front and rear suspension featured torsion bars along with front stabilizer bar providing independent suspensions at all wheels. Certain initial features were subsequently revised, including mechanical drum brakes, split-window rear windows, mechanical direction-indicators and the non-synchronized gearbox. Other features, including its distinctive overall shape, endured. Although designed in the 1930s, the Beetle type 1 was only produced in significant numbers from 1945 onwards, when the model was internally designated the Volkswagen Type 1, and marketed simply as the Volkswagen. Later models were designated VW 1200, 1300, 1500, 1302 or 1303, the former three indicating engine displacement and the latter two being derived from the type number and not indicative of engine capacity. VWBeetle Type 2 (1953 1967)The Beetle 1956（Type 2) had superior performance in its category with a top speed of 115 km/h and 0100 km/h in 27.5 seconds with fuel consumption of 6.7 l/100 km for the standard 25 kW engine. This was far superior to the Citron 2CV which was aimed at a low speed/poor road rural peasant market and Morris Minor that was designed for a market that had no motorways / freeways, and even competitive with more advanced and small wheeled city cars like the Austin Mini. During this period, the rear window of the VW Beetle evolved from a divided or split oval, to a singular oval. Steel used for the bodywork was at its best quality, and the Wolfsburg emblem at the tip of the front of the bonnet was a complex fabrication. The rear W decklid was hand-fabricated. The front wing had a particular flare out.VWBeetle Type 3 (1967 1971)The Beetle underwent significant changes for the 1967 model. While the car appeared similar to earlier models, much of the drive train was noticeably upgraded. Some of the changes included a larger-displacement engine for the second year in a row. Horsepower had been increased to 37 kW the previous year, and for 1967 it was increased even more, to 40 kW. On U.S. models, the output of the electrical generator was increased from 180 to 360 watts, and upgraded from a 6-volt to a 12-volt system. The clutch disc also increased in size, and changes were made to the flywheel, braking system, and rear axle. New standard equipment included two-speed windscreen wipers, reversing lights, a drivers armrest on the door, locking buttons on the doors, and a passengers side exterior mirror. The 1967 model weighed 840 kg, which was a typical weight for a European car at this time. That same year, in accord with the newly enacted U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, the clear glass headlamp covers were deleted; the headlamps were brought forward to the leading edge of the front fenders, and the sealed-beam units were exposed and surrounded by chrome bezels.VWSuper Beetle (1971 2012)1972 Super Beetles had an larger rear window, larger front brakes, four rows of vents on the engine deck lid, tail lights incorporating reverse lights, a four-spoke energy-absorbing steering wheel and steering column, and an engine compartment socket for a proprietary VW Diagnosis system.In 1976, the optional Auto-stick transmission and the Super Beetle sedan were discontinued, with VW continuing to market the standard sedan and VW 1303 convertible. 1976-on convertibles received no significant engineering changes, only a few cosmetic touches and new paint options, including the Champagne Edition models to the final 1979 Epilogue Edition black on black, in salute to the first Beetles produced in the 1930s. 1977 model sedans received front seats with separate head restraints.By 2002, over 21 million Type 1s had been produced, but by 2003, annual production had dropped to 30,000 from a peak of 1.3 million in 1971. VW announced the end of production old beetle in June 2003.New 2012 Volkswagen Beetle cars are designed for sporty . Updated “retro” style on the dimensions a bit bigger and bigger interior, more practical for said it would emphasize. The car will be launched on the sale of its flagship two-door hatchback sedan form. Conversion of the material could go up to 2012. There are three trim levels, Frog Design, and Sports. Keyless entry, sunroof, satellite navigation, bi-Xenon and LED lights all day in new features for the Volkswagen Beetle.4.0 DRIVERS OF INNOVATION 4.1 Social factors Throughout the 20th century, no an industrial products such as a car can permeate all aspects of the social life. Car society is industrial society and economic development to a certain stage, car large-scale production and living in people, and natural resources, environment, economic development, and population influence each other and developed to a certain state of social norms of behavior. Social environment safety and convenient traffic is promoting Volkswagen Beetle development, people have some higher aesthetic view, but also need level higher product, therefore, Volkswagen Beetle can stand up again in the auto world. 4.2 Political factors Stability of governments, this may affect the future auto development in a country. The Volkswagen Beetle was Hitlers need domestic public support, and the political needs of produce, it satisfies Hitler in political desire, thus to reach his political purpose, so Volkswagen Beetle have developed rapidly. After the Second World War, for post-war German from building, stable political environment, Volkswagen Beetle stable update for thirty years.4.3 Economic factors The socio-economic structure of households is one of the important factors affecting the car market. With increasing purchasing power, the number of households crossing the threshold plays an important role in passenger car sales. The Volkswagen Beetle is to seize this opportunity to update and updating in order to win more consumers to buy.5.0 FURTHER INNOVATIONFear and desperation have always been powerful engines of innovation for the auto industry. Given the current state of the car business, we are entering a golden age of innovation. The future belongs to electric cars because of high fuel prices and environmental considerations. If Volkswagen beetle want to be successful again, it must production electric cars, there are several advantages to driving an electric car. It can save you thousands on fuel cost, and with our economy in the shape its in, this is reason enough. Electric cars are also cleaner, helping the environment. It costs about $1 to charge your electric car and gives you about 100 miles. Driving an electric car also makes you eligible for tax credits from the government for driving a car that hosts clean fuel. Electricity