ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200032
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN GRIESSMAYER
* The original Volkswagen, or "People's Car," was designed by Austrian engineer Ferdinand Porsche with the financial backing of Adolf Hitler's Nazi government.
* The first VW Beetles to make their way into the United States were shipped home by American soldiers occupying Germany after World War II.
* Beetles were first available to American customers in 1949. Only two were sold.
* By 1959, thanks in part to the humorous and self-deprecating "Think Small" advertising campaign, Volkswagen of America had more than 500 dealerships and long waiting lists for new Beetles.
* A brand new 1972 Beetle sold for about $2,000, or about $1 a pound.
* In 1980, faced with stricter pollution standards and more efficient Japanese competition, Volkswagen stopped selling Beetles in the United States. In all, 5 million were sold to American customers.
* More than 21 million Beetles have been manufactured since 1938, making it the highest produced automobile in history. Beetles are still manufactured in Mexico and Brazil.
LENGTH: Short : 33 linesby CNB