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60 years ago work began on the Volkswagen, or 'people's car'. Now in the
new millenium it is still in production in Mexico, it's classic design and
incredible ruggedness and durability make it one of the true icons of the
Twentieth Century. It was in 1934 with the appointment of Ferdinand Porsche
by Adolf Hitler that the Volkswagen was set into motion. Though the Beetle design was unconventional by American or Western European standards, it was typical of the ideas circulating and being propounded by a group of engineers in the time of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire during the early part of the last century, the group included Edmund Rumpler, Hans Ledwinka, Jose Ganz and Ferdinand Porsche. Despite the economic depression of the 1930's, Porsche set to work on the 'people's car' or Project 12 as it was called. He outlined his ideas to an elite group of designers, first and foremost he stated that the four seater should have a rear mounted engine thus dispensing with the need for a driveshaft, so avoiding the torque load this imposed. The engine should be mounted behind the rear axle, with an integrated four speed gearbox and differential unitto the fore of the axle. Independent suspension by means of swinging half-shafts and transverse torsion bars would provide the comfortable ride and good handling associated with more expensive cars, while the lightweight two door pressed steel bodyshell would have to be very streamlined so as to fulfill good fuel consumption requirements. |
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