Celebrating Seventy Years of Volkswagen of America

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After six years of sales in this country by an independent importer, Volkswagen of America established its headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in 1955 to lead the marketing, sales, and service support to the growing number of dealerships needed.  

If you think about what was happening in the U.S.A. in 1955, domestic automakers were turning out vehicles that were much larger than the Type 1 Beetle by sheer mass. Yet, the mighty two-doorsedan, along with the Type 2 Microbus, was becoming part of the automotive landscape. Volkswagen even sold a pickup truck back then. 

From that day on, Volkswagen became an integral part of our lives. By 1956, Volkswagen of America sold around 50,000 units. It simply grew from there. The Type 1 Beetle was a common sightacross America, from big cities to farms. It was also influential enough to draw the rest of the domestic automotive industry to try to copy it.  

What drove the brand’s success for the next three decades was a clever marketing and advertising campaign that drew millions of customers to Volkswagen dealerships. Through the advertisement agency Doyle Dane Bernbach, the campaign began with the phrase “Think Small.” Every advertisement puts smiles on many faces. You giggled, then came down to a dealership to see the Beetle and the Microbus. You also had choices of the Squareback, Notchback, Fastback, and the Karmann Ghia sports coupe and roadster. Volkswagen added a larger sedan by the end of the 1960s, called the 411. By 1970, Americans took home nearly 600,000 Volkswagen models thanks to this clever marketing and advertising plan.  

The 1970s marked a period of change for Volkswagen worldwide. The Beetle and all air-cooled rear-engine models were finding new competitors from all over the world. Yet, Volkswagen remainedthe top “foreign” automotive brand in the U.S.A. Change was needed, and the vehicle lineup had to be modernized for the times. After all, there was an oil crisis in 1973 that practically changed what Americans drove.  

Volkswagen responded with a series of front-engine, front-drive, and water-cooled vehicles that satisfied our customers’ needs. The Dasher arrived first for 1974, followed by the highly practical Rabbit and the sporty Scirocco. The Rabbit became a huge hit – selling volumes similar, if not better, to the original Beetle. Compared to other compact hatchbacks of the era, the Rabbit was exactly what Americans wanted.  

The response to the Rabbit was incredible. It prompted Volkswagen to open up its first assembly facility in America outside of Pittsburgh. The Westmoreland plant would produce the first Rabbit GTI for the American market – a game-changing vehicle that launched the Sports Compact class. It would also produce the Mk2 Golf and GTI. In fact, the GTI won MotorTrend’s Car of the Year in 1985. This was the first of three such awards, including this year’s win for the Golf GTI and Golf R. 

America has always been considered a key market for Volkswagen. It would be the place where the New Beetle would take flight in 1998. It also marked the introduction of a line of SUVs, starting with the Touareg, which led to today’s Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport – both assembled at our Chattanooga, Tennessee facility.  

The past few years provided the spark for an electric future for Volkswagen. The ID.4 SUV and the ID. Buzz minivan brought a sense of nostalgia, while also showing us ways to use electricity to fuel our lives. The ID.Buzz alone brought back the days of the Type 2 Microbus, combining its retro design with modern touches and technology.  

No story about Volkswagen of America would be complete without talking about the Jetta. Since its introduction for the 1980 model year, our compact sedan has emerged as our sales leader. Americans love a car with a trunk, and the Jetta fits perfectly to meet their needs. It does so with excellent value and continues to bring consumers to our showroom.  

Over the past 70 years, Volkswagen has been an automotive brand that remains relevant and influential. Its past is still revered, while modernizing to attract today’s savvy consumers. 

Bud Brown Volkswagen is proud to offer a great lineup of vehicles from Volkswagen of America. Contact us to see for yourself. Every new Volkswagen sold by us comes with the Bud Brown Advantage Lifetime Limited Warranty.