Volkswagen automobiles

Volkswagen (German pronunciation: [ˈfɔlksˌvaːɡŋ̍] ), commonly abbreviated to VW, is a German automobile brand based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by the German Labour Front, it was revived after World War II by British Army officer Ivan Hirst and, over the 81 years since, grew into the global brand it is today. As of 2025, the company had a market capitalization of approximately US$58.9 billion. The brand is well known for the Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of its eponymous conglomerate, the Volkswagen Group, which was the world's largest automotive manufacturer by global sales in 2016 and 2017. The name Volkswagen derives from the German words Volk ('people') and Wagen ('wagon'), meaning 'people's car', or more directly 'folk's wain (wagon)'.