RESTON, Va. (October 27, 2025) – In 1949, Dutch businessman Ben Pon arrived in New York with two Volkswagen Type 1 vehicles—later known as the Beetle—in one of the first attempts to bring a small, affordable vehicle to American buyers. Just six years later, Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) was founded with the new sales company’s head office in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. By the following year, nearly 50,000 cars had been sold. In the 70 years since, Volkswagen has grown into one of the most influential automotive brands in U.S. history, recognized for its iconic vehicles, innovation, and commitment to manufacturing in America.

“For 70 years, Volkswagen has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to American drivers and the cars they love. The VW family has grown from the first imported Beetles to fit families of all shapes and sizes, always with the original mission of the brand—to be ‘the people’s car.”

– Kjell Gruner, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America

VWoA’s impact on the American automotive industry has been significant. In 1959, just four years after the company’s founding, Carl Hahn took the helm of VWoA at age 32. His leadership transformed the brand’s trajectory, expanding the dealer network and engaging Doyle Dane Bernbach as the company’s advertising agency. The resulting “Think Small” campaign became legendary, turning traditional automotive advertising on its head with self-deprecating humor and simple, powerful messaging. In 1999, Ad Age voted the campaign the top-ranking advertising campaign of all time in “The Century of Advertising.”

The influence of this groundbreaking approach was immediate and profound. VWoA doubled its deliveries to nearly 167,000 vehicles in the two years ending in 1960, capturing 32% of the import market. By 1970, sales reached an all-time high of 569,696 vehicles, cementing the status of the Beetle and Microbus as cultural touchstones.

Models that defined generations
Throughout its 70-year history, VW has introduced vehicles to the U.S. that became synonymous with cool. The Beetle sold 21.5 million units globally and became the most-produced car on a single platform, surpassing the Ford Model T, in 1972. The Beetle and the iconic Microbus became symbols of rebellion against the status quo in the late 1960s, both gracing the big screen in many Hollywood hit films. The 1998 New Beetle rekindled the spirit and imagination of the original for a new generation of Volkswagen owners and sparked another round of “Beetle Mania.” And following in those footsteps of reinvention, the 2025 all-electric ID. Buzz reinterpreted the classic Type 2 for the modern age and was named North America Utility Vehicle of the Year™.  

The Golf, which arrived in the U.S. in 1975 as the Rabbit, was an instant hit and the first vehicle to be produced in America. The Golf GTI variant invented an entirely new category and auto media favorite: the hot hatch. It proved that a sporty car could be fun, practical, and affordable—a formula that continues to define the brand today. Golf family models have been named MotorTrend “Car of the Year” three times—first in 1985 for the Rabbit GTI, and then again for 2015 with the Golf Mk7 family (also winning North American Car of the Year™), and most recently the Golf GTI/R for 2026.  

The Jetta became the most popular Volkswagen in the U.S. in the early 1980s and continues to be one of the brand’s best sellers. First available stateside in 1979, the Jetta was essentially a Golf with a trunk, but slightly more luxurious. The Jetta continued to evolve over seven generations, and many people fondly remember the fourth-generation car, which evoked VW’s corporate cousin Audi inside and out.

Commitment to American manufacturing
VWoA’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing dates back nearly five decades. In 1978, the company opened its first American assembly plant in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, producing more than 1.1 million vehicles before the facility closed in 1988.

Twenty years later, VWoA resumed its U.S. assembly operations. In 2008, the company broke ground on a state-of-the-art assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The plant produced nearly 800,000 Passats over a decade and has since evolved to assemble the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, as well as the all-electric ID.4 SUV.

Today, the Chattanooga facility represents more than $2.7 billion in total investment and employs more than 4,000 people. The campus is also home to VWoA’s North American Engineering and Planning Center and VWoA’s Battery Engineering Lab, positioning the region as a hub for automotive innovation.