In what city was the Volkswagen Beetle first manufactured?

The Volkswagen Beetle was first manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen’s factory was built at Fallersleben, a settlement renamed Wolfsburg in 1945, and postwar Beetle series production began there in December 1945.

The plant was originally constructed for the planned KdF-Wagen, the people’s car conceived before the Second World War. The war delayed civilian production, and the factory instead made military vehicles and equipment. After the war, British Army officer Ivan Hirst helped restart operations, and the first postwar Volkswagens were assembled for the occupying authorities and public services.

Wolfsburg became closely identified with the Beetle and Volkswagen itself. The factory produced the millionth Beetle in 1955, an important symbol of the car’s rapid success. Berlin can be associated with Volkswagen’s corporate origins, while other cities later produced Beetles, including Emden and Puebla. But for the first manufacturing location, Wolfsburg is the canonical answer.