Which company manufactured the original Volkswagen Beetle?

The original Volkswagen Beetle was manufactured by Volkswagen.

The car was officially known as the Volkswagen Type 1 and was produced by the German company Volkswagen. Its development grew from the 1930s “people’s car” project, with Ferdinand Porsche and his design team responsible for the engineering concept. Early examples were associated with the name KdF-Wagen before the Volkswagen brand became established after World War II.

Series production began in 1938, although wartime production interrupted its development as a civilian family car. Under British supervision after the war, the factory resumed production, and the Type 1 became a global commercial success. In German it is commonly called Käfer, while “Beetle” became the familiar English-language name.

Volkswagen produced more than 21.5 million Beetles between 1938 and 2003. The model’s manufacturer should not be confused with Porsche: Porsche contributed to the design, but Volkswagen manufactured and sold the car.