Volkswagen Servicing

Volkswagen Servicing And Maintaining Engineering Excellence

VW - a reputation built on innovation and quality engineering

As an experienced driver, you know the importance of keeping your VW in tip-top condition. Regular servicing will extend your car's life and identify defects before they become catastrophic.

When you consider the history of Volkswagen and how the company has built its global reputation for design and quality, booking a Volkswagen service that is conducted with care and precision is vitally important, in retaining the characteristics of this prestige car.

VW facts you may not know

In 1934, Dr Ferdinand Porsche agreed to Adolf Hitler's request to create a car suitable for ordinary working people - an economic car that was simple to use and maintain.

The design was adapted from earlier versions and the shape was created by Erwin Komenda, the established Auto Union designer (see Audi). In 1937 Volkswagen mbH was born and factory construction began the following year.

However, the Volkswagen factory had produced few cars when war was declared and this led to production being switched from civilian to military vehicles.

After hefty damage from Allied bombing, the Volkswagen factory was captured by the Americans in 1945 and handed over to the British, who originally intended to salvage the production equipment as war reparations after using the location for military maintenance.

However, the initiative of Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army to present one of the factory's cars as a light transport vehicle, secured Volkswagen's short term future. An order for 20,000 such vehicles was placed in the autumn of 1945, and within a year the factory was producing some 1,000 cars per month from the still damaged factory.

After offering the company for sale to British car manufacturers, and with no buyer, a former senior manager at Opel, Heinrich Nordhoff, was brought in to run the factory in 1948 and ownership was placed in a government run trust.

In the 1950's the company became famous for its Type 1 model, commonly known as the Beetle. But it wasn't until 1968 that VW used the term in its advertising and not until 1998, with the introduction of the new version, that a car was officially named the Volkswagen Beetle.

In 1964, VW purchased Auto Union, owner of the Audi brand, and so the Volkswagen-Audi association was born.

In the 1970's, the Beetle began to become outdated and Volkswagen looked to Auto Union for the next generation of engine technology. Front wheel drive and water cooled engines were adopted by a new wave of Volkswagens in 1973 and 1974.

The Audi 50 was effectively relabelled the VW Polo and the Audi 80 body and mechanics were translated into the VW Passat. However, the most influential development was the launch of the Beetle replacement, the Volkswagen Golf in 1974.

Setting precedence for future development, Volkswagen used the new Golf chassis to launch a number of other models, including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, Volkswagen Scirocco and Volkswagen Jetta.

The company was expanded in 1990 and 1991 with the purchase of SEAT, the Spanish car maker, and Skoda Auto of Czechoslovakia.

These new acquisitions allowed Volkswagen to position its brands across the market, elevating Audi to compete with BMW and Mercedes, positioning VW as a quality rival to the likes of Ford and Renault, and focusing Seat and Skoda on VW's historical 'affordable' heartland.

Whilst the original names have been retained, the Volkswagen range has been systematically redeveloped with new generations of the much loved models, as well as extended into the SUV market with the VW Tiguan.

With their history of design innovation, together with their passion for engineering, Volkswagen has successfully grown its reputation as a high quality car manufacturer.

Book your Volkswagen service with confidence

So when you book your next VW service, you can be confident that Service A Car understands the heritage of Volkswagen and conducts VW servicing with the passion and precision the car deserves.