Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH
The legendary Karmann Ghia, the Beetle convertible, the Scirocco and the Corrado are milestones in Volkswagen's automotive history. Models from other brands that do not belong to the Volkswagen Group can also be found here. The individual exhibits are used by Volkswagen Classic at various classic car rallies and press presentations.
History "Automobiles from Osnabrück" 1874 Foundation of the Christian Klages wagon factory 1901 Takeover of the Klages company by Wilhelm Karmann 1949 Start of cooperation between Volkswagen and Karmann 1949 -2009 approx. 2.5 million vehicles are produced for Volkswagen until the insolvency of Karmann 2009 Founding of Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH 2010 Start of company development at Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH 2011 Production start of the first Golf Cabriolet at Volkswagen Osnabrück 2012 Start of production of the Porsche Cayman and the Porsche Boxster 2014 Volkswagen Osnabrück starts the production of the world's most efficient production vehicle, the XL1 2015 Takeover of parts of the production of the Porsche Cayenne 2016 Start of painting and assembly of the Volkswagen Tiguan (1st gen.) 2017 Start of production of the Porsche Cayman 2018 Start of production of the Skoda Karoq and the MOIA 2020 Start of production of the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet 2021-2023 Takeover of final assembly of the Arteon Shooting Brake 2023 Start of overflow production of Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster
Information for the press Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH
Christian Schiebold
Mission Maximum
The Grundmann Collection: hall after hall of rarities, unique specimens, special bodies based on the Beetle up to 1957, and the T1 and Karmann Ghia. First up, the Karmann Con- vertible (front right): Traugott Grundmann lovingly restored this Beetle and brought it, still red at the time, back to Germany with him. RARE & ORIGINAL THE MOST EXCLUSIVE VOLKSWAGEN COLLECTION IN THE WORLD So many oldest and original Volkswagen in one place – that is unique anywhere in the world. 6362 1 “The collection is like a family member to me,” says Jens Meusel (right), who has been involved in Hessisch Oldendorf for years. Christian Grundmann (left) sees the project as a complete oeuvre: “It is quid pro quo. Everyone here has their own passion.” 2 Treasures in the Karmann corner: the Karmann Ghia Type 34 Convertible once belonged to the Karmann family. The Type 34 Convertible never went into production and is one of eight prototypes. 3 An exotic item in the collection of official vehicles: the 1958 T1 remains the only radiation monitoring vehicle in Lower Saxony – even today. 4 Volkswagen Convertible Hebmüller No. 5: Christian Grundmann is often offered cars, because people know they are in good hands here. The oldest existing Hebmüller model, dating back to 1949, recently starred in the two-part ARD television programme “Aenne Burda”. 5 The only Rometsch Car Body Museum in the world: seven classics from the Berlin coachbuilder are on display here. The collection also offers insights into the development of special bodywork based on Volkswagen, as well as the company’s furnishings. 21 43 5 Volkswagen Records. Collectors & Fans.Volkswagen Records. Collectors & Fans. I have spent a lot of time in archives and doing research. This also helps to ensure we restore them as authentically as possible.” Decoration also forms an important aspect of the collection.
360° Wolfsburg - September 2019
“We are already working on making the platform suitable for the Volkswagen Bulli van and the Karmann Ghia. In fact, we’re even toying with the idea of creating an e-version of the Porsche 356,” notes Fazel, sharing an insight into a charged-up future for historic vehicles. Even the platform itself is experiencing an upgrade. According to Fazel, “We are already planning to transition from the e-up1! to MEB technology. This move is set to promise not only added performance and a better range, but also greater efficiency.” Electrifying the Beetle Yours sincerely, Thomas Schmall New Employees, Exciting Tasks, and a Common Goal 26 plants in 13 countries with almost 35,000 employees: Engine and Casting is the largest business area within Group Components. One of the people involved in raising its profile is Benjamin Marks. The 33-year-old has been Coordinator of the Operations division within this business area since May. This is where coordination tasks such as capacity planning and scheduling within the company network take place, performance management is in operation, Benjamin Marks on how he started out in the Engine and Casting division “Cross-site cooperation in the international components network helps us take a consistent approach to working on product costs and quality.” Herbert Steiner, Business Area Manager Engine and Casting Expertise and on-site experience: Benjamin Marks brings both to the table to develop this business area. and efficiency programs are created. But for the time being, it is time to establish some structure and organization so that the Engine and Casting division can operate cleanly and efficiently within Group Components. Born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Marks has extensive experience when it comes to casting, having gained invaluable expertise across three different Casting subdivisions at the Kassel plant. It was during this time that he was also responsible for the shopfloor support team.
360° Wolfsburg - July 2020
I talian elegance based on a Beetle design – that was the dream of Wilhelm Karmann, the head of the Osnabrück-based body shop in the early 1950s. His dream ultimately became a reality in July 1955 when the new, elegant Karmann Ghia Coupe (Type 14) based on the Volkswagen Type 1 was presented to the press at the Casino Hotel in Georgsmarienhütte. The 2+2-seater coupe was just as popular there as it was at its official market premiere at the IAA in September 1955, when Karmann combined the reliable technology of the Beetle with an elegant Italian body. Its enlarged front seating area, two beautiful circular instruments on the dash panel and a top speed of 116 km/h promised Seat in Barcelona: The factory in the Zona Franca went into operation in 1953. It manufactured the Type 1400. Alpine tour in 1957: three women with the Karmann Ghia convertible (front) and the coupe. a driving experience like no other. Production began in August 1955 and what happened next was a true success story: The coupe won the hearts of people all around the world. Two years later, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 14 convertible also rolled off the production line. “The dream car for pampered motorists who love a fast, sporty driving experience – even with the top down,” was the allure of the 1958 sales brochure. After 19 successful years with 362,601 coupes and 80,881 convertibles produced, the elegant model from Osnabrück was finally retired. Volkswagen ushered in a new era in 1974, with the Scirocco ready as its successor. 65 Years Ago: The Karmann Ghia Coupe Celebrates Its Premiere 70 Years Ago: Seat Becomes a Licensed Manufacturer The Passat was awarded five stars for passenger protection in the Euro NCAP crash test in 2005. After the Touareg, Touran and Golf, this was the fourth Volkswagen model in a row to receive the highest rating for vehicle safety. The Passat also achieved the best result to date in terms of child safety, with four stars.
Scirocco - Chronology
Background: Just a few months after the world premiere of the Passat, and shortly before the launch of the Golf that was new at that time, the successor to the Karmann Ghia marked the end of Volkswagens with boxer engines and rear-mounted engines in Europe. In parallel, the Scirocco contributed to general acceptance of a new production system – the modular principle that would soon cause a furor in the automotive industry. That is because much of what customers got a little later on the Golf was already on the Scirocco. World premiere in 1974 in Geneva The 3.85 meter long Scirocco debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in the year 1974. As described, it succeeded the Karmann Ghia – internally designated the Type 14 – that since 1966 had written automotive history with a fascinating design, proven Beetle technology and affordable prices. Like the Type 14, the Scirocco – developed under the code name EA398 – was created at Karmann in Osnabrück. While the Karmann Ghia tended to appeal to women customers, the Scirocco, designed by Italdesign in Turin, appealed equally to female and male car drivers. With its clear, defined edges, emphatic wedge shape, low belt line and taut rear end, the design originated from the same form language that Giorgetto Giugiaro also favored for the first Golf. At the same time, the car was clearly differentiated from the more baroque forms of its competitors from the German states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Hessen. Classic sports car proportions The impression that the coupé communicated to its audience was one of a unified whole. Its wheelbase (2.40 Meter) was as long as possible, the extended hood and short fastback with integrated Bürzel spoiler created – together with its generous tread widths – classic sports car proportions. The Scirocco of Generation I conceptualized in Wolfsburg was also one of the first cars with integrated drip moldings, which fit in ideally with its overall very "clean", unpretentious appearance.
Positioning
It was as long ago as 1949 that Karmann started producing the Beetle Cabriolet in Osnabrück, supplemented by the Karmann Ghia Cabriolet from 1957 to 1974. More than 330,000 units of the open-top Beetle were sold and it was not discontinued until 1980 – Volkswagen had already showcased the Golf I Cabriolet the previous year. The latter remained in production until 1993 and was followed by the Golf III Cabriolet (1993 to 1998), the Golf IV Cabriolet (1998 – 2002) and the Golf VI Cabriolet (2011 – 2016). A total of more than 770,000 Golf Cabriolet were produced over the course of four generations. All Golf Cabriolets were built in Osnabrück, while the Eos with its steel folding roof was produced in Palmela (Portugal) from 2006 to 2015. From 2003 to 2010 the New Beetle Cabriolet was manufactured at the Mexican plant in Puebla, followed by the Beetle Cabriolet from 2011 to 2019. Off-road vehicles with a military background. Volkswagen built light off-road vehicles without a fixed roof for many years. The Type 181 (1969 to 1980) and the Type 183 (1978 to 1988) – also known as the Iltis – were produced for military purposes. By contrast, the cheerful, colourful style of the two-seater buggies based on the Beetle was geared strictly towards civil use. These were sold in the 1960s and 1970s as conversion or assembly kits, mainly in the USA, with Karmann producing some 1,800 for Volkswagen. Crossover 1990. A conceptual predecessor to the T-Roc Cabriolet that is less well-known was the Biagini Passo. As long as 30 years ago, it likewise combined the robustness of an off-road car with the open character of a convertible. Italian manufacturer ACM merged the all-wheel drive technology of the Golf II Country with the open body of the Golf I. Only about 100 of these were built between 1990 and 1993.
The New Scirocco – International Driving Presentation Portugal, June 2008
The sports car was a sensation, since it not only replaced the rear engine Karmann Ghia, but also initiated – after the Passat presented before it – a whole new era of design. The fact is that the original Scirocco designed by Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro (Italdesign) offered an initial glimpse of the future Golf that was also drawn up at Italdesign. 34 years later, this history is now repeating itself in some aspects. The reason: this third generation Scirocco is the first Volkswagen to exhibit the new front end design for a new era. A distinctive characteristic of the Scirocco front end are its chrome headlamp bodies and the high-sheen black inside surfaces of the headlamp housings that are joined by a radiator grille cross bar, also in high-sheen black. On this sports car, the VW emblem is not integrated in the radiator grille, rather it is mounted on the engine hood. THE DESIGN OF THE SCIROCCO IN DETAIL Designers configured the third generation Scirocco unmistakably as a pure sports car. Even more powerful than the original Scirocco of the 1970s and the second generation in the 1980s, the new Scirocco still offers significantly more interior space. That is because – in contrast to its two predecessors – the Scirocco of the year 2008 does not have a sloped hatch, rather a steep hatch with a long roof and vertical tailgate. That offers two crucial advantages. First: the Scirocco exhibits very crisp proportions. Especially when viewed from the rear, it immediately becomes clear that the 1.80 meter long roof together with the lateral lines of the windows stand on very broad and powerful shoulder sections. So the Scirocco's design is based on flawless sports car fundamentals. Second: the new model also has space in back for two adults and their luggage. Altogether, the progressively styled Scirocco combines a high level of everyday utility with high-end design.
Season-opener: Volkswagen Classic showcases Italian elegance in Bremen
The new, elegant Karmann Ghia Coupé (Type 14), based on the Volkswagen Type 1, was an immediate hit there, just as it was at the car’s official launch at the IAA in September 1955. Production started in August 1955, and what followed was an unparalleled success story: the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia won the hearts of men and women all over the world. Open-top dream: Karmann Ghia Type 14 Cabriolet Two years later, in November 1957, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 14 Cabriolet began rolling off the assembly line. “The dream car for fastidious motorists who love to drive fast, even with the roof down,” claimed the sales brochure in 1958. The convertible top set benchmarks in terms of workmanship, material and low noise. Production draws to an end after almost two decades After 19 successful years and the production of 362,601 coupés and 80,881 convertible Karmann Ghia Type 14, the elegant model from Osnabrück went into retirement in 1974. Volkswagen heralded a new era: the Scirocco was ready to take its place. A first in Bremen The final Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was made on 31 July 1974: with 50 PS, 1,584 cc and with a Phoenix Red paintjob. Up until now, it has only been possible to view this car in Volkswagen’s own car collection at Volkswagen Osnabrück. At the 2020 Bremen Classic Motorshow, Volkswagen Classic is giving the public access to the last car of its type – for the first time. Tradition connects in Hall 5 Volkswagen Classic’s Karmann Ghia Type 14 can be seen in Hall 5 from 31 January to 02 February 2020, together with more exhibits from throughout Volkswagen’s rich history. Under the slogan “Tradition verbindet” (Tradition connects), Volkswagen Classic has once again teamed up with Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge Oldtimer, Audi Tradition, Volkswagen Classic Parts, and 1. Käferclub Wolfsburg for a united presence at the motor show. Roughly 650 exhibitors from twelve different countries are represented across an area of 47,000 m² at the Bremen Classic Motorshow.