The Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle, known as "Käfer" (Beetle) in its home country, was produced from 1938 to 2003, with a final sales figure exceeding 21,500,000 units. As it was a car produced from the very beginning with the ordinary person in mind, the versatile Volkswagen (known as the Beetle in English-speaking countries) experienced a true "Beetlemania," the peak of which could be observed in 1971 – production then amounted to 1,300,000 "beetles."

However, before it became one of the favorite cars in the West and a hippie symbol of counterculture, it had to undergo many tests during its trial period in the Third Reich. It was then, when Hitler came to power in Germany, that the Volkswagen Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche as a standard car for the German citizen – so that everyone could afford it, that it could accommodate two adults with three children, and that it could reach a speed of up to 100 km/h. Hitler, a great fan of motoring, was apparently satisfied with the Beetle, as the "beetle" also saw a "wartime" version, for a time when gasoline was scarce – the car was then powered by wood gas. This version of the Beetle was used by the Third Reich elite in the 1940s.

Production of the "beetle" was halted in 2003, due to declining sales figures after 1971. Despite this, it remains a symbol of freedom – for millions of people, it was a universal means of transport, being a worthy companion during the daily commute to work or during summer trips to the farthest corners of Europe.

The drawing was made by Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.