( ... ) The need for [the Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswage Type 1 or informally the Volkswagen Bug], and its functional objectives, were formulated by Adlof Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany, wishing for a cheap, simple car to be mass-produced for the new road network of his country.He contracted Porsche in 1934 to design and build it to his exacting standards. Ferdinand Porsche and his team took until 1938 to finalise the design. ( ... )
( ... ) When Hitler asked the German automobile industry to develop a "suitable small car" in 1934, Porsche submitted the best design─and was awarded the contract. At the 1935 German auto show, Hitler was full of praise for Porsche. He said he was pleased that, thanks to "the abilities of the brilliant design engineer Porsche," it had been possible to "complete the preliminary designs for the German Volkswagen (people's car)."
A new factory had to be built to produce the car, as well as a new town surrounding the factory to house the workers. ( ... )