Volkswagen Logo History
From 1937 all the way until now, not too much has changed with the VW logo other than discarding Nazi symbolism and experimenting with the color blue.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
From its inception in 1937 to now, Volkswagen’s vertical VW emblem enclosed by a circle has endured in the company’s logo designs. Thankfully, the logo’s original Nazi imagery was promptly discarded at the end of World War II.
Logos have always functioned as a signature of a company. Car manufacturers started using them early on, placing them in visible locations on their vehicles so that anyone driving them would fulfill a small role in continuing to promote the company brand.
The VW logo is one of the most recognizable symbols you’re likely to see on the road, but its origins are rather dark.
Luckily, we're here to take you safely back in time to the maniacal origins of Volkswagen, tracing the changes of its logo up until the present design on vehicle's like the 2023 VW
Golf
.
Make safe driving pay
Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning now
History of the Volkswagen logo
Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front (DAF). The organization attempted to carry out Adolf Hitler’s goals of gaining control of technology production via the disenfranchisement of factory workers and the violent dismantlement of labor unions. Realizing that companies such as
Mercedes
and BMW
had already been working on “people’s car” projects since the mid-1920s, Adolf had the bright idea of stealing their ideas to use them as part of his psychopathic “Strength through Joy” (Kraft durch Freude) campaign, naming the first Beetles “KdF-Wagens.”The company’s first logo was a black monochrome reimagining of a ginfaxi, an Icelandic magic symbol similar to a swastika. It was depicted as spinning like the wheel of a car, with its central circle changed to a cog resembling the one in the DAF’s flag. Fitting snugly inside the cog was an early iteration of the still-familiar vertical VW logo.
The logo was designed by Franz Xaver Reimspiess, who would go on to develop the air-cooled four-cylinder engine for the first Beetles.
Volkswagen logo changes through time
While the design of the V above the W in a “geometrically perfect” continuation of lines has persisted throughout the logo’s history, changes were eventually made to remove Nazi imagery after World War II.
- 1937: The original logo only ever appeared on early prototypes of VW cars, and the brand was pretty much a colossal failure prior to and during the war.
- 1939: At the beginning of WWII, the ginfaxi/swastika shape was removed, but the DAF cog remained. This symbol only ever appeared on military vehicles—Ferdinand Porsche’s Type 82 Kübelwagens. Volkswagen never actually became the “people’s car” that Hitler had promised, as he wasted the “five Marks a week” that approximately 336,000 people had paid into the project on producing military vehicles instead.
- 1945: Thankfully, the Nazis lost the war, and the U.S. armed forces captured the bombed-out factory at KdF-Stadt (now Wolfsburg). The factor was handed over to the control of the British Army, who continued VW production under the military government. They inverted the color scheme of the previous design by changing the DAF cog into a brown-bordered beige circle with a smaller red circle that contained the vertical V and W.
- 1948: Now a significant element of West Germany’s post-war economic regeneration, VW changed its logo back to a monochrome black and white variation on the previous logo, with the V and W cut out of the smaller interior black circle.
- 1960: The monochrome logo’s color scheme was inverted again and a black square was added to the outside of it.
- 1967: The black was changed to sky blue, and the black square was removed.
- 1978: The design’s color scheme was once again inverted, with the design in white placed on top of a blue circle. Eventually, more details were added to the emblem, such as a 3D effect and a metallic border.
- 2020 to today: In 2020, VW underwent a major rebranding, changing the logo to a minimalist 2D design with significantly slimmed font. Two versions now exist, one with the new design in dark blue monochrome, and one with the symbol in white with the same dark blue as the background.
How to save money on car insurance for your VW
Volkswagen worked hard to overcome its beginnings. Another thing to overcome? The fact that 62% of Americans are overpaying for their
car insurance.
But you don’t have to, because Jerry
specializes in finding you the cheapest rates on the best car insurance policies.As a
trustworthy super app
, Jerry optimizes the car insurance comparison shopping experience. We provide you with customized quotes provided by over 50 partnering insurers for you to compare and contrast. All you have to do is download the app, answer some basic questions, and let Jerry do the rest!The best part is that the average Jerry user saves over$800 per year!
“This is my first time getting insurance from an app. I was super nervous. But for no reason!Jerrygot me amazing coverage with a great deal. I’m so happy I took the leap.” —Dean J.
Are you overpaying for your car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.717k Ratings5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged
Are you overpaying for car insurance?
Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.
4.7You might also be interested
