Volkswagen's 100 millionth car rolls off assembly line

Volkswagen’s 100 millionth post-Second World War car, a silver Touran van, rolled off the assembly line today to cheers from factory workers and managers.

The Touran, produced at the company’s main plant in the central German city of Wolfsburg, is a long way from the classic Beetle that made the company’s VW badge famous.

The first model of what would become known as the Beetle was developed in 1934 under the guidance of Adolf Hitler who wanted to build a people’s car – or Volkswagen, in German. It first entered mass production after the Second World War.

In the decades after 1945, Volkswagen produced some 21.5 million Beetles. It also has made 23 million Golfs, 13 million Passats and nine million Polos.

The company has expanded to produce in facilities throughout Germany, as well as in Belgium, Spain, Slovakia, Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and China.