Volkswagen do Brasil

History

The Volkswagen assembly plant in Brazil was established after the Brazilian government prohibited the import of fully built-up vehicles in 1953. Its first president was Friedrich Schultz-Wenk who had emigrated to Brazil in 1950 after a brief stint as a prisoner of war, followed by some time in Wolfsburg. Their first plant was in Ipiranga, São Paulo and was a strict knock-down kit operation. In two years 2268 Fuscas and 552 Kombis were assembled there by hand. Originally only the Kombi was built locally from September 1957, but from January 1959 the 1200 cc "Fusca" also entered local production, with ever-growing local parts content.

Workers have been accusing Volkswagen do Brasil of spying on them starting in the 1970s, which was during Brazil's military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. The former employees put accusations on the firm of allowing its workers to be detained and tortured under Brazil's military rule. VW's security personnel informed the political police on eventual oppositional activities. In 1976, mass arrests occurred and some VW employees were tortured. In 1979, Brazilian VW workers traveled to Wolfsburg to inform the CEO in person.

In 2014, the "truth commission" convened by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff found documents that "dozens of companies, including Volkswagen and other foreign automakers, helped the military identify union activists", including Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In subsequent meetings before the São Paulo state commission, VW legal counsel have denied accusations and contested there was no document proving VW had violated human rights.

In 2015, activists and former VW employees in Brazil spoke out in public, accusing the company's silence about the persecution of its workers.

In November 2016, VW commissioned a second expert review of the situation by historian Christopher Kopper of Bielefeld University, which is due end of 2017 after its "chief historian Manfred Grieger quit around the same time as Kopper was appointed."

Models

Current models

• Volkswagen Polo Track
• Volkswagen Virtus
• Volkswagen Nivus
• Volkswagen T-Cross
• Volkswagen Taos
• Volkswagen Tera
• Volkswagen Jetta GLI
• Volkswagen Saveiro
• Volkswagen Amarok
• Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

Brazilian developed Volkswagens

By 1961, Volkswagen had surpassed Willys-Overland to become the biggest producer of vehicles in Brazil. Many models were designed especially for Brazil:

• Brasília
• SP1 & SP2
• 1500/Variant/Variant II
• Karmann Ghia TC
• Gol
• Voyage - a Gol sedan, sold as the Volkswagen Fox in North America
• Parati - a Voyage/Fox station wagon derivative
• Saveiro - a Gol pickup truck
• Fox/CrossFox/SpaceFox

From 1971 to 1975 approximately 250 Brazil "kombi" buses were produced with Special Editions, these buses had +8 sky windows, mouldings, timer clock. These buses are called "de luxe," the German name is "Samba."

After 1997 Volkswagen has been the only manufacturer to continue manufacturing ethanol powered vehicles after others withdrew.

In 2012, Volkswagen built 852,086 units (including CKD kits), making them the biggest producer in the country and second in sales. Volkswagen operates four plants, in São Bernardo do Campo, Taubaté, São José dos Pinhais, and São Carlos. The São Carlos plant only makes engines.

From 1987 to 1995, Volkswagen do Brasil's history was affected by the AutoLatina arrangement between Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group.

Trucks and buses

From 1979 until 1999, Volkswagen do Brasil created and developed Volkswagen Caminhões Ltda, (the Volkswagen Trucks and Buses division), after which the operation was taken over by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In December 2008, it was announced that Volkswagen Trucks and Buses was to be sold to MAN.

In 1986, Volkswagen entered a deal with Paccar to sell their trucks with Peterbilt or Kenworth badging in the United States. This would allow Paccar's dealers to offer Class 7 trucks without having to go the competition. Volkswagen's Latin American trucks had always been built much heavier than elsewhere in the world, where this sector has mainly been the responsibility of MAN. The Peterbilt-Volkswagen 200 was affectionately known as "Peter Rabbit."

Facilities

Volkswagen do Brasil operates four factories:

CEOs

• Friedrich Schulz-Wenk (1953–1969)
• Rudolf Leiding (1969–1973)
• Wolfgang Sauer (1973–1993)
• Herbert Demel (1997–2002)
• Paul S. Fleming (2002–2003)
• Hans-Christian Maergner (2004–2007)
• Thomas Schmall (2007–2015)
• David Powels (2015 - 2017)
• Pablo Di Si (2017 - 2022)
• Ciro Possobom (2022 - Present)

References

References

1. Just-Auto Global News. Aroq Limited. (2013-04-02). Calmon. Fernando
2. Shapiro, Helen. (Winter 1991). "Determinants of Firm Entry into the Brazilian Automobile Manufacturing Industry, 1956-1968". The Business History Review.
3. (1966-09-19). "VW-Tochter: Erfolg mit Fusca". Rudolf Augstein.
4. Wolfe, Joel. (2010). "Autos and Progress: The Brazilian search for Modernity". Oxford UP.
5. "Slave Labor Accusations Come Back to Haunt Volkswagen in Brazil".
6. (2015-09-23). "Volkswagen 'allowed torture' under Brazil military rule". BBC News.
7. Agence France Presse [http://fp.brecorder.com/2017/07/20170725201358/ Volkswagen aided Brazil dictatorship’s repression: historian] Business Recorder REPORT, 25 July 2017
8. Brian Winter [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-dictatorship-volkswagen-idUSKBN0H017P20140905Volkswagen spied on Lula, other Brazilian workers in 1980s]{{dead link. (July 2021)
9. Brian Winter [https://www.reuters.com/article/brazil-dictatorship-companies-idUSL1N0W132020150228 Brazil probe of dictatorship period not satisfied by Volkswagen testimony] Reuters, February 28, 2015
10. [http://www.dw.com/en/vw-worked-hand-in-hand-with-brazils-military-dictatorship/a-39814070 VW worked hand in hand with Brazil's military dictatorship] 24.07.2017 Deutsche Welle
11. LTO. "Untersuchung zu 'Fazenda VW' geht weiter".
12. (23 July 2025). "Volkswagen kept a dark secret in the Amazon. Then a priest made a call.". The Washington Post.
13. Feltrin, Ariverson. (1998-02-18). "Manufacturers want alcohol program". Gazeta Mercantil.
14. [https://www.truck.man.eu/de/en/man-world/man-in-germany/press-and-media/MAN-acquires-Brazil-based-VW-Truck-and-Bus-52357.html MAN acquires Brazil based VW Truck and Bus] MAN 15 December 2015
15. Barden, Paul. (December 1986). "Foden: A Family Affair". FF Publishing Ltd.
16. Queiroz, Roberto. (December 1986). "View: Brazil". FF Publishing Ltd.
17. "Volkswagen do Brasil".