Volkswagen Rolls Milestone Car Off Line

FRANKFURT, Germany May 24, 2005; The AP reported that Volkswagen AG's 100 millionth post-World War II car, a silver Touran van, rolled off the assembly line Tuesday to cheers from factory workers and managers.

The Touran, produced at the company's headquarters plant in the central German city of Wolfsburg, is a long way from the classic Beetle that made the company's VW emblem 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 World War II.

In the decades after 1945, Volkswagen produced some 21.5 million Beetles. It also has made 23 million Golfs, 13 million Passats and 9 million Polos.

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