The 100 millionth Volkswagen, a Touran 1.9-litre TDI in metallic Reflex Silver, came off the assembly line in Wolfsburg yesterday, making Volkswagen the first automotive manufacturer in Europe to reach this production milestone.

Reinhard Jung, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for production, praised the ‘achievement of our employees’ for the production milestone.

Volkswagen’s road to success began with the now legendary Beetle. Production in Wolfsburg began in 1945 with 1,800 Beetles produced over the year. Output from the factory then steadily increased, and only five years later the 100,000th Volkswagen left the assembly line. At the time the range consisted of not only the Beetle, but also the (T1) Transporter.

The model range continued to grow. Seven Beetle models and a total of five Golf generations are milestones in this development. Over 21.5 million Beetles, 23 million Golfs and 13 million Passats, as well as nine million Polos, are further confirmation of Volkswagen’s success. In 2002, Golf production overtook that achieved by the Beetle, in turn setting a new record for the Volkswagen brand.

Volkswagen now builds vehicles all over the world at plants in Wolfsburg; Emden; Hanover; Mosel; Brussels; Pamplona; Bratislava; Palmela; Poznan; Mexico; Argentina; Brazil; South Africa; and China.

Customers can now choose from a diverse range of 41 models spanning from the compact Lupo up to buses and trucks, according to country. Volkswagen vehicles offer customers leading-edge technology and the highest quality in almost every segment of the car market. The range includes models such as the Golf, Passat, Touran and Polo in the mainstream sector, plus the Phaeton and Touareg in the luxury sector.

In 2004, Volkswagen delivered 3.06 million vehicles to customers in more than 150 countries around the world. The Volkswagen brand has a global workforce of over 133,000.