VW may return to producing military vehicles for the German army, after the CEO of the VW Group, Oliver Blume, admitted that the company is open to this possibility, although it has not yet received any formal request.
The current situation in Europe, which aims to strengthen its military structure with already announced investments of €800 billion, is, however, viewed as a challenge due to the limitations in military production capacity in Europe, which could lead automotive factories to respond to the increased military demand.
Blume emphasized that, in light of the geopolitical situation, he believes it is a wise decision to increase investments in defense. Furthermore, Blume reminded that VW has produced military vehicles in the past and that, should the opportunity arise, the company will evaluate the available projects.
It is worth recalling that in April 1945, the American army expelled the Nazi forces from the city now known as Wolfsburg, where the Kübelwagen, a lightweight military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche based on the chassis and mechanics of the Beetle, was produced, using 7,700 forced laborers, mostly prisoners of war.
The VW factory had already been targeted by Allied bombings in 1944, like almost all factories producing war materials for the Nazis, but that did not prevent it from reaching a total of 66,285 units of the Kübelwagen.
