Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...

began its involvement in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

when in 1949, Motor Distributors Limited, founded by Stephen O'Flaherty secured the franchise for the country at that year's Paris Motor Show.

Volkswagen assembly

Motor Distributors' began to handle

in 1950, when

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...

s started arriving into

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

packed in crates in what was termed ' completely knocked down' (CKD) form ready to be assembled. The vehicles were assembled in a former tram depot at 162 Shelbourne Road in

Ballsbridge Ballsbridge () (from historic Ball's Bridge) is an affluent neighbourhood of the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The area is largely north and west of a three-arch stone bridge across the River Dodder, on the south side of the city. Th ...

. As of 2021, this is the premises for Ballsbridge Motors who are a Mercedes-Benz dealer. The first Volkswagen ever built outside

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

was assembled here. This vehicle is now on display at the Volkswagen Museum in

Wolfsburg Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony, located on the river Aller. It lies about east of Hanover and west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's hea ...

. Irish-assembled Beetles rose from an output of 46 units in 1950 to 2,155 units in 1952. This necessitated a move in 1955 to a new factory premises on the Naas Road. Assembly of the Beetle continued there until 1977 when production of the car ceased in Europe. Volkswagen vehicle assembly continued in Dublin until the mid-1980s. During the same period, the Volkswagen Transporter van was also assembled at these premises. This premises remained as the headquarters for Motor Distributors Ltd.

Volkswagen sales

Between 1950 and 1980, Beetle sales in Ireland averaged at 3,000 - 4,000 units per annum peaking in 1972 when 5,288 units were sold. In 1953, O'Flaherty acquired the Volkswagen franchise for the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, which he sold to the Thomas Tilling group in 1957. In 1956, Volkswagen sales were high enough to cause concern in

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

that it was adversely affecting the

balance of payments In international economics, the balance of payments (also known as balance of international payments and abbreviated BOP or BoP) of a country is the difference between all money flowing into the country in a particular period of time (e.g., a ...

. The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 was introduced in 1975 and the Beetle ceased to be sold in 1980.

Addition of other Volkswagen Group brands

The rights to distribute the

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...

brand were acquired in 1967 and the rights for

Skoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...

acquired in 1993.

Transfer back to manufacturer control

In 2007, it was announced that

Volkswagen AG Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

would take direct control over its operations in Ireland from October 2008. This took effect on 10 October 2008 when the distribution business became Volkswagen Group Ireland. This came about as result of the lifting of block exemption regulations in 2003. Headquarter were moved from its premises on the Naas Road to Liffey Valley. In November 2009, Volkswagen Group Ireland also took control of the distribution business of

SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

in Ireland, another Volkswagen Group Brand.

References

External links

History of VW manufacturing in Ireland

Volkswagen Ireland - History

History of Ballsbridge Motors - Original Site of Assembly for VW in Ireland
{{Volkswagen Group brands Volkswagen Group Automotive companies of Ireland Economic history of Ireland Retail companies of Ireland Companies of the Republic of Ireland