History

In the 1980s, while much of the global auto industry viewed China as a poor and unpredictable country with no real car market, Volkswagen made one of the boldest decisions in its history.

This is the story of how Volkswagen entered China long before most Western automakers took the country seriously, why the company risked sharing its technology with the Chinese government, how Santana and Jetta became symbols of modern China, and how Volkswagen eventually turned China into its largest and most profitable market.

But it is also the story of irony.

Because while Volkswagen was helping build China’s modern automotive industry, China was slowly building the competitors that would later challenge Volkswagen itself.

From bicycles and state owned factories to megacities, EVs, and millions of cars, this is the story of the gamble that changed both Volkswagen and China forever.