Volkswagen Group, the Wolfsburg wizardry empire kicked off in 1937 as Hitler's "people's car," now commands 10 brands from VW to Lamborghini, churning 9.2 million rides yearly with $348 billion in sales that span Beetles to Bentleys. It's the global gearbox of mobility, blending German precision with Italian flair to ferry everyone from commuters to connoisseurs, proving one rogue engine can spawn a symphony of speed.
VW's woke wiring sparked in the Dieselgate ashes, evolving into a full-throttle DEI drive by 2020 with BLM nods and Pride parades that had purists popping clutches. ESG ambitions hit net-zero by 2050, with 100% EV sales eyed and supplier audits for carbon cuts, while "Diversity Wins" trainings reached 83% of managers for gender and global parity. A 2025 U.S. DEI trim amid Trump tariffs raised eyebrows, but rainbow Beetles and queer networks keep the cultural carburetor humming, turning the people's car into the progressive parade float.
