Narrated by George Scharmen, “The Carmakers” is a 1968 color promotional film by German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen. The film sheds light on the automated systems and machinery that make up the Volkswagen assembly line, emphasizing the fusion of manual labor and cutting edge, high tech, computer-controlled, precision manufacturing automata / machines.
Film opens, title; Volkswagen (VW) emblem in lower right corner against pink sunset (0:09). Montage shots within industrial foundry; Bright orange embers of piping hot melted metal, various shapes for castings (0:24). Machine presses metal into various car parts, completed parts carried along conveyor belt and fashioned together on automated assembly line (0:55). Completed 1968 red VW Beetle on production line (1:17). 1968 red VW Beetle speeds along track for crash and safety testing (1:28). 1960s mainframe computer with magnetic tape (DEI Defense Electronics Inc.) (1:42). Engineers review footage of crash test, note improvements to be made (1:50). DRB Class 52 steam locomotive (2:33). Rows and rows of parked 1968 VW Beetles waiting to be loaded onto cargo ship (Marie Luise Bolten, Hamburg c. 1965) (2:57). Design and engineering department, designers and engineers busy at work sketching (3:24). Close-ups of precise machines forming various parts of VW vehicle, other manual labor carried out along assembly line (3:54). Smog testing using Clayton Dynamometer, compliance with international regulations (5:17). Punched tape fed into computer with operation instructions; Examples of automated machines replicating actions to produce various parts (5:53). Assembly of engine by hand, use of customized computer to direct performance (7:02). Inspection and testing of completed engines (8:55). Automated machine builds frame of car piece by piece (9:04). Engineer tests prototype to be fed to computer for automatic production of parts (11:35). Master craftsmen inspect, improve automatic machines (12:09). Transmission tested using special device (13:44). Form of car complete, finishing touches completed by hand i.e. precise shaping of doors and windows (14:50). Finished frames of 1968 VW Beetles dipped into “bath” of priming base coat, men along assembly line buff, sand, smooth surface of vehicle by hand (15:27). Precision painting using machinery: Example of liquid electrostatic spray coating technologies (16:41). Individual parts of car tested using automated machinery: doors open and closed, windows rolled up and down, wipers go back and forth, steering wheel rotated (17:01). Emphasis on dynamism of assembly line, every part has its destination in the factory as they travel along overhead chain conveyor system (17:48). Special customizations depending on market consumer: Yellow headlights for French market, special taillights and sealed beam headlights for American market (19:03). Completed 1968 VW Beetles in variety of colors glisten under industrial lights, driven off of assembly line (19:33). Testing vehicles in real life conditions: Suction hose projects water onto 1968 VW Beetle to duplicate conditions of rainstorm on highway (19:51). Smog test (20:03). Volkswagen wind tunnel at Wolfsburg plant (c.1968 (20:14). Back of VW Type 2 van (21:50). View of engines in factory, put to test during test drive on track, man drives VW Type 2 van (21:55). Completed VW Type 2 vans roll out of factory, park in parking lot (22:15). View of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Plant Hanover, Germany from parking lot (22:34). Picturesque city of Emden, Germany (23:08). Ingolstadt administrative building of the Autounion (23:24). VW factory Braunschweig (23:28). Aerial views of Wolfsburg Volkswagen plant (23:21). VW plant employees leaving factory complex after long day of work, drive out of parking lot in their VW vehicles (23:57). (24:22). Construction of new center for engineers, research and development; Expansion to match market demands (24:53). Close-up details of models that never made it into production (25:10). Various VW models zoom past each other on Ehra-Lessien Test Track (25:28). Train switchboard (26:28). Closing credits (26:55). End (27:29).
If you have endangered films you’d like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
