Autostadt counts 18 millionth visitor

Car enthusiast heaven, otherwise known as the Autostadt, in Wolfsburg, Germany, recently saw its 18 millionth visitor through the turnstiles. Visitor numbers are nine years ahead of schedule. The Autostadt opened its doors on 1 June 2000, with predictions of 1 million visitors per annum. A figure which, in reality, has turned out to be 2 million visitors each year.

The Volkswagen Auto Group theme park has unique pavilions for all of the marques in its stable. That’s Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, Skoda and, of course, Volkswagen. Also included is general auto museum featuring notable cars from outside the VAG history books, as well.

It’s a pretty amazing place, dominated by the twin glass car towers where buyers can collect their new cars from. You can get a taste of that experience from this previous AUSmotive article. If you get the opportunity I highly recommend a visit. Volkswagen’s press release can be read after the jump, along with a few happy snaps of my own from my visit in 2006.

Further information can be read at autostadt.de and volkswagen.com.

Autostadt Reaches 2018 Visitor-Target with 18 Millionth Guest

A mere 6 weeks before its ninth birthday the Autostadt reached its initial visitor-target for the year 2018. At the opening of Volkswagen’s theme park and communications platform on the 1st of June 2000, initial visitor-targets suggested that an annual figure of one million guests was to be expected. Due to overwhelming public acceptance and more recently car distribution figures of around 150,000 vehicles annually, the Autostadt has enjoyed visitor numbers reaching the 2 million mark per annum. During the course of Tuesday the 14th of April 2009, the 18 millionth visitor entered the Autostadt and a target was reached 9 years before it was initially expected.

“The Autostadt will enter its 10th year with this most impressive figure!” says Otto Ferdinand Wachs, Autostadt CEO. Wachs anticipates that the 19 million figure will also be reached in this year: “Volkswagen has acquired numerous new customers, amongst others, through the German Government’s Environmental Incentive. Most of them are drawn both by the excitement of visiting the Volkswagen Group’s theme park and collecting their new car personally from the Autostadt’s KundenCenter (Customer Centre). At present we are handing over around 4,200 new vehicles per week. At that figure we have almost reached our logistical limit, we are delighted however in the increased interest being shown in Volkswagen and the Autostadt.”

The Autostadt is one of Germany’s most popular tourist destinations with around 2 million visitors annually. It is a successful event location for culture and an accredited education centre. It contains the world’s largest car hand-over facility, the KundenCenter (Customer Centre) at 150,000 new Volkswagens per annum and the most visited multi-brand auto museum, the ZeitHaus.