“If many people were to afford a car, it had to be low in original purchase price and financially economical to own and operate. The car had to be durable (of high and enduring quality, with good reliability) and should have the ability to operate on a less than perfect system of roads, not all of which were yet paved. Most of the roads in Europe before World War Two were built for equestrian travel – not for motor vehicles. The car should also retain its value as a well-maintained used vehicle. The design of the small car had to be simple enough that it would be easy and economical to produce in a very large quantity would be widely sold (it should be a popular car), replacement or spare parts would have to be relatively inexpensive (as opposed to being of “cheap” or lesser quality), of high quality and easy to obtain. One would require a wide and well-stocked retail or dealership network, with adequate parts on hand (as opposed to a “just in time” system of inventory). In fact, Volkswagen dealerships of the future would be required to have enough spare parts on hand to actually assemble an entire car. If they failed to do this, they would risk losing their cherished and lucrative franchise. In addition to this would be the required virtues of easy engine-starting (in any climate or type of weather), good road handling, driver and passenger comfort, and of course safety.”
Nonnenkamp, Marc. Volkswagen: a Car for the People / A Success Story (Kindle Locations 449-454). CreateSpace and Authorlink. Kindle Edition.