On 8 October 1949, the British Military Government transfers trusteeship of Volkswagenwerk to the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, while its administration is entrusted to the government of Lower Saxony.
Series production of the Type 2, starts on 8 March 1950, and extends the product range. The Volkswagen Transporter or Volkswagen Bus enjoys a rapidly growing popularity thanks to its multifunctionality. In 1956, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles get a production facility of their own with the completion of the Hanover plant, that forms the core of today's brand.
The first step in the process of internationalizing the company's operations is taken on 11 September 1952 with the establishment of "Volkswagen Canada Ltd." in Toronto, Ontario. On 23 March 1953, "Volkswagen do Brasil Ltda." is established and converted into a public limited company on 12 July 1955. Volkswagen do Brasil becomes the largest Brazilian car manufacturer in 1959.
Employees and dealers inside and outside Germany celebrate the production of the 1,000,000th Volkswagen in Wolfsburg in 1955.
After the sales of Volkswagen on the US market began increasing by leaps and bounds, "Volkswagen of America, Inc." is formed on 27 October 1955 and is later headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. In order to consolidate its position on the South African market, Volkswagenwerk GmbH acquires a minority stake in the general importer "South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors Ltd." (SAMAD) on 8 June 1956. SAMAD is renamed "Volkswagen of South Africa (Pty) Ltd." in January 1966.
