▁short ened ▁to ▁Kü bel wagen . ▁Mer cedes , ▁Op el ▁and ▁T atra ▁also ▁built ▁Kü b els itz wagen . ▁ ▁With ▁its ▁rolling ▁ch ass is ▁and ▁mechan ics ▁built ▁at ▁Stadt ▁des ▁K d F - W agens ▁( ren amed ▁Wolf s burg ▁after ▁ 1 9 4 5 ), ▁and ▁its ▁body ▁built ▁by ▁US - owned ▁firm ▁Am bi ▁Bud d ▁Press werke ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁the ▁Kü bel wagen ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁what ▁the ▁Je ep ▁and ▁G A Z - 6 7 ▁were ▁for ▁the ▁Al lies . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Although ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁discussed ▁with ▁Ferdinand ▁Por sche ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁military ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁Volks wagen ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁that ▁high - ran king ▁Third ▁Reich ▁army ▁officials ▁formally ▁approached ▁Por sche ▁about ▁design ing ▁an ▁in exp ensive , ▁light - weight ▁military ▁transport ▁vehicle , ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁operated ▁reli ably ▁both ▁on - ▁and ▁off - road , ▁in ▁even ▁the ▁most ▁extreme ▁conditions . ▁This ▁imp lied ▁that ▁the ▁Be et le ▁could ▁provide ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁such ▁a ▁vehicle . ▁ ▁Por sche ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁immediately , ▁having ▁a ▁prototype ▁of ▁the ▁vehicle ▁ready ▁within ▁the ▁month , ▁but ▁realized ▁during ▁development ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁enough ▁to ▁rein force ▁the ▁Be et le ' s ▁ch ass is ▁to ▁handle ▁the ▁str