model history

Built from 1938 to 2003, the Volkswagen Beetle is the most famous Volkswagen, the most famous German car, and generally one of the most famous cars ever. Until 1967 it was called Type 1, 1200, 1300 (after the engine capacity in cc), but popularly it was called “beetle” because of its shape, after which the manufacturer started using that name itself. More than 20 million units of the Volkswagen Beetle were produced from 1937 to 2003. This makes it the longest and most produced car on the same platform.

History

The Beetle was a combination of ideas that were put together by Ferdinand Porsche when he was commissioned by Adolf Hitler to design a car for the people. However, large parts of it were not designed by Porsche, but by Béla Barényi and/or Erwin Komenda. Both claim to be the original creators of the concept. According to others, the Hungarian Josef Ganz was the designer.[1][2] It remains unclear who the actual inventor of the concept was.

The Beetle’s characteristic air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine, which is located in the rear, was designed by Franz Reimspiess. Hitler made it possible to start production, but because the factory was quickly used for the war industry, there was little opportunity to introduce the Beetle as a people’s car. The concept was used more as a propaganda tool for Kraft durch Freude. Only after the war did production really get off the ground.

The first prototypes had no rear window. During testing, a complaint was made about this and two small windows were installed. The windows looked a bit like the lenses of glasses, which is why the first Beetles were called Spectacle Beetles.

Wolfsburg

After the Second World War, the Volkswagen factory and the “Stadt des KdF-Wagens” were located in the British part of Germany. British Major Ivan Hirst had car production resumed for reparations. The place name was changed to Wolfsburg, after the nearby castle. The factory name became Wolfsburg Motor Works, a name that is said to be based on a wrong translation of Bayerische Motoren Werke.[source?] Later[(since) when?] the company was called Volkswagen. In 1948 Heinz Nordhoff became director.

Initially, the cars were only sold to utility companies. Not long after[(since) when?], sales to private individuals started and that became a huge success, because the Beetle suddenly became immensely popular. That was the reason for the export. Volkswagen took over Adler’s dealer network.[(since) when?] One of the first export countries was the Netherlands, where Ben Pon imported the cars from 1946. The export models were often better decorated.

Before exports to the United States of America were established, Sweden and the United Kingdom were the main export markets.[source?]

Improvements

In the early 1950s, the rear window became 50% larger. Beetles of this type are often called Ovaaltje. The rear window would be enlarged again and also became slightly more rectangular. The Beetle was changed a little over the years, so that Beetles from 1949 and 1970 only had one part in common: the rubber sealing strip of the engine valve.[source?]

The engine’s displacement was gradually increased from 1100 cc to 1584 cc. The power and top speed increased significantly. Safety was also improved, for example through the use of larger bumpers, larger headlights, clearer turn signals, better brakes and larger rear lights.

The biggest change was made in the 1970s. Between August 1970 and January 1980, in addition to the standard model, the 1302 and 1303 models were also built, which Volkswagen itself (especially in America) called Super beetles. The 1302 (sedan and convertible) was only built for two years (from August 1970 to July 1972). The 1303 sedan was built from August 1972 to July 1975 and the 1303 convertible until January 1980.

Some notable changes that Volkswagen made to these models include a shorter turning circle (although the wheelbase was 2 cm longer) and an almost doubled usable luggage space (260 liters instead of 140 liters) under the front hatch. The latter was due to the better positioning of the spare wheel, which could be laid flat in a Super beetle because the front axle had been replaced by a front wheel suspension with MacPherson struts. The 1303 model has a striking convex windscreen that is 42% larger than that of its predecessor.