Beetle volkswagen

The Volkswagen Beetle is an economy car produced by the German automaker, Volkswagen, starting the production in 1938. The original name of the car was Volkswagen Type 1, and it was only in 1967 that Volkswagen started using “Beetle” in their promos, though the public had been using this name, along with “bug”, for quite some time before that. Volkswagen had gradually dropped the original model from most parts of the world by the 1990’s, and then launched the “New Beetle”, on the Volkswagen Golf platform, in 1998. Though the older Beetle still continued to be available in Mexico, and some other countries, till its production was stopped in 2003. Adolf Hitler commissioned it in 1933 as “Volkswagen”, the “peoples car”. It was required to be small, sturdy, and cost effective, so that everybody could own a car. But before the commercial production could begin, World War II broke out, and it wasn’t until after the war, that the occupying forces began the commercial production. However, the German forces used some prototypes of the Beetle before and during the war.

Beetle Parts: The Beetle underwent significant changes in 1967, not with its size or shape, but with its mechanical systems and component parts. The engine was made bigger for the second year in row, and the horsepower was increased form 50 hp to 53 hp. The electrical generator output was increased from 180 to 360 watts, and was upgraded form a 6-volt to a 12-volt system. Changes were also made to the clutch disk, flywheel, braking system, and rear axles.

New Beetle: When Volkswagen got a tremendous response at the 1994 North American International Auto Show for “Concept 1”, a concept car based on the Beetle’s rounded shape, they decided to reintroduce it. So, 20 years after the last Beetle was sold in the United States, Volkswagen launched the “New Beetle” in 1998. The New Beetle was manufactured in Puebla, Mexico. It has a front water cooled engine which drives the front wheels, and is similar to the old Beetle only in the aesthetic and styling sense, apart from which, it’s a completely modern vehicle. There are also many accessories that can be opted for which gives the car a classier look. Each accessory for the car can be also bought from the official Volkswagen site. There are many pictures, including animated pictures, of this new trendy car on the company’s website. While the company started focusing on the New Beetle, which was based on the Volkswagen A platform, sales for the original Beetle dwindled and it was finally phased out, with the last Beetle being manufactured on July 30, 2003, some 65 years after its original launch, with the car being shipped off to the Volkswagen museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Beetle Convertibles: Volkswagen first introduced the convertible version in 1949, and continued to sell it till 1980, after which the car was slowly phased out. The convertible was not as famous, and it sold only 331,000 of its units, which is a fraction of the almost 22 million original Beetles sold. The new Beetle also has a convertible model, which has classic looks, is steady on the roads, and is modestly priced at around ,500.

Beetle Sales: Ever since the car started commercial production after the war, it quickly became very popular, and the millionth car came off the assembly line in 1955. This trend has been continuing steadily, with the total production crossing 16 million in 1973, and over 21 million by 1992, breaking all previous records.