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The History of the VW Beetle

The History of the VW Beetle
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The History of the VW Beetle

Plenty of people have charted the history of the beloved VW Beetle, and since we sell VW Beetle parts, it felt right that we should add our version of the story into the mix too. So, here it is... Grab yourself a nice drink, and a comfy chair (it's no five-minute skim through), and enjoy. If we've got something wrong, let us know and tell us what it should be. If you've learned something new then drop us a comment and pass the knowledge on. 

The birth of the Beetle

The idea of the Beetle was conceived in 1931, when Ferdinand Porsche and Zundapp developed the Porsche Type 12, or “Auto fur Jedermann” (translated as “Car for Everyone”). Porsche had already developed the flat 4-cylinder air-cooled motor, and Zundapp was developing a Radial 5-cylinder water-cooled power plant. Porsche had chosen to use a “swing-axle” type rear suspension, previously invented by Edward Rumpler.

By 1932, three prototypes were running, and a fourth, the Porsche Type 32, built by the NSU motorcycle factory, joined the line-up in 1933.

In 1933 Adolf Hitler commissioned Porsche to develop a “Peoples Car” (literally a Volks Wagen). The car was to be able to seat 2 adults and 2 children with room for their luggage and be able to cruise at 100km/h (62mph). The term “Volks” had already been applied to various Nazi party-sponsored consumer products such as the Volksradio.

The Volkswagen name however wasn’t to become official until a few years down the line. The new car was initially tagged the Porsche Type 60, then christened the KdF-Wagen, KdF being the initials of the leisure arm of the Third Reich (Kraft-durch-Freude or Strength through Joy when translated to English).

October 1935 saw the first Type 60 prototype, known as the "V1" ready. By 1936, testing of the first three "V3" prototypes (red car) built in Porsche's Stuttgart shop, began. By 1937 Thirty "W30" pre-production models (grey car) manufactured by Daimler-Benz, had undergone 1,800,000 mi (2,900,000 km) of further testing.

The Sparkarte savings scheme

Already the cars had a distinctive round shape and the air-cooled, rear-mounted engine. Hitler's plan had been that the new car would be affordable to everyone and he introduced a form of partial payment for them, not dissimilar to that of the “Green Shield” system. Consumers would purchase a “Sparkarte” (a savings card) at a cost of 1 Reichsmark, the equivalent of about 30p, or around 40 US cents.

Following the purchase of the Sparkarte, they were obliged to buy at least 5 Reichsmark of stamps per week, this worked out at roughly £1.35 or $2 USD. The average Germans salary at the time was around 32 Reichsmark a week. The sum total payable for the basic car was 990 Reichsmark.

Military vehicles

The Stadt des KdF-Wagens was built in 1938 around the village of Hesslingen, as a town to house workers at the KdF-Wagen factory. By the outbreak of World War 2 in 1939, only a handful of consumer cars had been produced, and all customer orders were cancelled as production was switched from civilian vehicles to military vehicles. 

The main two vehicles produced during the war period were both Beetle-based variants, with the flat 4 air-cooled engine and rugged suspension being ideal for the harsh desert environments of Africa.

The first was the Type 82 Kubelwagen, a utilitarian off-road vehicle of very basic construction. German military officials had stipulated that the fully laden Kubelwagen (including 4 battle-dressed troops) shouldn’t weigh more than 950kg, which left the unladen vehicle with a maximum weight of 550kg. The experienced military coachbuilder Trutz was subcontracted by Porsche to assist with the body design.

Initial testing began in 1938, with successful results, and continued in Poland in 1939. The resulting tests had the German military request some important changes. Whilst the vehicle had impressive off-road credentials, even when compared to some of the existing 4x4s already in service, it was felt it could still be improved, and the vehicle's slowest speed of 5mph needed to be reduced to that of marching troops, around 2.5mph.

Porsche responded to these requests by installing “reduction boxes” (effectively a 2nd gearbox, resulting in more torque), larger wheels, and revised suspension. The reduction boxes alongside the self-locking ZF differentials increased its off-road ability, as well as allowing a lower speed to stay level with the troops. Kubelwagens went into mass production as soon as the factories in Stadt des KdF-Wagens were completed. In total 50,435 were produced. 

The second vehicle produced during the period was the Type 166 Schwimmwagen, based on prototype 4x4 Kubelwagens, the Schwimmwagen was produced as an offroad amphibious vehicle, utilizing an extended crankshaft to drive a folding propeller mounted to the rear of the vehicle.

Due to the simple nature of the propeller coupling, the Kubelwagen could only use propeller power for forward motion, reversing was done by either rowing or using the land wheels to slowly reverse the vehicle. Steering was controlled by the steering wheel on both land and water, with the front wheels acting as rudders when in boat mode. 15,125 were built in total although only around 125 are left in existence today. 

There was a third military variant of the Beetle, which was called the Kommandeurwagen, or Type 87. This was the rarest of the military models, reserved for German Military VIPs with only 669 rumoured to have been produced. The Kommandeurwagen was a hybrid of a 4x4 Kubelwagen and Beetle, using the Kubelwagen chassis, with a conventional Beetle body on the top.

A borrowed design

It is suggested that a lot of the Beetle's design features were influenced by that of the Czech manufacturer Tatra, and their chief engineer Hans Ledwinka. It is cited in the book “Car Wars” that Ferdinand Porsche admits to having “…looked over Ledwinka’s shoulder” whilst penning out the initial ideas for the Beetle.

The rear-mounted air-cooled engine could also be said to have been borrowed from Tatra T97 as well. Air-cooled technology was demanding in the 1930’s, and only subsidies from the Nazi Government meant the development of such a method could be continued by Porsche. In another quote from “Car Wars” Adolf Hitler is quoted as saying “the [Tatra] kind of car I want for my highways”.

The similarity between the two designs clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed by the likes of Tatra, who launched a lawsuit, which was then swiftly dropped following the Third Reich’s invasion of Czechoslovakia, later to be pursued by Tatra following the end of the war. The ensuing 1961 lawsuit ruled in favour of Tatra, and resulted in Volkswagen being ordered to pay a sum of 3,000,000 Deutsch Marks to Tatra.

This swallowed up a sizeable portion of VW’s development budget and led to the Beetle being one of the longest-running production vehicles of all time.

Alternative fuel Volkswagens

Whilst some civilian Beetles were produced during the war, predominantly for the high-ranking Nazi elite, production was minimal. With all available oil, and fuel being directed towards the Luftwaffe and Panzer divisions, some unusual fuelling options became available to help keep them on the road. 

One of the more abstract models was the Holzbrenner; essentially a wood-powered Beetle. The way this worked was that wood was heated until it began to break down chemically. When wood burns in a normal fire, the wood decomposes chemically due to the heat, and some of the gasses produced by the wood are flammable, and they burn as they are released. 

With the World War 2 era wood-burning cars, however, wood was heated to a temperature hot enough to decompose the wood, but the gas was not allowed to burn. It was stored in a chamber, and injected into the cylinders of a regular internal combustion car. Some of the German-made wood-burning cars were the VW Kdf Wagen (postwar Beetle), and the German Army Kübelwagen.

Major Ivan Hirst rebuilds VW!

Following the end of the war, allied forces followed the Morgenthau plan, with the aim of “pastoralizing” Germany, preventing them from building up any sort of armaments. As a result, German car production was not allowed to exceed 10% of that of 1936 production. The VW plant was taken under the control of the US armed forces.

Opinion in the United States was not flattering, however, perhaps because of the characteristic differences between the American and European car markets. The Ford company was offered the entire VW works after the war for free. Ford's right-hand man Ernest Breech was asked what he thought, and told Henry II, "What we're being offered here, Mr. Ford, isn't worth a damn!" With that, the Ford Motor Company lost out on the chance to build the world's most popular car since their own Model T.

In 1945 the Americans handed control of the factory to the British, the initial plan had been to disassemble the entire factory and ship it to Britain, however, no British company was interested in the company. "The vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirement of a motor car... it is quite unattractive to the average buyer ... To build the car commercially would be a completely uneconomic enterprise." The re-commissioning of the VW factory is heavily credited to British Army Officer Major Ivan Hirst, who was ordered to take control of the factory, which had suffered heavy bomb damage during the war. One of the first tasks Hirst was given was to remove an unexploded bomb, which had fallen through a roof and lodged itself between some essential and irreplaceable parts of production equipment. Had Hirst failed in this task, the Beetle would have been consigned to the history books, and things would have been very different.

Following the Allied bombing of Fallersleben and the resulting damage to the factory, it was estimated that 38% of the factory had been rendered useless. Of the 17,000+ residents of Fallersleben over half were VW employees. 

Hirst soon permitted the Germans to return to work, and by May 1945, they had produced 2 Beetles from various parts gathered within the remains of the factory. A further 56 cars were completed in 1945, not vastly different from the pre-war cars, save for different inner front wings, front axle, and the newer 1131cc engine which had been used in the Kubelwagen.

Hirst's goal for 1946 was to achieve production levels of 1,000 cars per month, and he convinced the British Army to order 20,000 Beetles to help him reach this. It was not an easy task though, as well as having limited materials and resources to contend with he also had to feed the workforce. Following on from the harshness of the wartime years, the simple lunch that Hirst provided for the workers was more often than not the only meal they received each day. 

By the end of 1946 10,020 Beetles (including a few Kommadeurwagens) had been made, so he narrowly missed the original target. Changes to the vehicles over the year were minimal, although tyres did gain ½” in width, and cardboard sound deadening was fitted to the engine bay.

The Beetle debuts at Hannover Fair

In 1947 the Beetle debuted at the Hannover fair and was met with an excited reception. Previously the majority of these cars had been for military use, with only a few exceptions going to civilians. It was around this time that Dutchman Ben Pon appeared on the scene (Pon is credited with coming up with the concept for the VW Type 2). He saw a future in exporting the new VW to the Netherlands and ordered 6 cars.

When the time came for him to collect the cars, he and 5 other staff traveled to Wolfsburg to take them back home, however, one of the 6 cars failed its final inspection, and couldn’t be taken away. Production numbers for 1947 were less than in 1946, and although efficiency was up, and the factory was being constantly repaired, there was simply not enough coal to keep the factory running over the winter months, causing a three-month closedown.

Again changes were minimal for the 1947 model year, with bearing and bearing cap alterations on the front and rear axles, an improved spare wheel chain and bracket, and a change to the cooling air throttle ring. 1948 saw the ex-Opel manager, Heinz Nordhoff take full control as director of the Volkswagen factory, and plans for a redesigned Beetle were hatched.

In the same year, the Reichsmark was replaced by the Deutschmark, and East and West Germany were separated. West Germany implemented the Marshall plan, pouring millions of dollars into the West German economy to stimulate growth. Changes for the little car were fairly minimal, a steering column lock was added, the front and rear axles underwent minor modifications, the engine no longer featured a spring-loaded cable, and the flywheel centre bore was changed to 48.5mm.

Production had risen to twice that of the previous year, with 19,244 Beetles rolling off the production line, with two coachbuilders coming to the factory’s aid, to produce cabriolet versions, in the form of Karmann and Hebmuller.

In the Autumn of 1948 owners of the Sparkarte began a lawsuit against VW, trying to obtain the cars which they’d paid for before the war, a situation that wouldn’t be resolved until 1961.

The Export model

July 1949 saw a new model of Beetle released. The aptly named “Export” model had been created with the idea of having a higher specification variant for foreign markets. Distinguishing features between the two models were; chromed curved bumpers, chromed hubcaps, chromed headlamp rings, and chromed door handles. There was a new steering wheel, and the dashboard came with a removable radio blanking plate, so it was no longer necessary to cut the dashboard if a radio was installed.

Externally, a high gloss paint finish was offered and the overall quality of the materials used was of better quality. It was in the same year that Karmann released its 4-seater VW Beetle Cabriolet.

Changes on the rest of the range included new heater controls, axle changes, with torsion leaves being removed from the upper tube and added to the lower tubes, and the bonnet was now popped open from the inside via a Bowden-style lockable cable whilst the decklid was no longer lockable, nor did it feature a separate pressing for the license plate.  Export models featured the two-spoke “batwing” style steering wheel and lighter colour interior fittings, the glove compartment materials were changed from metal to plastic, head gaskets were introduced, the clutch lever was reinforced, and a larger accelerator roller was fitted.

Alongside the introduction of the export model, VW made a whole range of accessories available from either the factory as part of a new car, or via the dealer as aftermarket fittings. These included; chrome mirrors, handles, trims, bumpers and lamps, bud vases, luggage, and cleaning products.

The 1950 model Beetle was largely unchanged from the previous year, though Bosch headlamps replaced VW’s own brand versions.

In 1951, VW produced 93,709 Beetles, and of those 35,742 were exported to 29 countries. The biggest buyers outside of Germany were Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, Finland, and Brazil. Export models were distinguishable from the domestic market counterparts by the crotch cooling vents in the front quarter panels (specific to ’51 only models) as well as a chrome-trimmed windscreen seal.

The rear seats did feature armrest cushions (again, a ’51 only part) but these were dropped after VW executives commented that “they gave passengers the feeling of being in a boudoir.” VW also changed the battery box lid, as the previous cardboard model had caused several fires.

One of the notable changes in the 1952 model cars was the introduction of the opening ¼ light window in the front doors, this replaced the 1951 models' crotch coolers which were adjustable to allow increases in airflow. Bumpers were now fitted with over riders, and the horn grilles were now round in shape, being body coloured on standard models and chrome on exports.

The export models now featured more chrome/aluminium accents in the form of door trims, side and rear window trims. A new decklid handle had also been fitted. On the inside, there was an all-new dashboard, the interior light had moved from between the rear windows to the B pillar above the door, the Export model now had a black horn push with a gold Wolfsburg crest, and lights and wipers were now operated by pull switches.

Engine-wise; the inlet manifold was now pre-heated, Export models featured a synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd & 4th gears. Wheel diameter went from 16” to 15”. Of all the Beetles made in 1952, 41.4% were exported, and by the end of the year, daily production was at 734.

Vehicles produced at the end of 1952 / early '53 are referred to as "Zwitter" and can be recognised by the new style, single glovebox dashboard which would feature in the forthcoming oval window model, but still retain the outgoing split rear window externally. 

The oval window Beetle

There are certain model years along the Beetles’ timeline which heralded major changes, and 1953 was probably the first of these. March 10th 1953 saw the last split window Beetle produced, alongside it on the production line was the first of the oval window models. The new rear window design was 23% larger than the previous one. There has been debate as to why VW used the split window design in the first place, with people speculating that it was for strength reasons amongst others, however, it was simply because it was cheaper to produce two smaller pieces of glass than it was to produce one larger one. 

On July 3rd 1953, the 500,000th Beetle rolled off the production line, and to celebrate VW’s employees were given a 2.5m Deutschmark bonus to split between them.

Daily production was 673,  68,784 export models had been produced, VW’s domestic market share was 42.5% and Volkswagen de Brasil SA had been formed with a view to making CKD (Complete Knock Down) kits. In December '53 the 250,000th visitor (since the war) walked through the doors of the Wolfsburg factory. Parts-wise, 1953 also marked the introduction of the “oil-bath” type air filter.

1954 brought a new engine for the Beetle, the top speed was increased to 68mph, and power was increased from 25hp to 30hp. The majority of the rest of the vehicles remained the same as the previous years.

The second “Hunderttausender” meeting took place, a club specifically for Beetle owners whose cars had covered more than 100,000km on their original engine. The event was attended by Nordhoff, who announced, “We are still convinced that I will say it over and over again since again and again absolutely senseless rumors arise of a new Volkswagen – that blessing lies not in bolder and more magnificent new designs, but in the consistent and tireless redevelopment of every tiny detail until perfection is achieved, which is the mark of a truly astonishing car and which truly brings astonishing success.”

1954 also marked the birth of VW Mexico, who like the Brazilians, began production of CKD kits. The 1,000,000th Beetle (below) was made in 1955, and Nordhoff announced another price cut, the basic car was now 3790 DM, and the export 4700 DM with the range-topping Cabriolet at 5990 DM. 279,986 Beetles were built in 1955, a gain of around 28% on the previous year's production, and 35,581 of those were sold to the US.

Some of the changes for the '5 model included larger brake light lenses and making use of the new twin filament bulbs (one for the tail and one for stop lights). US market cars got flashing indicators, whilst all other markets still had semaphores or trafficators.

The 1956 model was largely unchanged from the previous year's car, however, all cars now featured tubeless tyres. Whilst production methods were getting more and more efficient, and VW’s workforce constantly growing, resulting in an annual production total of 395,690 cars, export sales were hit by the Suez crisis, with the canal being a major shipping route for export cars.

Big window Bugs

1957’s big change was in windscreen sizes. The new front windscreen was 17% wider, and went higher up the roof, as a result, the windscreen pillars were thinner, aiding visibility. The rear window also grew in size, gone was the oval, and a new larger rectangular screen was fitted (95% larger than the oval).

A new dashboard had been fitted, with more space between switches (to avoid confusion), the new dash had a much larger glove box (50% larger) and the roller wheel accelerator had now been changed to a floor-mounted pedal. The decklid had been changed from a W to a semi-W to make it easier to mount a license plate. 

VW’s new model, the Karmann-Ghia was released in 1957 too, and total output of vehicles in 1957 was 380,561, with daily production at a staggering 2141 vehicles! In Australia, Melbourne Volkswagen Pty Ltd had been formed and would begin assembling Beetles from CKD (Complete Knock Down) kits.

In 1958, Nordhoff, Porsche, and all of the VW staff were awarded the Elmer A. Sperry prize. As part of the acceptance speech Nordhoff commented “I am far more attracted to the idea of offering people something of genuine value-a high-quality product with a low purchase price and an incomparable resale value than to be continually pestered by a mob of hysterical stylists who try to sell people something they don’t want to buy at all.”

No major changes appeared on the car for 1958, only minor chassis and engine tweaks. Again, the 1959 car didn’t undergo any major upgrades, however, the door handles changed from lever handles, to fixed handles with push buttons. Mechanically the whole engine/transmission was tilted forward by 2 degrees, this had the effect of lowering the swing axles pivot point by 15mm, resulting in a sharper handling car, and increased load capacity.

By 1957 VW de Brazil’s new factory had been completed, and in 1959 the first completely Brazilian Beetle rolled off the Sao Paolo production line.

Evolution of the VW Beetle

The 1960 Beetle brought more changes to the bodyshell, now all models featured indicators built into the rear lights and separate indicators on the front wings. The 1960 model's engine was increased from 30hp to 34hp, rather than a capacity increase the new power came from better carburetion and increased compression ratios. All models now featured fully synchromesh gearboxes, The fuse box was moved inside the car, next to the steering column, and all cars now featured a windscreen washer. Passenger grab handles and sun visors, which had previously been optioned were now included in the export models. The fuel tank was once again redesigned in an attempt to make better use of the luggage capacity.

1961’s Beetle body was more or less the same as the previous year's model, new rear lights were fitted, with individual sections for each light, and the bonnet was now spring loaded, alleviating the need for the separate bonnet stay, which if forgotten could cause damage to the panel. 

A new screenwash system was introduced, rather than being pumped from the dashboard, the tank was pressurized using compressed air, and refillable using an air pump at any service station. VW also fitted the Beetle with a fuel gauge, dispensing with the need for a reserve tap.

In 1962 VW introduced heat exchangers for the first time, which allowed passengers and drivers to make use of fresh heated air, directed around the cabin, as opposed to the previous system of harvesting warm air which had flowed over the cylinder heads.

Hydraulic brakes replaced the cable-operated system of previous models, and a new cleanable vinyl headliner had been installed, replacing the previous woolen version. The Wolfsburg logo that had appeared on previous models was dropped and replaced with the now-familiar VW roundel. 

VW becomes the worlds largest vehicle exporter

The vinyl “rag-top” sunroof was dropped for 1963 export models and replaced with a steel sliding roof, however, the rag-top was still available on standard models. A new number plate light was added, and the front indicators were also increased in size. Inside, VW dropped the horn ring from the steering wheel, and thumb buttons were now employed for the task.

By this time VW had become Germany’s biggest company, taking 42.4% of domestic market car sales, and producing over a million cars. In 1963, daily production from the now-automated production line reached 5,229. A total of 685,769 cars were exported, making VW the world's largest vehicle exporter.

1964 was another landmark year in terms of exterior changes. The front windscreen grew another 28mm upwards, the rear screen was 20mm higher and 10mm wider, and this time the side windows grew too, with thinner A, B and C pillars to accommodate. The divider bar between the ¼ light and the main drop glass was slanted now, as opposed to vertical, and the window lifter mechanism was changed to a cable operation.

The engine deck-lid lock was upgraded to a self-locking latch, as opposed to the previous T-handle. Heater controls were simplified with two levers by the handbrake, one for hot/cold and one for air distribution.

Finally, the law suit between the Sparkarte holders and VW drew to a climax, with the decision falling in the favour of the savers, each of the 89,000 savers was given a choice of a 600DM discount on a new VW 1200 or a 100DM cash payment, and as a result, 18,000 cars were delivered, and 41,000 compensation payouts were made.

VW also chartered 68 specially designed ships to transport 470,000 Beetles to various export markets, with the majority heading to the US. In 1964 VW brought a 50% holding in the Auto Union Motor company, including its new manufacturing plant in Ingolstadt. 18 months later they would buy complete control.

The VW 1300

The VW 1300 made its debut in 1965. With the crankshaft from the new 1500cc Type 3 motor, the stroke was increased to 69mm from 64mm. A “VW 1300” badge was added to the rear to distinguish it from the lesser 1200cc model. The king and link pin suspension set-up was updated to the ball joint type, which was another cross over from the Type 3, resulting in a more comfortable ride for all. 

Additional improvements over the stock 1200 models, included an extra vent for quicker screen defrosting, locks to stop the seat backrests moving forward, the return of the semi-circle horn ring as well as a headlamp dip/dim switch on the indicator stalk. Late 1965 cars (66’ model year) were fitted with a new design of slotted wheels.

Another new engine was added to the range in late 1966 (67 model year), this time more like a Type 3 1500cc engine, reworked to upright Type 1 spec, producing 44bhp.

in the interests of safety, front disc brakes were introduced and the wheels were now produced in a 4x130 PCD. Following complaints from buyers that having two keys was irritating, VW introduced a one-key system that did both doors and the ignition switch. A new design of deck lid was introduced to cover the larger engine.

The 1967 model

The 1967 Beetle was again one of the landmark cars, where a lot of things were set to change. Gone were the original sloping headlight shape which had changed little since the VW38 models, to be replaced by upright headlamps on new wings. The fuel filler had moved from under the bonnet, onto the front wing.

New rear lights with incorporated reverse lights, flanked a completely redesigned deck lid, similar to that of the previous year's VW 1500 with a larger number plate light. New bigger and stronger bumpers were mounted higher, necessitating a shorter bonnet. A new dashboard had been introduced with fuel gauge, warning lights, and indicator telltales all incorporated within one dial.

Dual circuit hydraulic brakes were fitted on the 1300-1500cc, as well as 12-volt electrics. The VW 1200 was dropped from the line-up for a short period, although the 1300A (with 34hp) could be specially ordered if required. Six months later, VW had a change of heart and the 1200cc engine returned in the form of the Sparkafer (Economy Beetle) and was offered in the range until the end of German production. For the first time, there was an automatic Beetle, but this was only available on 1500cc vehicles. 

Late model Beetles

Following on from the major changes of 1967, the 1968 Beetle underwent minor tweaks in comparison, the exterior petrol flap was now operable from inside the car, and the cable for unlocking the bonnet was relocated to the glove box. The air vents in the front footwell moved further back into the cabin, allowing more air to the windscreen and the 1300cc was now available with an automatic ‘box.

Following a short period of illness Prof. Dr. Nordhoff died aged 69, and 2 weeks later Dr. L C Kurt Lotz took on the role of VW CEO.

February 1969 saw Auto Union and NSU merge, and due to the rise of NSU stocks VW decided to amalgamate the two companies (VW and NSU). NSU had been about to launch their new car the K70 and rumors abounded about the aforementioned takeover, the car allegedly being pulled off the NSU stand at the Geneva Motor Show the night before the show opened. Obviously, these rumors were true, and the K70 was later launched as a VW, signaling the end of the NSU brand, leaving VW to concentrate on promoting Audi (formerly Auto Union).

Understandably, with all of this going on the changes to the ’69 Beetle were relatively sparse. The 1500 engine cover now had 10 horizontal vents, which was in preparation for the extra cooling the US export model required with its 1600cc 47bhp Type1 motor. A higher specification version of the base car (1300/1500) was made available; the “L” came with 2 reverse lights, bumpers with moulding strips, a padded dashboard, an anti-dazzle mirror, a vanity mirror in the passenger sun visor, lockable glove compartment, door pocket in the passenger door, a rear ashtray and loop pile carpet. 

1970 saw VW prepare for the introduction of a new model by releasing the 1302, essentially a hybrid of the original 1300 from the windscreen back, with the exception of the independent rear suspension, and MacPherson struts were employed in the front suspension, replacing the original torsion beam design. As a result luggage capacity was increased from 140 to 260 litres.

Crescent-shaped vents behind the rear windows were added in 1970, which allowed draft-free ventilation, and adjustable vents on the dashboard allowed more effective distribution. The new ventilation system was also available on the 1300/1500 models, but not the Sparkafer.

The 1302 and 1303

The new 1302 was available with a selection of engines ranging from 34-44bhp, with the 1302S producing 50bhp from its 1600cc engine. A clever new starter motor/ignition circuit automatically turned off the lights when the starter was engaged, to ensure maximum voltage was available. 

The rear windscreen grew by 4cm in 1971 leading to another new deck-lid design, which now featured 26 louvres, on all models except the Sparkafer.

Inside, a new 4-spoke “safety” steering wheel was fitted, featuring deformable sections and a larger centre pad. The fuel tank cap was now threaded, preventing over-tightening, and lessening the chances of it coming off in the event of a collision. A major technical leap was the inclusion of a diagnostics port mounted in the engine bay, this allowed the VW dealership to plug a computer into the car, and test various systems; pretty advanced for the early 70s.

February 1972 was a world record-beating day for VW and one particular 1302S Beetle. It was the 15,007,034th Beetle made, meaning the 'people's car' had now overtaken the production figures for the Model T Ford!

The 1302 was left unchanged for the ’72 model, as in August (1973 model year) the new 1303 was to be launched. Following on from the 1302, the 1303 featured the independent rear suspension and MacPherson front ends, but with a remodelled body. This new “Big Beetle” had a curved windscreen, and as a result, the bonnet was shorter, losing the VW badge that had become commonplace at the top. New large rear lights nicknamed “elephant feet” were another identifying feature of the new model.

The interior of the new car was very different too, a new padded dashboard with new dials, improved ventilation and deformable surfaces were all included. New seat designs with a 3-legged subframe, offered another safety improvement, as well as increasing adjustment by 6cm, and allowing 77 different seat positions.

The Cabriolet now reflected these changes and was only available in 'Super Beetle' specification until the end of production in 1979, however, two economy saloon models, the 1200 and 1300 stayed with the original style body and suspension set-ups. 

Elephants feet and Europa bumpers for all

It was during 1972 that VW introduced 2 limited editions. The first and more commonly seen was the Jeans model, based on the 1200 and was yellow, with black “jeans” graphics, and denim trimmed interior. The Yellow and Black Racer editions were based on the 1303 body style with 50hp, leather steering wheel, sports seats, sports wheels. The yellow body featured a striking black bonnet and deck lid. 

For 1973 the 1303 remained unchanged, but the smaller models were to undergo their most major changes since 1967. The basic 1200 model received the 1303 rear lights on redesigned rear wings, black bumpers with silver trim in a similar shape to the 1303 style, and the horn grilles were discontinued.

The 1200L had chrome bumpers, and side trim, through ventilation, two-speed wipers, reverse lights, swiveling sun-visor for the driver, and a driver’s door armrest and pocket. The 1200L was available with either a 34bhp or 44bhp motor.

The 1303 was available in a variety of trim levels: the 1303A was a cheaply priced version of the “big beetle”, with black bumpers, simple interior fittings, 34bhp motor.

The 1303L, 44bhp, with luxury package, 1303S, 50bhp, the 1303LS, 50bhp and luxury package. 

1974’s Beetle range was slimmed down, and all the front indicators were moved from the wing tops to the bumper. Rack and pinion steering was introduced on the 1303 negating the need for a steering damper and the old-fashioned steering box, and a new “bulged” rear valance was fitted to cover the catalytic converter, necessary on US export models.

1975 saw the 1303 model dropped from the saloon line up and VW reverted back to the traditional beam front suspension, and swing axle at the rear.

From 1975 until 1978, when the Beetle production line was finally closed the car stayed virtually the same, save for a few new colour options which had been introduced on the new Golf model.

1979 onwards...

Full production of the Beetle moved to Puebla in Mexico in 1979, and they continued to build the Beetle up until 2003 when 3000 of the last edition "Ultima model" rolled off the line in either Aquarius Blue or Harvest Moon Beige. The last car was built on 30th July 2003 and was number 21, 529,464 since production was first numbered in the 1940s. This special vehicle now resides at the VW museum in Wolfsburg. 

Enjoyed this? We'll be continuing the series charting the history of many of our favourite models. Keep an eye out on the blog, or sign up for our newsletter to hear about it first. 

Andy 

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