Volkswagen Beetle (classic) History

Economy car · 1938–2003

Volkswagen Beetle (classic)
Sample hero image — replace with real model photography.

History

Conceived in 1930s Germany as an affordable 'people's car', the air-cooled, rear-engined Beetle (Type 1) entered mass production after the Second World War and became a global phenomenon.

Its simple, durable design made it one of the most-produced single platforms in history. US sales of the air-cooled Beetle ended in 1979 (the convertible's final US year), but Mexican production of the original 'Type 1' continued all the way to 2003.

Body styles

Notable special editions & performance variants

Related models