Volkswagen Beetle: 81 Years Of The Iconic People’s Car

If there’s one car that secured the cult status of a ‘Bug’, the world over, it has to be the Volkswagen Beetle. The car has had a long history of 81 years spanning three iterations. You could say this very car was the original trendsetter for Volkswagen before the Golf Mk1 showed up. We take a trip down memory lane to understand the long journey of the Volkswagen -- German for people's car.

Its Historical Origins

The Volkswagen Beetle’s origin story is quite fascinating as it was envisioned by dictator Adolf Hitler back in 1934 as an affordable people’s car during the Nazi Regime. Although Béla Barényi was the father of the Beetle’s design, Ferdinand Porsche penned this vision to life. Since this was a period of war, the original Beetle prototype documents were lost in the bombing of its Stuttgart factory in World War II. The factory was later put under British control and 20,000 cars were requested for the British military. By 1945, more than a thousand Beetles were produced at the factory.

The Golden Ages

By the time World War II ended, the Beetle started gaining a lot of popularity for its affordability, compact nature, and also for being the first rear-engined car. It initially produced 25PS, which later increased to 36PS and then 40PS around the post-war period. By 1954, its one millionth car had already rolled off the assembly line. Such was the iconic nature of the ‘Bug’ that it helped in the 356’s design, which later became the legendary Porsche 911 we all know and love today.  

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Around the late ‘60s, Disney essentially marketed the Beetle globally with the film ‘Herbie The Love Bug’ in 1968. This was the first of six movies that feature a 1963 Beetle with anthropomorphic characteristics. These movies gave the Beetle an iconic identity of a white livery with racing stripes and the number 53 on the hood. The ‘70s saw the Beetle surpass the Ford Model T to become the world’s bestselling car. The original Beetle had a long run till June 2003, when Volkswagen decided to end production of the tiny bug owing to stiffer competition from newer cars.  By July that same year, the final model rolled off the production line. Around 21.5 million units of the original Beetle were produced in the end.

1998 saw the Beetle finally receive its first proper iteration upgrade after 60 years. While the new Beetle retained much of the original car’s silhouette, it was given a modern touch. Unfortunately, the new Beetle saw VW ditch the original rear-engine design and shift to a front-mounted 115PS 2.0-litre engine. 2011 saw the next iteration of the Beetle, codenamed the A5, which sold till July 2019 with the Final Edition. In its lifespan, many celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Hugh Jackman, Ewan Mcgregor and Chris Pratt were proud owners of the Bug.  

While the original Beetle was a success until the ‘70s, its fate was intertwined with VW’s next trendsetter at the time, the Golf Mk1. Ultimately, the original Beetle lost out to competition featuring modern tech. Its newer iterations sold well, but never really reached the original’s level of popularity. This could be down to customer’s preferences shifting from smaller vehicles to bigger sedans or SUVs. Also, emission and safety norms started getting stricter and finally, the recent push for EVs sealed the fate of the ‘Bug’. The major reason being the extra cost required to upgrade the Beetle for modern standards. 

Yes, VW’s recent tribute to the Beetle certainly resulted in tear-jerking moments, but it was eventually time for the little bug to be laid to rest. It was always going to be difficult for the Beetle to survive considering the number of upgrades it would have needed to be converted to an EV. Volkswagen can still hold their heads high over what they achieved with the Beetle. The ‘Bug’ wasn’t just an affordable car, but a cultural icon.