VW Beetle

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 11 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #27 in Autos, #2,246 overall

Volkswagen Beetle

A whole load of cool VW Beetle stuff from the crew at HIC. Take a look at pics from some of the shows we've been to recently, our favourite Beetle sites and anything else that takes our fancy.

Our Beetle Photos on Flickr 

Here are some of the dozens and dozens of photos we've taken at shows and meets.

VW Beetle on Wikipedia 

Wikipedians have collected all the Beetle facts you need in one place.

The Volkswagen Type 1 is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 1979. It used an air cooled rear engined rear wheel drive RR layout.

In the 1950s it was more comfortable and powerful than most European small cars, having been designed for sustained high speed on Autobahns, and ultimately became the longest-running and most-produced automobile of a single design. It remained a top seller in the US, even as rear-wheel drive conventional subcompacts were refined, and eventually replaced by front-wheel drive models. Its success owed much to its extremely high build quality, and innovative and eye catching advertising. The Beetle car was the benchmark for both generations of American compact cars such as the Chevrolet Corvair, and subcompact cars such as the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto. It was a German equivalent and counterpart to the Morris Minor, Renault 4CV, Citroen 2CV, Fiat 600, Saab 92, and Volvo PV444 immediate post war European economy cars. The 1959 Austin Mini that pioneered the use of the transverse front wheel drive FF layout, was the beginning of a switch to front wheel drive by European manufacturers in the 1960s and 1970s, Volkswagen were among the last to change with the Golf, after nearly going bankrupt. The Beetle was thirteen feet long and the Mini was only ten feet, but they had similar interior space.

The car was originally known as Käfer, the German word for "beetle," from which the popular English nickname originates. It was not until August 1967 that the Volkswagen corporation itself began using the name Beetle in marketing materials in the US. In Britain, VW never used the name Beetle officially. It had only been known as either the "Type I" or as the 1100, 1200, 1300, 1500, or 1600 which had been the names under which the vehicle was marketed in Europe; the numbers denoted the vehicle's approximate engine size in cubic centimetres. In 1998, many years after the original model had been dropped from the lineup in most of the world (production continued in Mexico until 2003), VW introduced the "New Beetle" (built on a Volkswagen Golf Mk4 platform) which bore a cosmetic resemblance to the original.

In an international poll for the award of the world's most influential car of the twentieth century the Beetle came fourth after the Ford Model T, the Mini, and the Citroën DS."This Just In: Model T Gets Award", James G. Cobb, The New York Times, December 24, 1999

VW Beetle Insurance 

If you need VW Beetle insurance, choosing a specialist motor insurance company can save you £££s. Companies which have specialist Beetle insurance schemes will also understand the various modifications and conversions that Beetle owners love to carry out to their cars.
VW Beetle Insurance
Specialists in all Volkswagen, including VW Beetle Insurance. All modifications and Beetle based kits covered. Get a quote and buy online, or give us a call. Also specialists in all models of VW Car Insurance old and new.
VW Beetle Insurance
Specialist Insurance provider in the UK offering schemes for VW Beetles, including modified Beetles and Beetle kit car insurance.
VolksWorld Insurance Services
Specialist VW insurance Scheme endorsed by Volksworld Magazine.

Classic Beetles for sale 

Find a Volkswagen Beetle for sale.

Feed of UK VW Beetle for sale from ClassicCarsForSale

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

BuildingaBeetle.com 

Building a Beetle Blog

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

VW Beetle Videos 

from You Tube

Vote for the best or add your own favourites.

Ron Patrick Jet VW 4-06 0 points

vintage vw beetle commercial (105) 0 points

vw beetle stuffing impreza turbo 0 points

VW Beetle Drift (Part 1) 0 points

vintage vw beetle commercial (23) 0 points

Beetles on Flickr 

Vote for your favourite, or add it if it's not here...

VW Beetle Hot Rod!

1

VW Beetle Hot R... 1 point
Old times (VW Beetle)

2

Old times (VW B... 0 points
herbie Goes bananas

3

herbie Goes ban... 0 points
two beetles

4

two beetles 0 points
Car Wash Closed

5

Car Wash Closed 0 points
Taxis in Mexico City

6

Taxis in Mexico... 0 points
Pretty Beetle

7

Pretty Beetle 0 points
Dream Car

8

Dream Car 0 points
Has to be a show winner

9

Has to be a sho... 0 points
The Main Hall

10

The Main Hall 0 points

Great Stuff on eBay 

Loading Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
eBay

Great Stuff on Amazon 

Volkswagen Beetle: The Car of the Century

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Volkswagen Beetle (Cars That Made History)

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

The Story of Volkswagen Beetles (Classic Cars: An Imagination Library Series)

Amazon Price: $23.00 (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Volkswagen Beetles (Illustrated Car Servicing)

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009) Buy Now

Was this lens on beetle helpful to you? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

New Guestbook 

alicesy wrote...

Excellent Lens. I like the quality insight you have provided here about VW Beetle. Keep up the good work.

Please check out my Police Jobs Blog.

ReplyPosted July 26, 2008

stickytabby wrote...

Very comprehensive article you have here about Volkswagen beetles. You sure do love them. Great resource!

ReplyPosted July 02, 2008

alicesy wrote...

Excellent Lens. I like the quality insight you have provided here about VW Beetle. Keep up the good work.

Please check out my Police Jobs Blog.

ReplyPosted June 27, 2008

petergrizzly wrote...

I share your love for the old beetles. The new ones... well, they look cool, but I think they're missing that "nostalgic" factor. Or maybe that's just me. :)

Nice lens! 5 stars for you.

-Peter G
Co-owner,
Classic Cars for Sale

ReplyPosted May 27, 2008

CleanFace wrote...

Nice lens! 5 stars given! :)

ReplyPosted May 17, 2008

Diaboly wrote...

Great Lens!

ReplyPosted April 30, 2008

 
1 of 2 pages

Latest Blog Posts 

What are other people doing with their Beetles?

My Independence Day
As we were loading up my VW Beetle, my neighbor yelled to me from his driveway. ?You headed to Superior?? ?Yep! You headed to Eau Claire?? ?Yep! Good luck with your speech!? He had informed me the day before that he, his wife, ...
PheistyBlog » Blog Archive » My Independence Day
Yesterday started with my husband and I waking up early and making the 2 hour drive to Superior, Wisconsin, so that I could speak at a Tea Party. As we were loading up my VW Beetle, my neighbor yelled to me from his driveway. ...
Bad Temper Crafts: My precious
Compared to my VW Beetle, this one looks a lot more like the car that the Mole drives: What a resemblence. It's been in the family for decades but very little used these days. Only for special occasion, you know :) In Finland the Type 3 ...
My New (Used) VW Beetle Bug! |
But the more I looked at them and thought about it the two door factor didn't seem a big deal. He's small and the back is roomy. Plus he'll love the novelty of a Bug too! So, here it is, my VW Beetle that I pick up Friday: blackbeautyvw ...

by drjwilson

Herts Insurance Consultants are specialist insurance brokers. We love all VWs including Beetles. Look out for us at VW shows, large or small.
(more)
Create a Lens!