(first posted 10/31/2017) In 1949, Volkswagen officially began exporting the Type I to the United States, which, in ‘Deluxe’ trim, featured a few more color options over the Standard model, plus chromed bumpers, headlight rings, door handles and hubcaps (the engine hand-crank hole was deleted, too). Thirty years later, the last (convertible) Beetle destined for the USA would roll off of Karmann’s Osnabrück production line. Production of the Type I Beetle would continue through 2003, when the 21,529,464th and final rear-engined, air-cooled “Última Edición” Beetle would roll off the line in Puebla, Mexico on July 30. That same day, in another part of the Puebla plant, Volkswagen would also produce the 700,000th (or thereabouts) New Beetle, which had been introduced in October, 1997 and which went on sale in the US in the Spring of 1998.
In 1991, Jay May and Freeman Thomas – both Art Center graduates – opened a combined Volkswagen and Audi design center in Simi Valley, California, and the first big project they did together was a Bauhaus-influenced reinterpretation of the Type I ‘Beetle,’ which they named ‘Concept 1.’ At the time, VW sales in North America were declining rapidly (~40K units in 1992), and focus studies indicated that to most Americans, VW meant the classic air-cooled Beetle – because of both its iconic shape, and the fond memories it evoked of the 1960s. May and Thomas proposed the project to VW’s new head of design, Hartmut Warkuß, who gave approval to proceed, despite some resistance from Volkswagen headquarters, where the Type I was considered to be quite outdated. Ultimately, a mockup was presented in ‘Valhalla,’ where the old air-cooled Beetles were originally presented to Heinz Nordhoff. Only this time, they were presenting to the grandson of Herr Doktor Porsche, Dr. Ferdinand Piëch. After viewing the car, his cold response was “In Ordnung” (“In Order”). He then cracked a smile and gave the order to have a show car produced.
The marketing strategy created to sell the car involved focusing it on being an emotional, not rational car – design-driven, with an outstanding personality. Both the ‘Baby Boomer’ and ‘Gen X’ demographics were considered as target markets, but ultimately it was felt that the only connection Boomers might have was one of nostalgia, which was felt would not turn into a high rate of sales. Gen X-ers, on the other hand, were seen as “easily impressionable,” compatible with VW’s then-current marketing strategy, and who would better appreciate counter-culture styling as they typically were looking to be different, fun and unique. Pricing started around $15,000 and with extras could approach $18,000, which was somewhat high for the small-car market. By comparison, the top-selling Chevy Cavalier ran from $12,110 (base) to $19,910 (convertible) and the Ford Escort ran from $11,745 to $14,245.
Back in 1994, I was still driving my 1971 VW van (the ‘Mayfield Belle‘), and was sorting out a 1964 VW Beetle I had purchased from the son of the original owner (shown in lead photo) that I would subsequently use as a DD in Atlanta, GA for six years. I happened to stop in for a haircut at Rob’s Barbershop (Rob gave me my very first haircut as a young boy), and this May 1994 edition of Automobile magazine caught my eye – Rob let me keep it, and I dug it out of attic storage to reference for this article. Mays and Thomas had invited Jerry Seinfeld in to see the car – Seinfeld had considered being a car columnist before ultimately going into comedy – and the seven-page spread covered the development of the car as well as the Bauhaus influence on its design, right down to the door pulls and shifter. A sidebar to the article listed a 1-800 number and encouraged readers to call Volkswagen and share their opinions.
Also from my attic archives is this undated spread in Vochomanía magazine, which I’ll leave up to you readers to translate on your own. Given it shows what appears to be a production or near-production car on the succeeding pages, I would assume it’s from early 1997, give or take. Note that the car is still being referred to as Concept 1 in this article – interestingly, May and Thomas never intended the car to carry the ‘Beetle’ name (and fully expected it to be around twenty years hence); the ultimate name choice of New Beetle would later cause no end of confusion when its successor entered production in 2012 as just ‘Beetle.’
Concept 1 debuted at the 1994 Detroit Auto Show, which was chosen both for its distance away from California as well as for the potential for press coverage with which VW and its agency could gauge reaction to the car. A convertible version was displayed at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show and a nearly-production-ready car was exhibited at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. It was the strong, positive public reaction to Concept 1 that convinced VW to proceed with development of the production car. One could argue the New Beetle turned VWoA’s sales decline around, with full first-year sales of 107,090, rising to a peak of 160,147 in 1999 before slipping back to around 100K annually through 2003-04. Sales would quickly drop off afterward, however, running around 35-45K annually until VW pulled the plug after the 2010 model year and a run of 1,163,890 cars.
The production New Beetle was actually quite a bit larger than the Concept 1, which had been designed around the VW Polo platform. The production car was based on VW’s fourth-generation front-engine, front-wheel-drive Golf platform. Several different gasoline engines would be offered in North America, including a 115-hp 2.0l variant, as well as a 150HP, later uprated to 180HP turbo engine of 1.8l displacement. After 2006, a five-cylinder 2.5l powerplant making 150HP would replace the former 2.0l engine. A 1.9l 90HP TDI diesel capable of over 40MPG was also available through 2006, after which it failed to meet regulations and was removed as an option. Either a five-speed manual or four- or six-speed automatic (on the turbo engines) got the power to the wheels. A number of other engine and transmission options were offered outside of the North American market.
Other than practically-useless cupholders, the interior (to me, at least) captured the essence of the original Type 1 quite well. Soft-touch rubber was used on a number of surfaces (which ultimately didn’t wear well in the long-term), and instrumentation was simple and clear.
The New Beetle would receive one face-lift during its production run, when, in 2006, creases were added to the fenders and the front and rear bumper covers were mildly restyled.
A New Beetle would also share screen time in 2005 with a certain 1963 Beetle in the (somewhat disappointing) film Herbie: Fully Loaded, which was more of a LiLo ‘vehicle’ than a true Love Bug reboot.
In 1999, I started my own business doing creative work for a number of companies in the Atlanta area, and found that I could no longer accommodate my ’64 Beetle’s off-and-on high-needs relationship (the joys of owning an old car!). The New Beetle had been on the market for two years, and I set my mind on getting a diesel, which turned out to be fairly easy as they weren’t selling quickly at that time. I would own my NB for over twelve years and nearly sold it out of frustration on more than one occasion due to numerous quality issues. After reaching 150K miles, however, it was actually quite reliable until I sold it locally with nearly 220K on the odo, and I still see it around town. It was succeeded by a 2013 Beetle TDi convertible, which I sold after only 18 months due to quality issues and the fact it simply lacked that Bauhaus feel the New Beetle had.
Perhaps it’s confirmation bias, but it dawned on me recently that I still see New Beetles everywhere! In one afternoon driving around town, I counted at least five, and these were all driving, not parked. Surprising, given they were not known for high levels of reliability. So does that make the New Beetle eligible for ‘Cockroach of the Road’ status? If so, it has my vote!
I believe I can also now answer the question posed by one of Doyle Dane Bernbach’s iconic ads (slightly modified to make the point), as there are rumors floating around the interwebs that the current (A5) Beetle is not long for this world and 2018 may be its last year. Whenever the inevitable occurs, it will likely be the last hurrah (or gasp) for the Beetle.
There was a certain magic that surrounded the original Beetle – a huge part of that had to do with where American culture was in the late 1950s and 1960s. VW was able to recapture some aspects of that with the New Beetle, but after twelve years in a market becoming saturated with other ‘retro’ offerings, culture was simply ready to move on. The 2012 successor, while perhaps more faithful to the lines and proportions of the original, simply didn’t capture the essence of its air-cooled forbear – something the New Beetle did much more successfully, at least from my perspective of having owned all three iterations.
So ‘Happy Birthday,’ New Beetle, and thanks for all the smiles!
Related Reading
COAL Comparison: Three Generations of Beetle
Autobiography: The Volkswagen New Beetle And The Cult Of Cars
My wife bought a 1999 New Beetle (new). It was the most trouble prone car we ever owned.
(We traded it for a new 2001 Toyota Highlander. The second most trouble prone car we ever owned.)
In 2013 my wife was ready to try another Beetle. She bought a 2013 “Fender Edition”. Other than the sunroof screen failing (expensive repair) not long after the warranty expired, it has been an enjoyable car. However, based upon my recollection of our 1999’s quality control issues, I can’t stop holding my breath waiting for the next expensive repair on the 2013.
I will say the 2013 is the most entertaining car we have had in some time. We also prefer the styling of the 2013 over the 1999.
We had a 09 IIC with the 2.5 manual combo. It was mechanically great, gave about 30 mpg and the wife loved it in silver and black leather with sunroof. Even though I personally had plenty of experience with it, as I did rebuild the car as we bought it as a insurance write off due to very low miles, some aspects at once fascinated and terrified me. Case in point: the door mirrors. Attached to the body but they move with the door. No originsl beetle was ever that complicated. I admire the idea of it, but part of me wanted to run from that mindset of over engineering.
At the time, I was an air cooled fundamentalist and didn’t approve of the New Beetle – I used to refer to it as the “Barbie Golf” – but somehow this has me pondering buying one. The lead photo definitely has me hankering for a Type 1.
I apologise for nitpicking, but that last convertible rolled off only Karmann’s production line, but I guess Karmann and Ghia just go together like fish ‘n chips 😉 .
You’re correct, fixed! Fingers were on autopilot!
Where I’ve lived, the second generation New Beetle is almost invariably driven by a female. What male-driven examples I’ve seen, the majority have a rainbow bumper sticker on them. Make of it what you will.
Now, the third generation Beetle I find is quite an attractive car. A prime example of how to take a “chick car” and butch it up a bit, to the point that ownership seems to be more equally divided between the sexes.
The lines of the third generation remind me of the 1950 Porsche 356.
I almost got one of the these as a rental in 2015
It was baby blue with the retro wheel covers.
I’m gay….. I couldn’t quit laughing thinking this was the gayest car I would ever have to drive and that I needed to play Barbie Girl if I drove it. ( and that’s pretty bad considering I used to own a bright purple ford escort wagon)
The rental agent that walked me to the car took the keys and gave me a Camry instead.
In the Freehold, NJ area, it`s rare to see a man driving one. At least 95% of them are driven by middle aged women. They seem to like the convertibles for some reason. One day I saw a man driving one, but it had a bumper sticker that said-‘it`s my WIFE`s car’. In baby blue with a white interior.
The most memorable thing about the New Beetle was the TV advertisements, namely this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiEXQsxL7BE
My brother still has a yellow New Beetle, which three of his older children enthusiastically took turns in driving it.
For more fun from the telly, here’s Top Gear’s review: https://youtu.be/Jd5Ein5jixA
I still see a lot of new beetles as well. Maybe the quality issues tend to be the irritating variety rather than the terminal variety.
I have been told by a new beetle owner “I’d rather be driving yours” while I’m driving my 63, but the answer is “probably not” 🙂
The New Beetle was always too cutesy to me, although it is a nice, clean design.
I actually liked the second-gen [no longer “new”] Beetle as it looked a bit more masculine and sporty. But I’d much rather a Golf so I can get two extra doors.
At least VW built the New Beetle, unlike a Microbús revival they’ve been endlessly teasing for decades…
I’ll bet the Beetle will be dead soon, following the just-axed Scirocco. VW has 2-3 ID electric models coming so they have to make some room.
I know the point has been made before, but the Beetle was a piece of high-tech 1930’s small-car engineering which had an unlikely life, blessed by fortuitous timing, and then ingenious marketing which caught the peak of a moment in time that cast it on an unrepeatable trajectory. The engineering was clever enough that the performance, brakes, reliability and comfort were perfectly competitive into the ’60’s. The New Beetle was no more than an ill-fitting fashion jacket for the Golf, and an unappealing one to me, more frau-haus than bau-haus.
I went to test drive one, and, to the unhelpfully blank-faced displeasure of the salesman, I got uncontrollable giggles when I found myself sitting in the middle of the wheelbase with a black kitchen bench stretching away in front and two seats for the legless behind.
Of course, I’m proved wrong by what the car did for VW US sales, but as the Mk 4 Golf I did drive that day was quite sloppy to drive, the idea of a less practical version whose looks didn’t save it had no appeal at all. It wasn’t in order, and so I didn’t.
I never got these. The looks were like a caricature of the bug where the artist drew the shape wrong. I thought the new new Beetle got it right. Which shows what I know (at least according to the sales figures.)
Fascinating that the ’94 concept looked so much like the production model. It makes me wonder how close the new bus (“ID Buzz” – hate that name) will resemble the recently concept. There’s been talk that Tesla will out-VW Volkswagen and create a microbus of their own.
I thought the new Beetles looked cool, but had no desire to ever own one.
I’m a huge air cooled VW fan, and own a 74 Super Beetle. That being said, I WISH these were good cars. I wish they were, but they just aren’t. The junkyards are full of them, Craigslist is full of $1000 mechanic’s specials, and they have largely disappeared from roadways. Dumb, complicated, expensive failures plague them. Definitely not in the vein of the original air cooled Beetle, which could be kept running with duct tape and along wire until it fell apart in a pile of flakey rust. Its unfortunate.
There was a later second version of the Concept 1 in black and a little closer to the production model. As for the current generation, had VW smoothed out the transitions between the fenders and the body, lengthened the nose a bit, and made some changes to the lights, it could have been a new 356!
A sad thing indeed .
As mentioned, the California junkyards are jammed with rust free, nice paint new Beetles, they all have really basic crap wrong like power window switches and other little things that add up and drive the owners crazy .
More’s the pity .
Old Beetles were crude yes but very well built and able to keep chugging along for decades .
-Nate
Wow, the New Beetle is 20 years old! How well is the latest generation selling? If VW does drop it, it’s probably because they have too many cars in that price range, and it’s not sporty enough or practical enough to make a credible case for it. That said, I loved it from the time I saw Concept One back in 1993/94, and the first one I saw on the road early in 1998 was yellow just like Concept One. I wasn’t aware of the reliability issues that plagued these cars, but the VWs here of a similar vintage have also had their share of problems that in this market are fairly costly to fix.
Conceptually, I love seeing automakers putting visual interest and some (not too many) historical cues into cars. Makes for uniqueness and personality on the road, which to me is a good thing. So I’ll give the New Beetle credit for that. But it really was/is a dead-end, for a variety of reasons:
1) VW was off-base thinking that the car would appeal to Gen X. While I don’t have actual sales statistics, the car seemed to skew older (as in Baby Boomer), at least based on the stereotypical person you see driving them. Being a Gen Xer myself, that notion of GenX targeting seems misguided: recreating “magic” from the late ’50s through the early ’70s–so basically from before most Xers were born or particularly aware of cars and culture. Frankly, the VW Rabbit was more iconic to most Xers as it was prevalent during our formative years (when I was little in the 1970s, I always viewed VW Bugs as relics).
2) There was a “retro frenzy” in automotive design at this time, with Chrysler (PT Cruiser, Plymouth Prowler and various show cars) and Ford (reincarnated 2-seat Thunderbird–also developed by J Mays after he decamped VW for Ford) all happening within a few years of the New Beetle. Retro proved to be a design dead-end in these cases. In fact, the only Retro-look cars that can be considered a success are the neo-Pony/Muscle cars (Mustang, Challenger, Camaro) which offer updated takes on heritage styling that works for their limited market niche and the Mini brand (also spawned around the same time as the New Beetle) which is capturing and updating the personality of the original.
3) The original Beetle was a well-built economy car at a time when that was a relative rarity (before the Japanese makes came on strong). It appealed for its very pragmatic virtues (ultra basic transportation that could last a long time and wouldn’t be rendered “obsolete” by “next year’s models”). VW’s U.S. Ad Agency was brilliant in captivating that pragmatism as “rebelliousness” and helping turn the Beetle into a counter-cultural icon. But that wasn’t VW’s intent with the economy car: it was adopted by the counter culture, it wasn’t manufactured explicitly for those buyers. The New Beetle, however, was a marketing exercise, designed to “inspire” that “free love” vibe (down to a dash-mounted bud vase). The net result was an “artificial” car that wasn’t as functionally good as the Golf on which it was based.
I personally have limited experience driving the New Beetle, but one episode stands out in my mind as capturing the whole challenge around the car’s design. When my daughter was still in Middle School (so around 2011), I had to take our BMW in for service. Normally, we always get BMW loaner cars, but they didn’t have any left (it was an “unscheduled” visit thanks to glitchy electronics). So the loaners were provided by Enterprise, and they had 2 choices for me: a beige Chrysler Minivan or a red New Beetle. I figured the VW was the lesser of 2 evils, and took that one, thinking that at least my then 12-year-old daughter would find the car to be “so cute!!!”
So I sat in the line for Middle School pick-up to get her in the New Beetle, and she came out with a look of pure horror on her face. She hesitated, so I started waving, thinking maybe she didn’t recognize me in the different car. She then sprinted over, got in, scrunched down and growled at me for “embarrassing her” and why was I in such an awful car? I explained my choice between the New Beetle and the Chrysler Minivan, and she was blunt: “you should have taken the minivan.” So in the eyes of a pre-teen girl, the New Beetle was an absolute dud of a car, which clearly did not bode well for the long-term success of the design.
We owned a 2001 1.8T from new until a few months ago when we passed it down to our daughter. A few niggling issues at first, covered (sometimes reluctantly) by warranty but it settled down into a reliable, pleasant driving car. Though that rubberized paint and scratch-prone matte finish dash … what were they thinking. We just returned from a week long road trip in Baja, and I noted that while there were many new Beetles around Tijuana and down to Ensenada, they disappeared within 100 miles of border, and I saw far more “old” air cooled Beetles further south. In general, even Golfs and Jettas were far outnumbered by Sentra, Corollas and Civics in rural Baja. The other fascinating Mexican VW was the Jetta Team or Clasico, a slightly updated version of the Mk4 Jetta which stayed in production through 2015.
The one thing these retro cars have in common is that they have been style over substance. For example: the fenders that mimic the old Beetle and 30s/40s passenger cars had a purpose. They were detachable for easy repair. They had practical function, a reason for existing beyond a styling statement.
As well, they were all simple, easily serviced and straightforward. From what I’ve read, making repairs or changing a timing belt on a PT is a nightmare. The Beetles had windows dropping into the door and defective coil packs that would strand them by the side of the road.
Did none of the engineers even attempt to capture the soul of the original cars to match the styling ? There is nothing organic in them to back up that retro look.
It’s the same thing with “tiny houses”: the 50s travel trailer has a better, more livable and more efficient use of space than they do with their rock climbing walls to get to the 3 foot tall sleeping loft. Or a ladder. Or a rope. They’re all about making a statement than actually providing livable quarters for actual human beings.
The modern versions didn’t get the memo. The Nissan Pao got it right and it’s a shame it was never sold here [though I’ve actually seen a couple].
There is a reason the basic Jeep is still so popular.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man driving a New Beetle, they were total chick cars. The Beetle from 2012 and up was much nicer looking, better proportions and IMO more “masculine” looking, if that means anything. However, being an ex-VW owner, I wouldn’t touch any of these things with a 27 1/2 ft pole.
Funnily several women I know have said they don’t like current Beetle compared to the old New Beetle, saying that the current version looks like a Beetle that’s been “squished” or “stretched out” .
Classic beetle and bus owning friends bought a new beetle and hated it,yes it was her car but the new shape didnt fit so well on the Golf platform, they are sticking to their classic models from now on and daily drives by Mazda and Nissan,
I really like the look of the newest Beetle, but the fat little New Beetle that preceded it cemented the image the Beetles are chick cars. No thanks.
I could only Accept the new Volkswagen New Beetle If it were available in four Doors only *other ways it is a waste of Snobbism
The New Beetle always put me off a bit, especially the flower vase. The 2012 version is much more appealing, except, if I had one it would have to live outdoors and the doors would freeze shut. I have asked around every time I have been at a VW dealer if anyone ever developed a sure fire cure and no-one has.
iirc I relayed to Ed while the CC crew was here for the meetup last June, about the guy I talked with at the VW dealer in Ann Arbor, who had a New Beetle. He explained that it was his wife’s car, but he has taken it as a personal challenge to keep that car going. Of course, he had the problem with the glass falling off of the window regulators. Repaired that himself, and laid in a supply of the plastic clips that cause the problem for the next time they broke, so the car foiled his plan by getting the cable in the regulator mechanism snarled up instead.
I have been reading for a few years that all the two door VWs were on the way out. 2 door Golfs disappeared a year or two ago. Then the recent announcement the Sirocco was done. No surprise that the Beetle would be up for the chop, with it’s combination of the low volume two door body, and the now obsolete platform.
Funny thing I have noticed in the used car ads around here: always far more of the 2012 series Beetle on offer than the New Beetle, but I don’t know if it is a matter of a higher attrition rate on the older New Beetles, or people tiring of the frozen doors on the newer generation.
Wow, a lot of harsh vibes for the NB today! (c:
I have to agree about the car acquiring a ‘chick car’ stereotype, although when I bought mine, I don’t think that was really a thing yet. I’m a “late boomer,” and have some GenX tendencies, but when I read the marketing brief for the car, I really could not connect with it at all. For me, my NB purchase was highly rationalized – the diesel advertised ~40mpg fuel efficiency (my hand calculations over 12 years were around 44 avg.), it was still a Beetle (after a fashion), and as an industrial designer, the styling very much appealed to me. In fact, though I like the 2012+ styling okay, I prefer the NB. My ’13 ‘vert purchase was much more of an emotional purchase, which perhaps is why the car let me down so badly.
When I first started at my employer (now of 16+ years), there were several other TDI NBs in the parking lot (we make diesel engines, and I worked at our Technical Center at the time), so there was certainly a niche type of buyer who appreciated the car for very different merits from your stereotyped ‘chick’ owner.
And FWIW, I *never* put a flower in my vase – it usually held a pen for recording my mileage!
Wow, a lot of harsh vibes for the NB today! (c:
Really, most of the reliability issues of the NB could be attributed to it’s Mk IV Golf donor. I have half-considered a couple times a late NB with the 5 cylinder/Aisin 6-speed powertrain as that would avoid the freezing door issue of the 2012 series, as well as the issues the earlier NB powertrains were subject to, and still have better ergonomics than a Fiat 500. I did get close enough to a 2010 example to notice the flower vase can be removed from it’s holder, but that car was bright green, which is a no-go for me.
Oh, the CC Effect was strong today… Saw another one parked in town, too.
I think out of all the colors offered in that generation the green color was by far the most attractive to me.
The woman I was dating 10 years ago had a New Beetle Turbo S with a six-speed stick. I don’t care if it was a “chick car” or not- it was a BLAST to drive! Rode like a buckboard so it wasn’t ideal for long road trips (which we did anyway, since it’s the only car we had) but the handling and acceleration more than made up for it.
For me, the problem is not the ‘New Beetle’, but almost any modern VW. It seems ALL VW cars have those same quality issues described and complained about above: Simple things going wrong, inexpensive parts buried 10-hours-shop-time labor into the engine bay, and the ‘fun’ of paying $1000 for that timing-belt change because they need to take the entire front of the car off in order to access the engine properly. Yes, they do the water pump at the same time, but it’s a killer when your radiator goes two years later and you get to pay that labor rate all over again.
Of course the worst mistake is the interior air-intake box under the front window with the self-deteriorating foam-sealant that suddenly allows water to leak into the passenger compartment, directly down the passengeriside firewall and pool under the feet of the water-proof carpeting. You don’t know the water’s here until it’s soaked into the wiring and ECU, until one day you sadly cannot start the car… or you suddenly find your self limping along with no engine power and no way home. $1200 for the ECU please, plus the hours your shop thinks it will take to program it to your car.
Or the plastic oil-filler tube that suddenly cracks off at the gas station when you have a sudden urge to check your oil level. Let’s see… drive home, spewing hot, smoky oil over the engine bay or pay for a tow. Hmmm. And that un-fixable oil leak from the valve cover that drips onto the catalytic converter that’s positioned just below that air-intake for the heating system — a maximum opportunity to discover what burning oil smells like!
Ok, I’ll stop. Yet here I am, still with a 2001 B5 Passat on my hands after 17 years ownership, that we keep only for my son to drive. Seems like once you fix that stupid, not-really-wrong-thing that’s gone wrong today, we just keep driving it ’til it does it again. ‘Cause what else can I get that’s that safe and drivable for the cost of the repair? A Toyota? I already have two. Sigh. Is it spring again yet? Put me in my ’63 Valiant!
There’s a lot of great points here. I’d agree that the original Beetle had benefitted from a great initial design and engineering that kept it relevant even into the 60’s, as well as good timing. What they also had going for them, was that they were cheap, and also that they were *extremely lucky* that crash standards didn’t exist earlier (ie: The Thing would never ever be able to be put into production, for example). In the proper modern system, they couldn’t skimp on those things, so the New Beetle ended up not being really that cheap, and then when the issues started piling up with them, they were more of a liability than an asset. My take on it is that the original Beetle had also got by on the charm and the “rogue engineering” aspect of the car being foreign, and the rear engine design being unique, as well……it would be easier to overlook the quirks and deficiencies, because it was still exotic enough. There was still the Porsche connection to it.
The New Beetle, on the other hand, really is from a homogenized VW company that, in a lot of ways, functions more as a domestic branch of something that used to be exotic and foreign. The same could be said about a few other foreign car makers, but I do think that there’s a certain point where something used to have an aura of exoticness or being rogue or going against the grain, to being exactly like every other product that you can buy anywhere, almost the equivalent of buying something at a boutique type store, to buying the same product at WalMart. The product may be as good, if not better, but it’s the whole experience that makes you feel differently about what you bought, for different reasons.
Mentioning this bears including this, too….my Mom owned a Beetle in the early 70’s, and she ended up deserting it on the side of the road. It was too expensive to repair, as mechanics in rural North Dakota were nearly non-existent, and the parts were not easy to find in that particular region. So I can weigh in here that the first gens were–depending on the perspective/ location/ circumstances–not as easy to repair nor as romantic, mechanically, as might be mentioned. Perhaps if one was familiar with how to work on the cars they may have been fine, but not in some other cases, and GM (and Corvair owners) found out, rear engined vehicles can be a mystery for many mechanics and car owners. It’s the longer term infrastructure that seems to suffer, and if the original Beetle’s long term involved motivating oneself to repair a cheap, low value car, in the New Beetle’s case, the long term yielded lots of aggravating repairs piling up.
My buddy’s Rabbit convertible has to be one of the most unsafe feeling vehicles that I can remember driving in. Rattles, squeaks, etc……death felt closer to me than I would have liked to feel in a vehicle.
Ryan,
Those are excellent points you made about the non-charms and defects of the New Beetle. Even though the oldest one (c. ’97-98) is about nine years newer than my oldest Volvo, a 1989 740 GL, I feel much, much safer in the 740 than any New Beetle. Heck, both my 740s feel much more solidly built than any new VW small car from the ’90s on.
And don’t get me started on the timing belt job. I once helped my mechanic do one on a 2000 NB, and it took about 8 hours to do because we had to remove the entire front fascia. When we did a t-belt on my other ’89 740 GL, it took us all of 2.5 hours but I attribute that to the Volvo’s rear-wheel-drive design.
Plus if the T-belt on the Volvo 740 breaks you are only out the price of a tow verses if the belt breaks on the VW (your out an engine)
The TDI was slightly easier and could be done without removing the fascia. It was still quite spendy, though – I think the last one I had done before I sold it was $1200 at an independent shop.
The savings I got from the TDI were pretty much a wash by the time the maintenance requirements were factored in over the long-term.
The savings I got from the TDI were pretty much a wash by the time the maintenance requirements were factored in over the long-term.
Sums up why I never bought a diesel, or will. US fuel prices just don’t justify them.
I will just echo what many here have said: chick car, goofy proportions, 2012 much improved.
I never bought that the new Beetle was a worthy successor to the original since it was FWD. That gave it an odd, forward biased look. The 2012 version corrected this by lowering the greenhouse and moving the visual mass towards the rear. I dig the new retro wheels, which I just noticed recently are actually aluminum. I had assumed, with very little thought, that they were steel. Makes sense they would be aluminum on a modern VW, but it has to be a first to have aluminum wheel mimicking steel.
@Jon ;
No, old Mercedes began using alloy disc wheels with full size hub caps in about 1977…..
A shop stole them from one of my old Mercedes and I had to hunt up a new set, they look identical to the steel wheels they replace but have less weight .
I’m sure other European cars had them before Mercedes .
One of my cars (Metropolitan Nash) was specifically designed and marketed to American Women, that never dissuaded me from wanting or buying one .
The New Beetle just doesn’t ring my bell I guess .
-Nate
Paul wrote : “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mercedes wheels were either steel with wheel covers, or the alloys, either the 14′ “Bundt” wheels or the newer smooth cover 15″ after about 1985.”
It’s O.K. Paul like me you learned a new thing .
Yes, the light alloy disc wheels were 14″ .
It took me a little while to find a set, I cleaned them up and swapped my Michelin’s over to them and like to pretend I can feel the better handling due to less unsprung weight .
-Nate
I did some Googling, and the only thing I found was that apparently some European w126s used steel-style wheels made of alloy. But not the w123 or other cars. And US-spec W126s all came with the Bundt style wheels standard, before switching to the 15 alloy wheels. So your statement “old Mercedes began using alloy disc wheels with full size hub caps in about 1977” isn’t exactly correct. Only a very limited number of them did. No wonder you had a hard time finding them.
Actually many W123’s had them .
I realize I’m another old Mercedes Diesel lover/nutter but them’s the facts Paul .
I got lucky in that the guy who had them thought they were in poor shape being filthy and grimy, when I cleaned them the original paint was all near perfect and my 240D is just a putt – putter anyway even though I stupidly clatter it across Western Aerica…..
-Nate
Here’s the definitive info on them:
Light Alloy wheels that look like normal steel wheels from W123 diesels are also being sought and used by members on W113s. For purposes of distinction between these light alloy rims and “Bundt” wheels, we will refer to these as “Pressed Aluminum” rims.
Two sizes were used: 5 1/2 inch and 6 inch widths. These pressed aluminium rims can replace wheels on cars with hubcaps. The 6Jx14 H2 wheel was used on 1981 280E and 300D automobiles. The part number is 123 400 15 02. The 5 1/2Jx14 H2 wheel was used on 1980-1982 240D automobiles. The part number is 123 400 1302. Both of these can only be used with the one-piece later style Hubcap. Each wheel weighs 11 pounds versus about 21 for the steel. That’s a whopping 40 pound savings in unsprung weight. Add the additional 10 pound savings if you have the spare in aluminium as well, and you have a car that is much lighter on its feet; handles a bit better and takes the wheel covers.
Bought a New Beetle for my then-wife…last year of the higher-mounted, squared off door mirrors, 99 model I think?!? It was a 1.8t 5 speed, limited edition color Reflex Yellow with black leather. Beautiful little car, didn’t even make it 24 hours before something broke…first time we wound down the passenger side window the regulator fell apart and let the door glass fall down into the door with a loud THUMP. The instrument cluster would periodically go dead…backlight would go away and gauges would all zero-out. The spoiler at the top of the backglass would not deploy or retract reliably and made weird sounds when it did. It never failed to start, ran like a scalded dog, got remarkably awful gas mileage for such a small car. Mixed bag from day one.
Kept it a year, got an SUV for her…
Before we were married, my wife (then in her 30s) had back-to-back leases of a black and then navy blue one in the mid ’00s. She loved them, saying they were so cute. Because of the able headroom, she now feels claustrophobic in most cars now, especially the back seat. Neither one gave her any real reliability issues.
She does not like the current model, saying they took the cuteness out, making it manly looking. She has a Rabbit now, but still misses them.
Of the three Beetles, I still prefer the original air cooled version. I had a baby blue ’63 Beetle when I was in high school. However, a 60″s Beetle today in good condition is between $15K to $20K as per Hemmings:
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/volkswagen/beetle/2014177.html
If I still want contemporary retro, I’ll take a slightly used 2012-14 FIAT 500 POP with air conditioning for under $10k and still feel the fun of shifting the gears!!!
Its an emotional car for my mom and dad, not me. I guess I had to be there to undestand the appeal.
Ed Stembridge, the New Beetle was not introduced in 1997, as a 1998 model in the United States. Even though I was barely completing 1st grade, I remember it being that it was a 1999 model year car in April 1998. It coinciding with some Easter 1998 events, made that it easy to recall.
The production car was indeed shown at Tokyo in October 1995 as the Concept 2, because the final production design was approved in mid-1995, being fully locked-in by the end of November 1995 (22 months before production). Reveal was at NAIAS in January 1998.
The Vochomania magazine spread is likely from 1994, as that is strictly the Concept 1, which was of course shown at NAIAS in January 1994. Anyway, the little posting I do here is often…on deaf ears (despite it being fact).
1998 model year New Beetles were indeed produced for and sold in the USA.
Carmaker1 – it turns out we’re both wrong. The NB was indeed introduced in 1997, but did not actually go on sale in the US until the Spring of 1998 (and was officially launched for NA at the January 1998 NAIAS as you stated). 415 units were built in Wolfsburg in 1997, presumably for sale in markets other than North America. Production at the Puebla plant started in 1999, so maybe that’s what you’re remembering? At any rate, I’ve amended the text to make that more clear.
I can find no record of any “Concept 2” from Volkswagen in this timeframe. There is, however a Volkswagen Beetle Dune “Concept 2” floating around from 2014.
As I noted in the text, subsequent pages in the Vochomanía article do indeed show the black “near production” Tokyo car, so the article has to date from at least late-1995.
Furthering my assertion that the NB is becoming a Cockroach of the Road, I counted over 30 on a recent road trip of about 1,800 miles. I only started counting because I saw three within one mile on the interstate! Only one was inop – looked like it lost a rear wheel (axle stub and all).
3rd gen must be on the drawing board, I have seen an oval Beetle with a crank hole it may have been owner added this car had 4 inch lug bolts on the rear too that with a length of rope could be used as a winch to aid the 650×15 mudgrip tyres it had, off grid hippie owner, I was just the teen manning the pumps that day he told me how the lug bolts worked, same as the capstan winches on the Gipsy I’d driven, I didnt know to ask about the crank hole even my current classic has that feature, one lift and it will start.
I was impressed by the design, when I first saw early sketches and renderings. Captured the charm and character of the original, in a brand new interpretation.
Excellent work by the stylists.
Here in California, the only new Beetles available the first year or maybe two, were Diesel and those who I talked to when they were a few years old loved them .
I’ve never seen a Diesel New Beetle for sale or in a junkyard, I wonder where they all went ? .
-Nate
As linked in the original article, I sold the car to a local high school kid and was still seeing it around town five years later. I retired and move out-of-State, and learned from my son (who worked with the purchaser) that the car finally expired in 2021. It must have had at least 350K miles on it by that point. Other than the quality issues, it’s one of my top three “cars I’ve owned I’d like to have again, new.”
When these were introduced my wife worked for a man who had a chain of shops that sold nostalgic candy. The New Beetle had the perfect image and he bought 2 as company cars. He put big stickers of lollypops and other candies on them. We borrowed one a couple of times as they had AC and neither of our cars did. The longest trip was a 6 hour trip each way to Montreal. I have no idea how reliable they were, but we certainly enjoyed our trips. I do remember that windshield was so far away, but it was not a problem when driving.
Wife had an ’02 New Beetle, got it right after our son was born. 2.0L 5-speed base model. Car burned oil from day 1 despite following the break-in process religiously, had a bad speedo upon delivery and issues with the yellow paint. When the electricals under the passenger seat were found to be corroding and causing issues, we pulled the plug on it. Loved the character but the reliability wasn’t really there.
Now the ’68 Beetle I currently have in my garage? That’s another story 😉
Was that ’68 a stick shift or Auto Stick ? .
The four sped 68’s were the last of the swing axles, one year old 4 lug .
-Nate
My ’68 has a manual transmission so it does indeed have a swing axle suspension and a 4-lug bolt pattern. However, being a German-market model and not a US-spec Beetle, it also has the much more desirable metal dash 🙂
Thank you M.F. ~ now I’m a little bit envious……
I love the steel dashboard in my ’59 #113, yesterday afternoon I took the front and rear glass out to replace the grommets, I was well pleased to discover I was able to cut through most of the 50 + year old tobacco smoke residue, I plan to compound then wax it back as the original paint on a steel dash looks nice when you can get it .
-Nate
I wish they had actually built it on the Polo platform like the Concept One. I think the proportions were better on the smaller, more nimble platform. And it would have brought the price down, making it even more of a people’s car.