The automobile market is filled to the brim with cars of all shapes, sizes, and styles combined with terrific power and resourcefulness. There are also cars that have scaled the heights of success in the yesteryears, but which have dropped out of the race currently. But on such automobile that can be credited with a rich historical past is the Volkswagen Beetle, which remained in production for almost seventy long years!
Launched in 1930 by the German car manufacturer, Volkswagen, which is considered as one of the top four car manufacturers, their Beetle turned out to be extremely popular with enthusiasts all over the world.
The most endearing quality of the Beetle was its shape, and this resulted in the car becoming something of a cult figure, especially during the hippie days. Also called the
‘Bug’, this car was also highly regarded for its technically simple air-cooled engine design and easy availability of spare parts that facilitated repairs and maintenance, and modifications.
The most endearing aspect of this popular ‘people’s car’ happens to be its particular shape. A small compact vehicle, which is very economical in the fuel aspect too, the Volkswagen Beetle with its curvy features and distinctive headlights has stuck more or less, to its original appearance throughout the years.
The engine of the VW Beetle has been modified from the original 1600 cc Type I to the 2400 cc turbo charged ones with added features like larger pistons, better exhaust systems, dual carb setups, etc. In fact, the Beetle has also been a popular racing model with the fastest recorded speed being 6.53 at 209.98 mph. The new Beetle based on the Volkswagen A-platform, with its water cooled engine and a set of fantastic features under the bonnet, is considered to be a modern technically adept vehicle.
