Volkswagen
began selling the Beetle on American shores starting in 1949. In this
photo, an original blue Beetle is pictured with the most recent model
from VW.
There are few shapes more recognizable than the profile of Volkswagen's
most famous vehicle. If you were to ask a hundred people who knew
nothing about cars to pick one out in a lineup, few would get it wrong.
Aside from its charm and unique shape, one of the factors in the
Beetle's impact is its longevity--and this month, Volkswagen is
celebrating 65 years since the Beetle hit U.S. shores, all the way back in January 1949.
That first car was imported by Ben Pon Sr., a Dutch businessman who
shipped the car to New York City. From that first car, sales built
rapidly. By the mid-1950's more than 35,000 had been sold, and given
another five years that figure was up to 300,000.
Sales really took off in the 1960's, a decade which has defined the
vehicle for subsequent generations due to its popularity among young,
counter-culture Americans. Frugal, small, distinctive and practical, the
Beetle resonated with young buyers in a way few small cars have
since--and by the end of the decade the model was selling as many as
400,000 units each year. That's ten times more than the current Beetle,
which moved 43,000 units in the U.S. in 2013. The market is very
different these days of course and the Beetle itself is a far cry from
its humble ancestor, but still remains one of Volkswagen's
highest-selling lines.
Volkswagen
produced its last German-built Beetle in 1977 and U.S. imports also
stopped around that time. While Type 1 Beetle production continued in
Mexico until 2003--where the model is still abundant--U.S. buyers had to
wait until 1998 for the car to return, under the 'New Beetle' name.
This was replaced in 2011 by the current model, once again returning to
the simple Beetle moniker. With turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines
it's quicker and more frugal than the original--and a whole lot safer
and better-equipped too. Importantly though, the styling is as
recognizable as ever.
Source:
csmonitor.com
