Why Did Volkswagen Kill The Beetle?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ย. 2019
- Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automakers. It houses brands such as Audi, Porsche, and Bentley. But perhaps its best-known vehicle is the Volkswagen Beetle. Over its entire lifespan, Volkswagen sold over 22.5 million of all three versions of the Beetle. But in July of 2019, production one of the most iconic and important cars of all time came to an end.
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Why Did Volkswagen Discontinue The Beetle?
My parents bought our first VW Bug in 1954 ( for about $1,900) and bought a second one in the late sixties or early seventies. I learned to drive in that 1954 model in 1961. In 1957 all five of us climbed into that little bug and dad drove us 3,000 to visit family on the east coast. It was up to my brother and I to make sure the top mounted luggage rack was packed and secure. I remember the first night on the road we stayed in a motel for only $6 for the whole family. Mom and Dad took the bed and we three kids slept in sleeping bags on the floor. THOSE WERE THE DAYS......
Thank you for your lovely story. I just brought a 72 beetle which I am slowly growing to love now I have it running properly with its £40 new chinese caberrutor. It has been a whole lot of hard work to get running, and I want to take my wife and our little puppy out in the summer to go for a picnic. Your family memory inspires me even more !!!! (Don't think we will go 300 miles though....) Love from England.
The new beetle wasn't anything like the old beetle. The old beetle was simple, easy to work on and had a rear engine. That, and unlike the new beetle, the old beetle was rugged. you could modify the old beetle and take it off road. you couldn't do any of that with the new beetle except drive it on the road.
Plus, the old one just looked so much better.
That’s modern VW group for you. Porsche their only brand with a semblance of customer service
@Joe Al "money pits" i know for a fact you watch scotty kilmer LMAO
Rear engines seem to be very rare these days, and all cars have become more complex too.
The new beetles were unreliable, difficult and expensive to repair. Back in the day anyone could work on a Beetle, they were reliable and cheap
My first car was a ‘74 beetle. The gas heater never worked. It was super cold to drive in winters where it dipped to below -25 Celsius. The windshield was constantly fogged up. It had huge amounts of traction in the snow, though. And it was fun to drive in the summer. I can still smell the hot vinyl seats. :)
The heaters and defoggers were terrible.. But what a great car.
The Beetle is the most customised, most re-built, most reconditioned, most hacked and channeled, most converted, most kit-carred & most crazily decorated car in the history of automobiles. No car will ever touch the Beetle.
Lol. The Toyota Corolla whupped the Beetle's ass loooong ago.
And two people can remove the engine - by hand!
@@JustWasted3HoursHere Or one guy - with just a floor jack.
@@fattguy21 True.
not huh
Better title: “Why did Volkswagen Squash the Bug?” Missed opportunity. Damn.
It would make a killer hybrid car
At least experiment with 48v mild hybrid
@@cnordegren It would have to become unrecognizable almost, the original shape is aerodynamically terrible.
it shows an incoherent train of thought by the creator of this video. SAD!
a squashed bug is called a Porsche😉
Yeah... They killed it when they squashed it. The chopped version of the New Beetle was a really poor idea. Who decided they would do that? We need their names!
The old beetle was for the people, the new beetle was for females with money. VW made it a niche car, that's why it died.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16
The people don't want a small car anymore, Volkswagen can't do anything about it. Families are growing larger and fuel prices are normal now, small cars are not an attractive option for the 'people'. All small cars will die
Why specifically females with money?
I don’t know, really I don’t know why.
@@dejulesb7063 The bright colors, flower cup holder, etc, mostly appealed to females, whom at least in southern California also liked to accessorize the vehicle with eye lashes.
The original Beetle was a cheap vehicle, and this one wasn't. Cheap new vehicles today are the Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Chevy Sparks, and Hyundai Accent.
Volkswagen was targeting for a different demographic with the new Beetle. The demographic that they appealed to in the 60's was younger people in general, that didn't have a lot of money, because they haven't started their careers yet.
@@tejaswipradhan558 not everyone has a family. Seniors like small cars and have an empty nest, they usually drive Prius. Young singles like cheap reliable cars.
I've had 3 Beetles, sold 2, and still have the last one in my garage and it makes me smile every time I see it. My wife keeps asking if I'm ever going to get rid of it......sorry dear, your going before the beetle goes.............lol
1982 original rabbit gti close ratio gear box west moreland pa mfg...would have definetly brought a smile to your face. i still see one in great shape san jse ca.. Fun , on twisty roades, great brakes a heater and a fantastic cold ac.. Its a classic collectable.. try one youll love it.. rear seat removable 2 clips and full carpeted under seats..A mini van..I left rear seat out a lot.. even brought a recliner home with it..(no kidding) 10 years and 100k miles never touched motor or trans.. Compression test was spot on original specs... A blast on washington rock road on the down hill..... My corolla makes me smile at 18 years old like no vw ever has... Sun bug 1973. 1982 rabbit gti. corradovr6,, rabbit gtivr6, numerious jettas used to be a great car in 80s. passat was a let down turbo laaag.... But my rolla 10 years(got used at 7) only breakage was ground strap for battery connection.. besides owners manuel maintenance.. Vw cant even touch that..its why i hate them now, JUNK..
i don't understand it, i find it a ugly looking vehicle, old or new. and would not ever like to own one.
Owned a 1961 while in college and then a 1970 Super Beatle which we drove all over the US. Great cars. Very practical.
I have owned five beetles. The first was a 1958 small rear window, and was brought into England from Lagos by a returning military officer.
I still have the service booklet the operated a fixed price for labour, for instance, remove and install engine £1: 7s:11d. Complete engine overhaul engine removed from vehicle complete disassembly all parts checked and replaced as necessary, engine rebuilt and tuned very expensive at £21:11s: 1 p those were the days!
A Rabbit or jetta got way more economy.with a heater and ac unit not an open window. Cruise control and it could cruise at 80 plus.. comfortably.. i had the 1973 sun bug special edition.. pirelli cn36 tires wide rims,black trim,recaro seating, they were amazingly adjustabe for a bug.. but junk compared to a gti or jettta in the 80s.... just sayin.. i loved my exs jetta .. But their lack of quality turned me right off forever... and stupid design querks..
@Teja nope, that's a band. From the 80's if I recall correctly.
@Teja Of course you did. Blessings.
Someone at CNBC really loves the term "Rise and Fall"
So true
They are a bunch of idiots. CNBC is on a perilous decline. They just don't know it yet.
@@berniediapersanderslukso9204 lmao you been drinking the Fox koolaid? You idiots have been repeating that same line for every single news source that doesn't heil Trump for years, yet you have provided no proof
Yeah reminds me of William Shirer's book Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
Soon there will be a "Rise and Fall of CNBC"
It stopped being a car for the people and became an impractical expensive fashion excessory
I agree. Serves VW right for being just too greedy.
I disagree with you. My 2013 Beetle TDI was a blast to drive.
my 1995 beetle is cheap to mantain anda practical car,
@@airmanma It was a car for people. It was cheap but not flimsy like Corolla. Anyone with a brain chose VW bugs over Toyotas. The old Beetle's reliability was the standard of the compact car - as well as its design- at the time. Modern Beetles lost their identity. Sure, sporty Beetles existed in its heyday. But, VW focused on making reliable bugs for everyone first. Modern Beetles cannot last longer than a Kia Soul, which is quite surprising and sad. You see first-gen Beetles running, without any problems, still in South America and Asia. In Asia, you need to spend a fortune to get any classic Beetles, for the first model is good and just classy.
Also unreliable.
They may have killed it in production, but VW is alive and well around the globe. I'm on my fourth VW Beetle a 1967, and I love it!!
I had a '66', then a '75', both super easy to work on, and brilliant in the snow!
I had 61,63 and 64. I could remove a VW engine in 15m Easiest car to work on. Terrible heaters
The original Beetle is a classic that will never die.
2 in my barn and 1 Karmann Ghia.
Beetles(1979) were sold here in the Philippines, in some specific area, so it's still alive thou
true
It's a classic but it is also dead
Still see them out here!!
When I was in Mexico in the late 98's they were still making the original beetle. It was so cute to see brand new ones on the road.
They kept making in Mexico until the early 2000's
According to some reports they are still being made in Mexico
@@curtisthomas2670 no they are not, the plant still exists but they make newer model cars
when I was in mexico (Monterrey) a few years ago I saw a lot of them, didnt even know what they were because here in Germany theyre basically non-existant, definitely was cool to see such old cars
They did until 2019. I have a 2015 Beetle and it was made in Puebla.
When I graduated high school during this time, gas was 30 cents a gallon. People didn’t buy them for the milage. They were viewed as fun, different and made a statement about their owners.
I'm fixing up my 1967 beetle right now. Hasn't been started in probably thirty years. I'm just finishing the front brakes, then I go to the rear wheels. I may end up driving it across country.
what "Fall" are you talking about? This is a legendary car that had a 60+ year lifecycle!! that is tremendous success.....
Exactly! And sold 21 million of them! Not bad!
Agree
fall meaning decline of sales
Marcelo Souza in business when something stops being sold or no longer makes money it becomes a failure regardless of historical success 😇 that's what they teach in business school.
Because the beetle is not what it use to be anymore
It’s not dead, just taking a power nap. It will be back, who are we kidding?
@RockaBilly the soul still live in porsche 718 boxster hahaha
I just love your comment! Thank you so much...my first car was a Beetle.
I wish you are true about that, buddy.
The beetle will return again one day more reminiscent of the original once electric motors start dominating the automotive world. VW already working on electric motor conversions for the old Volkswagens
@RockaBilly the body will be more reminiscent, not the drivetrain.
I had a friend in high school back in the early '60s, whose family had a VW bug. He would put a quarter in the gas tank, and we would go all night (at least, all night to US), which included a trip to the A&W or Krystals. He steered with his left hand and ate with his right hand. I sat, and ate with MY right hand. He pressed the clutch, I moved the gear shift with my left hand. We were a well oiled machine ...
I steer with my right and eat with my left
@@beebob1279 who shifts gears?
I have an '01 that I've put almost 300,000 miles on and still happily driving it.
Cmon, Volks, the E-Beetle is the obvious replacement, right?
Omg that's a brilliant idea
Yeah I think its also a way to build up hype when they bring it back
It's a shell based car so it would be pretty well evenly distributed weight wise
They have eGolf. Sells bad.
it will rise again someday and i bet it
I had a beetle in college and it was wonderful. It just ran forever.
The safety and emission requirements spelled the end of the Beetles. Their final air cooled models were chocked with emission garbage, had lousy fuel injection ugly bumpers etc . Their time was done.
So sad! I have the 2000 New Beetle and it was my childhood dream to own one, I wanted to upgrade to a newer 2014+ Beetle but they stopped production of new beetles in Australia in 2014 and could only purchase from overseas. I will be holding on to my 20 year old Beetle until it dies! Because I LOVE the Beetle and dearly hope they make more 😭😭
@ Larry: Yes, i hope they keep making the VW Beetle, this time with an electric motor. I think it would sell. It should get good milage on a single charge because of the weight.
The second gen Beetle was just a VW Golf with a round body. Nothing like the original beetle.
I must differ. The Beetle 2 shares the same platform as the Golf...and the Jetta. VW wanted to share this platform to keep things simple...and more affordable.
Going to the Beetle 2, I have a GTI in a nicer body. It is truer to the original shape than the "new beetle" was.
Don't get me wrong, I have been repairing these machines for several decades, and they all have their own unique traits. For example, the Mk. 1-3 golfs were solid beasts.
@@robertborchert932 Not entirely true Robert. Slight changes with the Golf from the Beetle platform also shared with my Audi TT (Golf).
Oh of course nothing can beat the original for its sher charm
Vw camper was good they did bring it back but not for sale in us
Porsche and vw shared design heritage
I think the term ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’ comes to mind. I miss the original beetle. My love for it came from the ‘Herbie’ movies. ❤️
I used to drive a 1971 Beetle. The cars were fine for what they were, but essentially death-traps. You were sitting with the fuel-tank practically in your lap just behind the dashboard. One of the quirks that you quickly got used to was to crack a window a mite to allow you to shut the door on the first go since the Beetle's passenger compartment was surprisingly airtight and the internal pressure build-up prevented the door closing properly.
Another quirk was to practice flicking over the "reserve" lever situated under the dashboard next to the throttle with your right foot because the earlier models had no fuel gauge.
MsG
Lives forever, still driving a 1963
@ferkemall sweet.
FAbulous!
I still see little old ladies driving old Beetles.
It's a design main for common folk who just need to do common things and not have to worry about the car. People have other stuff to worry about.
WOW! YEP!!
Horsepower and mpg?
Just in Brazil, we have more than 3,500,000 Beetles, and we love them! We call it Fusca.
I'll never forget my first car: a yellow 1975 VW Beetle.
TrollBuster mine was a purple 74 L Bug
Mine was a 1968 when I was 16. I never forgot that Beetle!
Did you buy it new in 75'?
@@10-AMPM-01 No, it was used. Got in 1990.
Good memories never dies
Almost everyone has a beetle story,and I swear, every story ends with" I really miss that car, wish I still had it". It was a simple, fun car with personality that meant something different and special to each person. I have a 59 ragtop that is the car I take out when I just want to cruise and forget about all the BS going on in the world, It's the best therapy for stress I've ever had. My favorite car hands down over all the modern crap.
MY. "Really Miss that car", was a 1955 ragtop We had when in Germany in 1967, how many time s I have said: "I wished I had shipped it back home". Now we have just this year found "Dutch" a 1964 VW we are really enjoying. Dutch was bought in Amsterdam and brought back to the states , by it's second owner, and now we are the proud owners. Memories, and VW's.
Same. I love taking my 70 out for a spin when I need to de-stress. And on the rare occasion I pass another bug we both throw peace signs out the window and the world feels a whole lot better.
The old Beatle was a success because it was simple with air cooled engine.
I loved that car. Cannot remember the year. I was expecting my first son. I was bigger than the car. I am now 81, driving a leased RAV4. Would love to have a beetle again.
Do it. Life is like a box of chocolates. You only live once.
I owned 3 Beetles - 1966, 1969, and 1971 Super Beetle. Had a lot of good memories in them.
It died when they started adding all the bs to it...keep it simple
Exactly!
+Caiden Zagala +Steel city 1981
They ruined the Beetle by putting a WATER COOLED engine in the front making basically a car built on a Golf chassis and just putting a Beetle body on to plus way more expensive than the original Beetle, making it a nostalgic toy for rich baby boomers.
They could make the Beetle into a tadpole style car two wheels in the front and a single wheel in the back which would get around the safety issues of a four wheeled car.
Yeah like a radiator, if it was air cooled it would be better
My father had one in the 60's and it was a blast to drive.
Just a wonderful video on the Volkswagen beetle I had one in 1968 a stick shift they were fantastic cause the only thing you needed was some fan belts to keep it the car in case they broke they were easy to put on about 5 minutes and you were on the road again I give this video five stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🇩🇪💯👍
The beetle was a lawn tractor to work on.
Today's cars are disposable junk, they're not made to last
I believe the big automakers used the term 'planned obsolescence'.
True
Toyota Corolla??
Bizarre VW are abandoning the Beetle now, It would be ideal as an electric car.
@Eze&Yare Dominguez You just made me spit out my avacado toast in rage!!!
Larry Bundy Jr honestly the new id3 looks good. And the VW golf will probably end up outselling the beetle. Far better car and a best seller in the UK. Perfect all round car
I am sure they will bring another Beetle on the Golf 15 or whatever platform.
I’ve heard rumors that they might be doing that, I mean did they make a VW Electric Kombi Concept?
No it won't be, we need to move forward, just rehashing the same car again and again doesn't move design forward, same reason why the mini electric looks so much worse than the Honda E; 'retro' design is a gimmick at best and hinders progress in design at worst
Does anyone remember the Beetle clubs? Rolls Royce grills on the front? There used to be a group that met on my street back in the 1970's (yes, people, I'm that old). But it was so cool
I’ve had 30 of them. Wish I still had one from the 60s today
If there so great why did you have 30 of them I want one an im investagating to see if I wanna get one
My first brand new car was a blue '65 beetle. After 65,000 miles, I sold it to buy a new automatic Toyota Corona. I was miserable with the Toyota until my fiance bought her first car, a used 1958 beetle. I gave her the Toyota, and drove her beetle. Loved it! Since then I've restored several, and built dune buggies as well. A great, well-designed platform.
I think competition from it's own stablemates, the Golf and Polo, were also drawing sales. They attracted more to everyone, and the Beetle is more of a niche car. Basically, the Golf is what the Beetle used to be, the people's car.
I had one in 1970, very good in the snow , easy to repair. To bad the floor rotted out. Bought another,put high back seats, different exhaust. Great memories..
My 1st car was a 63 beetle w/ a sunroof. Got so good at working on that little car
I've owned three beetles (63, 69, 73) and one Fastback and one Squareback. Great cars and easy to work on. Loved them all. Wish I had kept at least one.
when I was a kid, if anyone asked me to draw a car, I would draw the outline of the beetle.. Its an easy car to draw on paper and you can never go wrong...such good memories!
I had a 1967 Beetle for part of my high school and entire college years. Mechanically, it was a very forgiving vehicle, as it would keep running, albeit not all that well, with a minimum of maintenance. It was never known to "up and quit" on drivers, but instead, would decline in performance as the mechanical issues with the engine would escalate.
The US gasoline shortage of 1973/74 ; with its accompanying soaring prices for fuel, made that Beetle nearly a godsend for school and work transportation during that time.
I own a 2016 beetle dune in black and gold interior on the dash. It’s a really nice car.
I had a 1959 Beetle in NYC and couldn't Wait till it snow, because I loved that engine. in the rear!
I owned a much loved '67 beetle back in the day. I also drove VW buses - a '68, a '69 and finally a '72. The beetle was great, but sure wish I still had my '68 bus!
I feel your pain
Had a 69 and 70 Beetle, but loved the old Type 2s. Drove across Canada (Vancouver to Halifax) in a bus I cobbled together - depending on which part you looked at it was either a 68, 69, 70 or 71. The latter was the engine, and thanks to the famous Idiot Book I was able to do my first (and only) total engine rebuild part way through that trip. Good memories and damn were those vehicles easy to work on. I can say without hesitation that I'd gladly sell someone's kidney to have one again.
What kind of car do you drive today?
Few closest friends relayed on Beetles and Bus. One 60's Beetle was run probably into the 2000's, most of the time daily 20 miles plus for work alone. It saw it's share of dirt and back roads too! Rebuilt the engine at least once, had a crude bike rack WELDED to the body and roof. Hahaha Totally utilitarian. Loved it.
A Beetle was my first car in 1969. I loved my Beetle so much !
My 69 was my first car, too. British racing green, white seats, Blaup radio. Took a beating after I hit black ice and smacked a tree. $2400 out the show room. Could always manage a parking spot and 4 speed was no problem on hills.
Thanks for this recap. Have had a series of Beetles since the early 60's, then after marriage and the family grew added a bus, then the camper. Loved every one of them.
They should bring it back as a hybrid or fully electric car.
hopefully more pwr to weight than the originals.
This is my greatest hope for electrics. The main thing keeping me from buying an electric is that they, and especially Teslas, are almost more frill than car - I want a no frills electric, dammit.
As a four door suv beetle
Brad J Stewart that always seemed an obvious thing to do. But I guess the market wasn’t there for it.
If you like small EVs, have a look at Honda’s eType.
Also, this must be the first Beetle retrospective in history that never mentions Herbie once! :D
Outside of the US Herbie os largely unknown.
I know! I can’t believe it didn’t show Herbie, before it showed Bumblebee.
@@shebbs1 Nope, not really. In Europe, the movies were very popular;-)
53!
Never heard of Herbie. Had to google it.
For me, there's only one Volkswagen Beetle: the one we knew in Mexico as "vocho". It became so popular in our country, that it lasted in production and sell until 2003, like the documentary said.
In fact, mexican people loves so much these cheap & easy-fix cars, that it was immediatly replaced by Nissan Tsuru, whose sales were stopped in 2004 globally, but continued to be sold in Mexico until 2015, in its original 2004's design, when new security auto norms were applied in the country, and decided it was time to let the car go.
My family had 16 VW’s. I still have one. But the beetle was iconic. Reliable, cute and good mpg. As the oil crisis subsided, so did the need for cars that achieved better gas mileage. That non air cooled cars became more plentiful. But, I think, many have a soft spot in their hearts for this lovable car.
It wasn’t a Beetle, a Beetle should be rear drive and with soul. The new one was a rebodied golf.
exactly! And that's why it failed. A rebodied Golf with less space and a weird look
Also very unreliable.
@@giankperez6377 If the Beetle was unreliable VW wouldn't have sold over 26 million cars.
I was just telling my dad that I haven’t seen any beetles cars in a while.
I saw tons of beetles in Mexico a few months ago and I liked it 🥰
My beetle I bought in 1947 still runs smoothly
The video fails to mention the one model that is the spiritual successor to the Beetle. That is the Volkswagen Up!
It is a small and affordable car for the masses and has a minimalistic design. Yes, it isn't air-cooled or has the engine in the back, but that wouldn't work in today's world.
The car is a hit and selling by the millions in Europe and Latin America.
No no not the Beetle!!!! The most iconic car that I have ever know.
You can still buy the beetle, it's just rebadged to Porsche 911
Good call, I agree. Driving a canary yellow Porsche 911 throughout the deserts of Southwest USA was one of my thrills of a lifetime. Luckily, I had a great fuzz buster on board and rocking sound system.
Aside from the air cooled rear engine in older 911 Porsches, there is very little comonality, you could say this for the old bathtub Porsches. Some of the later 912s had VW engines, was not a good solution.
yeah and they are come at the same time when the beetle type 1 and Porsche 356 mark the birth of both company too
no comparison
For reigning for so many decades, the word fall doesn't go with this iconic car.
Original Beetle was the stuff of stories at summer camp by our counselors all from U.K. They said they drive years in a dead battery. They told us of the bump-start or “Starting it like the Flintstones car (tolling with legs). They said they trick was to park on an incline.
Could never do that with a modern car. However, jump boxes are the six of cell phones so one can jump start themselves now with minimal space in trunk.
One of my favorite cars that I owned was a beetle automatic. If you've never seen one it's a standard transmission beetle but with an electric clutch. It had a microswitch in the shifter so the weight of your had would engage the clutch allowing you to shift. It was still a three speed and you had to shift through the gears only no floor clutch.
That's not an automatic transmission then. It's an AMT transmission, like some semi trucks have..
The old type 1 car came to a dead end due to emissions and safety concerns, the air cooled engine couldn't be tweeked enough to pass epa mandates, look even motorcycles are not aircooled anymore (nor are Porches), safety, you have ten gallons of gasoline right in front of the driver and little else. It did have great rollover safety though. It was inexpensive, fuel efficient, and easy and relatively cheap to repair, it was also fun to drive.
The revival comes up against multiple problems, it is much more complicated mechanically and electronically, and it is much more expensive to build therefore it sells at a much higher price. While it resembles the original stylistically, it lacks the 'feel' of the original and it comes at a different time in history, many of us who loved the original have aged out of the market, some of our children might remember but it is totally strange to our grandchildren. The German economy is one of the world's powerplants and the resulting pricing structure means that Germany mostly concentrates on high priced luxury cars and manufactures lower priced vehicles in other countries with lower wage costs, this results in lower quality. Another factor is the rise to maturity of the Japanese auto industry and the Japanese system of quality management, even the German luxury cars can't match the quality and durability of some Asian brands.
What I don't understand is VW's abandonment of the van market, years ago I had mocked up in my head a marriage of the old minibus with the engine of a front drive VW, I'll bet that Lee Iococa had the same dreams, I believe his K cars had VW engines at one point. I still drive a VW, a Tourag, one of the best cars I've owned (thus far), it gets about the same mpg as my beetle with six times the HP, 2.5 times the weight, four doors, A/C, auto trans and AWD.
Upon frontal impact the old beetle gas tank would slide downward hoping not to create a spark. They introduced EXPLOSAFE at NASCAR in the 70s which would have worked.
Beetle model is already a famous icon of Volkswagen to the people all over the world. Volkswagen car manufacturers must not stop making them but carry on making it.
German originally intended it to be affordable to everyone, but VW have lost track of this intention. The new Beetle is too fancy and too expensive, that's what killed it.
And the market has changed dramatically, more people are buying SUVs and Japanese cars for some reason.
I owned a Brazilian-made Beetle, there called "Fusca"... It was a great car, I miss it a lot
Nothing ever broke on the 🐞 Beetle. Yes, it started in cold weather, it got through the snow and the heater was 🔥 hot. If you didn't need a fancy outfit for work the lack of AC wasn't a big deal. The seats were comfortable and had chair-like seating making long drives a breeze. Steering was light and sporty. Those Beetles 🏁 racing were no joke. The new Beetle should have been rear engine and rear drive. Could have kept car alive and stressed reliability and value more.
Dude, this is not the 1960s. A rear engine, rear drive vehicle with a water-cooled engine nowadays would run at least around $30,000. Which means this car probably wouldn't even have sold what it did in the late 90s and early 2000s when it became front engine front-wheel drive. and there's not a snowball's chance in hell of an automaker making an air-cooled engine in modern-day times, since that engine has been proven to be problematic if you drive it in certain (hot) weather conditions, and no one's going for a car with limitations nowadays. The best thing Volkswagen could do for a beetle now is make it electric. Even then, it would be a niche vehicle at best.
Stuff broke all the time. Air cooled engines constantly had problems with at least one cylinder. Alternators needed replacing. And those things tended to rust.
Everything broke on them. That is why God made helicoils.
From about the age of 10, in the '60s, I wished I could have a Beetle. In 1971, when I got my license, my family got a new Beetle and I drove it till it was unfortunately wrecked in a rollover crash in 1978. As much as I liked this car, would never get another one - a cramped back seat that was hard to get in and out of, very little room to carry any cargo, the battery located under the back seat, etc. All this made me decide I would always own a hatchback from then on, and I have.
@ hebneh: I knew a woman in Vietnam who had a VW Beetle and one day her battery died and i gave her a jump start. I was surprised that the battery was under the back seat. I gave her a jump start from my jeep.
I'm so glad I snatched one up before production ended. I had one years ago and now that we're down to one kid in the house, I get to reclaim some of my cherished car memories. I never owned an original, but I've had a '98 (Dot) and now a '18 (Gemma). When they release them the next time around, I will probably get one of those, too.I really enjoyed this video. There were some things I had never heard before.
It will make a comeback as an electric car!
I look forward to buying a electric version of "the bus"
The new bus looks good but don't forget we live in an atmosphere, boxy shapes push a lot of air, inefficient and the original bus was terrifying to think of a front end collision with your toes right behind the bumper. It's going to have to be only superficial resemblance to the past. Welcome all EVs.
the electric golf cost over 40k, an electric bus will probably be close to 50k.
How can you cover this without a shot of Herbie? The most iconic Beetle ever!
Easy: they're not a Disney company. That's a different network.
Love this elegant ❤Beetle❤ car hope it makes a grand comeback. People needs their car.
Please bring back VW Beetle: the people's car. The Beetle is an example of a good thing coming out of a bad thing.
They may treat it as a Disney vault item.
Great memories of a great fun car, just wish I kept even one of my old Beetles.
A flower holder?....I would have put my weed in that thing
What is weed after all but a flower waiting to "bud"?
the buds are flowers....
They still sell them. They attach on the newer cars via an adhesive. 😆
I concur
Maybe a bong as an option.
Loved the video clip of the Fords. I once bought a 1934 model A for $10. I replaced the journal bearings, did a valve job and patched the radiator in my mom's driveway one weekend in 1950 or so and then sold the car to get enough money for school.
A major problem for the Beetle, the new competition from Japan. Start with fuel economy. Beetles achieved about 27-29 mpg city and 30-33 highway. My Datsun B110 achieved 33 local and best was 42 MPG highway. Next item: Heater was far better than the Beetle, and the engine was a lot quieter and had more power. The Japanese Yen vs. Deutche Mark was very favorable and was enabled the Datsun/Nissan (as it called then) to undercut the VW's price.
Sadly the Datsun/Nissan "evaporated" after a few salty winters especially when the left front fender literally fell off.
When you wrote about the heater in connection with the Beetle, I can say from firsthand experiences that Beetle car heaters could be downright dangerous. Why what that? The heat-exchanger unit with the engine exhaust system would leak, sending carbon monoxide fumes into the interior of the car.
Many people don't consider that water-cooled engined vehicles is what runs a car's heater. The air-cooled Beetle had to use the engine's exhaust system as the heat source for the car's heater. My Mom's '63 Beetle didn't have a problem with that; but the '67 model that I inherited from her for school transportation was a problem; as the few times I had to resort using the heater, such as when the windshield iced-over while driving, I suffered headaches and nausea with its use.
Too late, I already saw it on Business Insider
Off you go then...
Da ARTISTBoi Nah! You are here!!!
Is not late! 😂😂
I was wondering why this video was sounding so familiar
I knew this video looked familiar! I honestly thought it was a reupload
They even included like one of the interviews of the video made by Business Insider if I'm not mistaken (?)
Those cars sold like crazy here in Mexico and you still see few here and there .
Yes, I’m Mexican and I really watched this video out of nostalgia!
heard they call 'em 'belly buttons' - everybodys' got one ;-)
I have a 5 cylinder 2013 and we are still in ❤️
It was discontinued when I could finally afford it. :( I hope they bring it back!
Let me save you 11 minutes....WHY did they discontinue it? Because nobody wants it anymore.
pressrolls Nice TLDR, but it’s still interesting getting to learn the history behind this iconic vehicle.
They weren't selling @ 32k
The new beetle is no great loss .. the old one was.
Wat?
Why not bring back an upgraded version of the old design? Perhaps VW could create a hybrid model or a four door electric version. Glad the VW Bus is returning though.
Had 5 Beetles in my life...great cars...easy repairs...lots of parts if needed. Had a 60,62,64,67and a 70 Super...
I’ve been in love with the original beetle since the first time I saw one as a small kid. My dream is to one day be able to drive one ❤️
The real beetle died in 2003 in Mexico not that pretend one that came after. Also the second generation Volkswagen van ended production in Brazil in 2013
It died in 1972....I think
We’ve had three Beetles and loved them. If they come back, we’ll get another!
Adam Preset I own a beautiful, green 1999 Beetle TDI and I’m so sad they are gone
FYI, the longest production time for a car goes to the Chevrolet Suburban. It’s been in production since 1934 with the same basic design concepts.
beloved bug! loved all mine. green, red, candy apple red, white, pumpkin orange and champagne silver 1 of last 5,000 produced. all were great, loved and used.
i bet there will be an new electric Beatle within the next 50 years
I can’t wait
if the e works out for honda then that should serve as proof of concept that there's a market for a not inexpensive, cute, small ev.
by most metrics teslas should have the honda e beat (range, performance, charging availability, passenger & cargo space, & price of a base model 3 isnt super far off the price of an e), so if it actually does well it wouldn't be a stretch to say it will largely be because it's small and cute.
Probably. Its just a very long term marketing plan. They keep "taking it away" so they can keep "bringing it back"
As distinct from an acoustic Beatle?
This world is not going to be here as we know it, in 50 years. Probably not the next five ...
The expected starting price of the new bus it around 72k. I don’t see them taking off at that price point
2019 Beetle was just a golf with interior room and storage gone for the sake of retaining Beetle styling. 1979 Beetle was a car offering only 25 mpg yet still barely getting out of its own way. At least slow 1979 golf Mk1 (Rabbit) diesel almost doubled the highway mileage.
I am happy I bought one of the last ones made in Mexico with the air cooled engine...I have been offered $17,000 for it.. All new cars are a ripoff they are way to expensive..
I love the fact that Volkswagen has created an electrification kit for the Classic Beetle and Bus.
$$$$$$$, But still awesome!!
It's the entire car industry which has reached it's peak and there will be many further reductions in production across all manufacturers in the next few years. Some big names will cease to exist.
As population increases there will atill be a high demand for cars.
Okay so name a large car company that will cease to exist in the very near future.
@@trance9158 General Motors
@@ChickenC0re oh really? But not Ford? Explain...
@@yugiohpokemon5285 No, it doesn't work like that, you should read more and Google articles on the future of the car industry. Btw, there will be more demand for people who can read and write without errors.
My dad owned a Beetle back in the early 80s. I still remember riding in it with no heat. A couple of friends who were brothers owned New Beetles when I was in college in 2001. One had the fancier version with more features. I asked why he got the extras and not his brother. He said "because I'm the older brother".
My first car was a 69 with a sliding roof. $2,000 CAD brand new.
Amazingly reliable until the floor rusted out at 125,000 miles in the Toronto winter salt.
It failed me once just north of Lake Superior towing a boat. 10 minutes later I was back on the road..the fan belt had broken and there was a new one with instructions how to replace the broken one. I loved that car. My next one was a Rabbit...not nearly as reliable.