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The original VW Type 1, was better known as the Beetle or Bug, was manufactured by Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. From day one customers referred to their cars as Beetle or Bug, but it wasn’t until 1967 that VW rebranded the car with the name Beetle. Unfortunately production of the Beetle was halted around 1978 for the majority of drivers in Europe and the USA but continued in Mexico until 2003. In 2003, with production of the original VW Beetle falling to 30,000 from a peak of 1.3 million in 1971 the final car rolled off the production line in Mexico. VW Beetle Number 21,529,464 was the last ever VW Beetle made, 65 years after the original launch. As you would expect with such a car, it was traditionally taken to the VW car museum in Germany, where it still stands to this day.
Although production of the original VW Beetle continued until 2003 in Mexico, Volkswagen started the unenviable task of designing a New VW Beetle in the early nineties. During a motor show in 1994 in America, VW surprised everybody by unveiling a concept version of a VW Beetle designed by Mays and Freeman Thomas. Interest was so strong in this concept car, that VW just knew that they were onto a winner with this design and had to put the car into production. It took them a couple of more years, but finally in 1998, the world was introduced the New VW Beetle.
Using the VW Golf as it’s main platform, the New Beetle held a similar design to the original Beetle but with all the modern technology and safety features to accommodate the modern day driver. Even the most hardcore of Volkswagen Beetle enthusiast’s were suitably impressed with this new version, as it conquered the Retro image of the world’s favourite car and brought the model in line with its modern day competitors. You will be pleased to know that there is one significant change from the original Beetle to it’s modern day counterpart, and that’s the engine is in the right place at the front of the car and the boot is in the back.
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The Design and Style of the VW Beetle
VW took a classic design and gave it a new importance, oozing with quality. When you have a car that looks this good, you want it to last as long as possible. That’s why VW have galvanized the car, protecting your precious car from corrosion and you also get a massive 12 year warranty against rust. As you come to expect with VW, the build quality is that of a premium manufacturer. The narrow gaps between each panel exemplify the fantastic build quality of the New VW Beetle.
The accuracy in which the car can be put together is partly due to the rigidity of the car, as VW use unique bonding techniques on the areas of the car that come under particular strain. You as a driver or even as a passenger benefit greatly from the close fitting panels, like reduced wind noise and much improved aerodynamics. The improvement in the cars aerodynamics works great in increasing the cars fuel economy which is a much added bonus when fuel costs are what they are at the moment. Another important asset is the VW Beetle’s body strength. Not only is it an important safety measure, it’s also vital to for allowing great grip and holding the road in tight situations.
The VW design team has taken all of your senses into consideration. Not just pleasing to the eye with its stunning looks, the sound the doors make when opening and closing, represent quality at its highest level. Also when you touch the controls inside the car, you can feel the quality of the materials used, knowing that they can take the wear and tear of everyday use and will continue to look good. Last but not least, the wings and bumpers of the New VW Beetle are made out of plastic and are simply bolted to the body of the car. What this means to you as a customer, is that repair costs for bodywork damage are vastly reduced due to the simplicity of replacing the panels. Long gone are the days of your car been stuck in a body shop for days on end, with these plastic wings and bumpers the job can be done in a matter on minutes rather than hours?
Safety
It is almost set in stone that you will enjoy driving the New VW Beetle, but it is also important that you feel safe while you enjoy yourself. Well let me reassure you, the standards for safety are set very high by Volkswagen, and the Beetle is no exception. Take the Beetle’s chassis, it is strengthened at the most important points to absorb the energy, so in the event of a collision the inner cell of the car is kept in tact. As standard the VW Beetle is equipped with front airbags, with a deactivation switch fitted to allow you to turn the passenger airbag off if required.
The front airbags are backed up with side impact airbags, ensuring you have all round protection. When it comes to safe road holding, ESP (electronic stabilization programme) is a must have, and comes as standard on all of the New Beetle range. More often than not the main injuries in road traffic accidents are related the neck and spine, more commonly know as whiplash, so VW made sure that all passengers have the best protection with active front head restraints, which lower the risk of such injuries.
Many accidents happen so quickly that the driver simply doesn’t have time to react. It’s just as well that the technology on board the Volkswagen Beetle is constantly looking and assessing your driving environment and will react in a blink of an eye to help you out in an emergency situation. Whether this is the deployment of the airbags, or the ESP working hard to keep you in a straight line or the ABS brakes reacting to prevent you from going into an uncontrollable skid, you are safe in the knowledge that everything within the car is working together to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible. Hopefully you will never have to call on these fabulous features on the Beetle, but VW have made sure that when you drive their car, you feel safe so you can concentrate on enjoying your driving experience.
So it looks good and is safe but what about the inside of the VW Beetle? Comfort/Economy
I have probably bored you senseless waffling on about the design and safety of the New VW Beetle, so now it’s time to step inside the car and see what the interior has to offer. As mentioned before, VW want you to enjoy your driving experience in the Beetle, so they have packed the cars interior with all the latest technologies a car can offer. You have got power steering as standard so you can maneuver the Beetle around with ease. You have got central locking for all round security and easiness for opening the car for multiple passengers.
You have got electric windows in the front, so you can spend more time enjoying the ride than winding down a window. The wing mirrors are adjustable from the cabin of the car and are also heated which prevents your vision being obscured during inclement weather. Combine this with a wide angle lens in the door mirror, and you have the best possible view for overtaking safely. If you like your music then this will literally be music to your ears; there are six speakers in the New VW Beetle powered by the VW Gamma radio and CD player, allowing the sounds of your favourite music to flow gracefully through the inside of the car.
The seats are ultra comfortable made with the finest upholstery and are tough enough to withstand heavy duty use. For a little bit more panache, you can add leather seats as an option to finish off that classy look. I think you will agree the VW Beetle is a rather special and unique car when you compare it to the other cars in the market place. With so many bland and boring cars moping around the roads today, stand out from the crowd and drive something special and different, drive the New VW Beetle.
VW Beetle Interior image:
VW Beetle Exterior
