For a very long period of time, the VW Beetle was the world’s best-selling automobile. That was in part due to its very long period of manufacturing: between 1938 and 2003 more than 21 million Beetles were built on all inhabited continents.
It’s quite remarkable that such a simple, basic car remained in production for so long with so little changes. It’s without a doubt the most important car in VW’s history, a car that people from all over the world recognize.
But what made it so special? XCAR tries to find that out in a new video that traces the Beetle’s humble and tumultuous beginnings. For example, did you know that VW was accused of stealing the Beetle’s design from Czechoslovakian manufacturer Tatra, a matter that was never settled?
There are more interesting things to learn from the following video, which also includes a comparison with the modern VW Beetle, which is described as having very little in common with the original model.