The Original VW Beetle
The original VW Beetle is a genuine part of motoring history that was in production continuously from 1938 until 2003. Originally conceived as a “Peoples Car” in Nazi Germany, the Beetle took on a life of its own and after World War II, as it broke away from its fascist beginnings to become the poster child of the “flower power” generation of the 1960’s. The VW Beetle underwent many upgrades during its 65 years of production, but during this time it remained true to its peoples car heritage. Originally launched in South Africa in the 1950’s, the Original VW Beetle soon became a big part of South Africa’s driving culture, and helped shape the memories of many first time drivers.
Original VW Beetle model years which are still available in South Africa, although many of the earlier year models are rare, these include:
1950 – 1959 VW Beetle Models |
|
|---|---|
|
Hydraulic brakes and an optional folding fabric sunroof are two of the main standout features of the VW Beetle Models manufactures between 1950 and 1959. There were however also a number of mechanical and style upgrades and refinements that also occurred during this time. Until the end of 1953 VW Beetles were manufactured with a split rear window, but these were phased out and replaced by single rear windows between October 1953 and March 1953. In 1958 the Beetle Instrument Panel was completely revised and the rear rectangle window was replaced by an oval one. Did You Know? Although not built in South Africa, the Beetle Cabriolet was a hit with the purchasing public around the globe. Most of the convertible VW Beetles found in South Africa are of this production year run, however some later models were converted post purchase and are not true production model VW Cabriolet Beetles. |
|
1950 – 1959 VW Beetle at a Glance |
|
 |
|
Power TrainEngine
Transmission
|
Vehicle Class
|
Body Type
|
|
Also Known As
|
|
Vehicle Layout
|
|
1960 – 1969 VW Beetle Models |
|
|---|---|
|
The VW Beetles manufactured and sold in South Africa during the 1960’s symbolised the entire “flower power” generation and along with the original VW Kombi of the same era became a cultural icon of its time. There were multiple upgrades and changes made to the Beetle during this 10-year period, including the introduction of a 1500 engine, a mechanical fuel level gauge and larger rear tail lights. There were also subtle changes to the look of the Beetle due to design changes that included an 11% increase in windshield size, a door window size increase of 6%, a rear side window increase of 17.5% and rear window increase of 19.5%. This gave the Beetles of the 1960’s a more open, airy, modern look compared to their 1950’s predecessors. Did You Know? Towards the end of the 1960’s a 3-speed semi-automatic gearbox with torque converter became available in the VW Beetle. This became one of the very first vehicles in South Africa to have this as a gearbox option, and it proved to be exceptionally popular. |
|
1960 – 1969 VW Beetle at a Glance |
|
 |
|
Power TrainEngine
Transmission
|
Vehicle Class
|
Body Type
|
|
Also Known As
|
|
Vehicle Layout
|
|
1970 – 1979 VW Beetle Models |
|
|---|---|
|
The final VW Beetle production run in South Africa took place between 1970 and 1979. Although there were a few upgrades that were made over this period, the most important for South Africans was the inclusion of a number of “Superbug” features that became standard across the range. These included a curved windshield, new dashboard, and larger tail lights. From 1978 onwards all larger engine production models were phased out and only 1300 VW Beetles remained in production until the last Beetle rolled of the manufacturing line in Uitenhage in 1979. Did You Know? Production in South Africa might have ended in 1979, but this was by no means the end of the VW Beetle Story, as it was in continuous production in Mexico until 2003. The final production run is now known as the “Volkswagen Sedán Última Edición” or Ultimate Edition VW Beetle as it was called in English, some of which were imported into South Africa by collectors. |
|
1970 – 1979 VW Beetle at a Glance |
|
 |
|
Power TrainEngine
Transmission
|
Vehicle Class
|
Body Type
|
|
Also Known As
|
|
Vehicle Layout
|
|
We are proud resellers of quality Used VW Beetles, however we generally only sell the New VW Beetle at our showrooms in the Western Cape, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. Please visit our New Generation Used Volkswagen Beetle page on this site to view our entire Used Beetle range.
Image Source: Wikipedia
