The New Volkswagen Beetle, the Old Beetle & the Future Beetle

Volkswagen has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. It started as just a small company making good cars during one of the darkest times in history. Then after the Second World War it changed into one of the main export cars that saved Western Germany from poverty.

The original Beetle was the first off the assembly line. It was produced continually from 1939 to 1979 in Germany. In South America, the Beetle was produced for more than a decade after it was out of production in Germany.

The Beetle was known for its hearty and simple design with an air-cooled engine that ran well in both hot and cold climates. The Beetle was very affordable, and with a 30 miles per gallon average, the model was popular with everyday consumers.

The new Volkswagen Beetle was introduced in 1998, which stopped the production of the original Volkswagen Beetle in Mexico. Like the original model, it is great on gas and went through very few changes through its production. However it is very different in the appearance than the old Beetle. The new Beetle, which has reached its last year of production, is much more of a luxury model then anything else. Its price tag is awfully high, especially compared to the original Beetle and it is hard to find one without a lot of options.

The biggest difference between the new Beetle and the original Beetle is its ability to be fixed at home. The original Beetle was designed to be fixed at home under imperfect conditions. It is possible to take out the engine with nothing more then a classic tool set and a floor jack. The new Beetle, however has a lot of difficult and complex procedures and tools needed. In fact, I, the writer of this piece, have recently failed to change the oil in one due to the fact that I do not have a large Alan key to undo the oil nut. Also, the oil filter is extremely hard to get at when the car it not suspended over your head which requires the tools of a professional mechanic.

However, the problems with the new Beetle may soon be fixed. Volkswagen has sent word out that three prototypes will be displayed at the Geneva Convention. These include a two seat model, an SUV, and another model that should be similar to the new Beetle. A mechanic can only hope that they solved the complexity problem in these new models.

The information in this article is from years of study done by the author of this article.