The Two Sides of VW Beetle

Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle in 1998. The bustle around this new release has long been dusted, but the excitement that Beetle owners feel towards the car remains as high as ever.

The original Volkswagen Beetle was a rear wheel drive and it had an air-cooled rear engine. It was made for masses, not the enthusiasts, and the name Volkswagen literally translates from German in to “people’s car”. Since the the birth of VW Beetle , things have changed however. Beetle has become a cult; the level of veneration and admiration it attracts is at a level so high that no one could have ever anticipated it. Also, in the field of technology, progress has been made in leaps. A New Beetle was born to accommodate these new developments – to satisfy today’s demanding drivers while giving them the pleasure of driving a VW Beetle. But this car wasn’t one for the masses. It was one for the conscious drivers who cherished the Beetle, but required comfort and all the mod cons.

For this new model , the simple technology of the old engine was replaced with a modern one. The robust structure of the Old Beetle let the driver buy VW parts and get dirty with fixing the car himself. Used VW Beetles still preserve their appeal, and the beauty of these cars lie partly in the fact that they facilitate this DIY relationship with the car. They guarantee a garage full of Volkswagen parts – a proper Volkswagen playground!

In 1977 in the USA, the production of the original Beetle was discontinued because of its weak safety and emission standards. The New Beetle is fitted with modern safety accessories and emission controls, such as airbags and a catalytic converter, and the comfort and ride of the car have been massively improved. Despite the lack of all these advantageous features , the old, used Volkswagen Beetle is still a thrill. The emotional attachment that Beetle drivers have to their cars is absolutely unique, and both the old and new versions contribute to keeping the Beetle story alive.