[Closed] On this day in automotive history.

An amazing little car! Never understood why they didn't make a 4dr. version.

I think it would have sold many thousands.

Thanks, Michael. My bug was a '63, purchased when I first started commuting fifty miles a day; that was in 1973. I paid $350 for it and drive it until it blew up in early '75. I sold it, with no engine, for $150, and I bought a brand new Ford Pinto. I drove that dependable Pinto for years, and it had a heater that worked! The VW was minimum transportation, but it was cheap to buy and cheap to operate.

I had several over the years ('58 to '74 Beetles); the gas heater was a blessing!

PIC: Thanks Michael. Loved my Bug........

It looked very much like this......photo no longer available

Never owned a beetle but my wife had a 1500 when we got married.

She bought it in Germany and had it shipped to the states after touring Europe. Being newlyweds the car kept us in debt because parts were not available in the U S as the model was never sold over here. Loved the car when everything was functioning properly which was seldom.

1500? I had to look that one up, Bob. Found it! (pic)

photo no longer available

photo no longer available

Nice looking car, too.

Just one mans opinion: I HATE them. They look strange, they are too small for two large men to sit in with out one arm hanging out the window [too narrow for fat people], gutless on the highway [45 mph up hill and 70 down but it seems that most VW drivers liked to play left lane hog, liked to give everybody else their accordion style of driving}. Of course I am speaking from a commuters point of view in the low but many hills of Conn.back in the '60s thru '80s. And they sound sickening with 4 cylinder air cooled engine inside and as they pass.
They may have sold millions and loved by thousands but I HATE THEM. Not that, that makes any difference in the world.

Loads of them here. Only complaint was tendency to overheat; otherwise great.

I love the Beetles Bruce but I go mental following a VW van uphill....BRUTAL!!!

The thing is that to get anywhere in a VW, it's necessary to work the transmission hard, like it was a motor cycle and keep the revs up, Unfortunately this tears the guts out of them and leads to overheating. They actually need to have a dedicated road for themselves.

That's the one David. Actually the car was quite roomy. Ours was a 1963. A couple years later they imported the 1600 which came as either a fastback sedan or a station wagon.