Volkswagen Beetle Facts for Kids

A Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle is a famous car made by the Volkswagen company. It was designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. When the Beetle first came out, it had been tested for over a million miles. This was more testing than any other car had received back then!

The story of the Volkswagen Beetle is closely linked to the history of the Volkswagen company itself. The company was actually started just to build this special car. For a long time, the Beetle was the only car Volkswagen made, except for some military vehicles during World War II.

A Car for the Ages
- Unique Design and Engine
- Newer Beetle Models
Beetle Fans and Films
Images for kids
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A Car for the Ages

The Volkswagen Beetle was produced for a very long time, from 1949 all the way to 2003. Over 23 million of these cars were made! For many years, the Beetle held the record as the most-sold car ever. It took this record from the Ford Model T in 1971. The Beetle kept its record until the year 2000, when the Toyota Corolla became the new record holder.

Unique Design and Engine

One of the most amazing things about the Beetle was that its basic shape and design hardly changed over the years. It kept its classic, rounded look. The car also had some very unique features:

Its engine was in the back of the car.
It had a small trunk, or storage space, in the front.
The engine was "air-cooled," meaning it didn't use a radiator or water to stay cool. This was different from most other cars.

Newer Beetle Models

More recently, Volkswagen has made new versions of the Beetle. The first new model was called the New Beetle, and it looked similar to the original. Then, another version came out in 2012. However, these newer Beetles are quite different inside. They have a water-cooled engine in the front, and they are built very similarly to the Volkswagen Golf car.

Beetle Fans and Films

There are many Volkswagen clubs all around the world. Members of these clubs love to restore or change the original air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles. They keep the spirit of the classic car alive!

The Disney company even made a series of movies about a special Beetle named Herbie. Herbie was a car with a mind of its own, and he went on many exciting adventures.