Volkswagen Beetle facts for kids

A Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle is a car manufactured by the Volkswagen company. It was designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. When it was introduced, it had gone through over a million miles of testing - more than any other car at the time.

The history of the car is the history of the Volkswagen company - the company was created to make that car. Other than some military vehicles during WWII, it was the only car the company made at first.

The car was made from 1949 to 2003, over 23 million of them. For many years, it held the record as the most-sold car ever. It took the record from the Model T Ford in 1971, and held it until 2000 when the Toyota Corolla took it away.

The basic shape and design of the car did not change. It was also powered by an engine in the rear, had a small trunk up front, and was air-cooled (no radiator).

More recently, the company made the New Beetle, which looked similar, followed by the present-day Beetle from 2012. These are completely different cars however, since they have a water-cooled engine in the front, and are very similar underneath to the Volkswagen Golf.

There are many Volkswagen clubs around the world, the members restore or modify the original air-cooled Volkswagens.

Disney made a series of films about a Beetle called Herbie.

Images for kids

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  Ferdinand Porsche

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  Model of the 1932 Porsche Type 12, Nuremberg Museum of Industrial Culture

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  Scale model of the W30 prototype

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  KdF]] Propaganda: "A family playing by a river with a KdF-Wagen and radio receiver"

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  Front view of a Wehrmacht Typ 82E in dunkelgelb.

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  1949 split-window (known as a "pretzel", "split", or "splitty" among enthusiasts) was commonly used to describe transporters of the era.

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  1957 interior

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  The jeweled one-millionth Type 1

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  Four views.

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  "Última Edición" (Final Edition) in Aquarius Blue (2003).

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  1960 VW 1200 Cabriolet

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  1956 Volkswagen Beetle

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  1968 Type 1

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  '68–'69 Automatic StickShift badge

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  1973 1303/Super Beetle

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  1969 Brazilian 1300 Sedan (Fusca)

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  1995 Mexican Volkswagen Beetle, the last model with chrome moldings. In the picture, the 1995 Jeans Limited Edition.

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  eetle decorated in the Huichol style of beading now on display at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City

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  First model of the Standard Superior, as introduced at the IAMA in Berlin in 1933

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  Tatra V570 prototype (1933)

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  Baja Bug-style modified Beetle

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  Béla Barényi

See also

In Spanish: Volkswagen Tipo 1 para niños