• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

smarter traveling, driving and spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » VW Beetle celebrates 65 years in USA

VW Beetle celebrates 65 years in USA

Leave a Comment

1949 VW Beetle_ecoxplorer

Volkswagen is celebrating 65 years since the first Beetle arrived in the United States.  Since January 1949, more than 5.5 million Beetle models have been sold in the USA, in three distinctive designs.  Here’s some history of the beloved Bug, which became a touchstone for an entire generation and one of the most iconic and recognizable vehicles in the world:

The first Volkswagen in the USA was a “Type 1,” or Beetle, shipped to New York City by Ben Pon, Sr., a Dutch businessman and the world’s first official Volkswagen importer. That car found a buyer immediately, and Pon began importing more.

1949 VW Beetle_ecoxplorer

By the mid-1950s, more than 35,000 Beetle models were on the road in the USA. That number grew to nearly 300,000  within the decade, all attracted by its affordability and practicality, along with its  unique design, size, and fuel economy.

From custom paint jobs to open-top Dune Buggy bodies, the Beetle fit perfectly into the counter-culture of the 1960s. Ask anybody who remembers the 60s or 70s, and there was probably a Beetle in their lives. Mine was a deep blue. By 1968, more than 400,000 Beetles vehicles a year were being sold in the United States.

Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle in 1998, with updated styling.  A bigger change was that the new engine was water cooled rather than air cooled, and mounted at the front rather than at the rear.

2014 VW Beetle_ecoxplorer

The third-generation Beetle was born in 2011. While staying true to its roots, today’s Beetle would be unrecognizable to buyers in the 1950s, with its powerful and fuel-efficient engines, including a zippy 1.8 liter turbo-charged engine, and state-of-the-art  technology and safety features which have earned it a 5-star Safety Rating from the Government’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Plus, it’s still fun to drive, and still a cultural touchstone, whether you choose the traditional coupe or the covertible. Base price is just under $21,000, making it one of the most affordable safe cars on the road.  And with an EPA rating of 33 mpg highway, it’s also one of the most fuel efficient.

The third-generation Beetle sold more than 43,000 units in the United States in 2013, making it one of the most popular vehicles in the Volkswagen family, and a leading player in the market for two-door specialty coupes and convertibles.

In 65 years, Volkswagen has grown from selling just Beetle vehicles in the U.S. to a brand that offers 11 different models sold by 644 dealers. VW also built an eco-friendly factory in  Chattanooga, the world’s first auto manufacturing plant to be LEED certified, much of it powered by a huge solar installation.  Read the ecoXplorer article about the VW factory.

Volkswagen of America headquarters is in Herndon, Virginia, just outside Washington, D. C. International headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany, near Berlin.  One of the prototype models is in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, since the original Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

Volkswagen, by the way, translates as “people’s car”, because it was designed from the start to be affordable for everybody.

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Posts:

  • End of the Road for the VW Beetle
  • 24 Best Historic Golf Courses in USA
  • What's New in Colorado Ski Country This Season
  • Best 2012 cars under $20,000: 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
  • 22 Things to Do in New York State This Spring
  • 25 Most Haunted Hotels in USA

Filed Under: Budget Cars, Green Cars, Vintage Cars Tagged With: ecoXplorer, VW Beetle

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you. Cancel reply

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), and is a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • NYC Guide: Airport Transportation
    NYC Guide: Airport Transportation
  • ICYMI Travel Deals
    ICYMI Travel Deals
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • How to Get FREE Tickets to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
    How to Get FREE Tickets to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
  • Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
    Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
  • Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
    Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
  • Where to Go Next: Heidelberg, Germany
    Where to Go Next: Heidelberg, Germany

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2022 EcoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All the stories and photos on our site are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...