@@aayonce4 no you don't. Plastic parts fail due too heat build up under hood. Plus car needs wing and splitter as it Leaves the ground just north of 125mph. Hence the squashed look of the last ones.
It’s funny how the Volkswagen Beetle was used by hitler, and then became the embodiment of peace and love in the 1960s. I really like the videos. Keep it up 😎
@@tomislavr5232 Very true. Behind every carefree young person out protesting and finding themselves, is a parent working their ass off to pay for said young person.
Those old type 1 style beetles are still everywhere here in Mexico, they’re cheap economical and reliable even many business still use them as delivery vehicles.
The car was not marketed as Käfer/Beetle in Germany. It was officially called the Typ 1 when it was VWs only model, later it was called VW 1200/1300/1500/1302/1303/1600 depending on year and model.
Komandervagens (Officer Cars) actually have different classifications , Guy has 2 and does shows here in California and has 3rd one produced with full regalia and symbols although owner looks like a Rabbi so nobody complains 🤣 type1/1200 was 2 years after his car when it was dubbed "People's car" his car is officially a Porsche made military vehicle
The 1200/1300/1500/1600 were engine sizes. It was always just a Beetle, but the numbers differentiate what decade the Beetle was from because of so limited variation. The 1600 for example was super Beetle and the last update for the Mexican market and came with EFI, an alarm system and some other options. 1200 was KDF only, 1300 was post KDF, 1302/1303 might have been engine variant for select markets, 1500 was the engine the US baby boomers remember in their Beetles and Super Beetles. The 1776 was a Porsche derivative but not an option, bore out a 1600 and slip in Porsche style parts. The 1600 was the Super Beetle, only carbureted. The Bus and Thing are the same way, though the Thing wasn’t available here for more than a few years
@@Roger-my5in I know what they were. I grew up with these cars here in Germany. You are talking about a different market. I don’t know how they were marketed in North America, in Germany they were never officially called Käfer, that was just a nickname. 1200 wasn’t KDF only. The 1200 was sold post war in Germany, 1302 and 1303 were the later updates of the 1300 model.
I have a Y2K New Beetle TDI with about 230k on it. Love the thing. She gets great mileage, is a riot to drive, shifts like a dream (it's a manual) and has been my fave and only vehicle for the last 11 years. My boyfriend isn't short and he loves riding in and driving the thing. He doesn't fit in much but does fit the Beetle. Great video. I fondly remember the Turbonium commercials!
I have a Y2K New Beetle TDI with a 5 speed manual too with over 424k on it now, it's a keeper! Mileage with the summertime diesel blend usually gets over 50 mpg highway - have pushed it on occasion to over 700 miles pulling in on fumes to refill. One time with well over 700 miles on the trip meter it took 14.3 gallons in its 14.5 tank! Of course this is with our early TDIs, when VW came out with the "Clean Diesel TDI" a few years later that got caught up in the emissions cheating scandal, noticed the advertised mpg rating dropped had to 40 mpg highway instead of the 50 mpg the original TDI got. Still not "clean" and worse mpg - should have just left the original TDI alone.
When the orginal Beetles were being sold in the U.S., they were one of the least expensive cars you could buy. When the New Beetle came out, it was so complex that it was not even close to being an inexpensive "people's car", and there were so many better cars in the segment. That's what killed it.
The New Beetle was never meant to be an inexpensive people's car though, much like the New Mini it was rather meant to be a luxury lifestyle vehicle for people who liked the original.
I'd argue what killed it was that it was a "novelty car." Aside from the cool retro styling, there wasn't much practical reason to buy in in preference to the Golf. Once all the people who wanted a reborn Beetle had their cars, there wasn't any additional market and sales fell off.
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Yeah, totally true. The styling was the unique selling point. It was basically the same car as the Golf, only more expensive and with a much less practical body. If you didn't want it for its design, there was little reason why you should buy it.
The dashboard flower vase was a throwback to a dealer option on the original type-1. They were made out of German Porcelain and were available until the early 60s, if not later.
3:57 Mexico wasn't the only country to manufacture and sell the Beetle after 1988 though - it was also still built in Brazil until 1986 and then again from 1993-96.
@@zaxlorax7605 that's one way to think of it. Although in Europe, the Beetle RSi was first. 2001-3 model years vs the 2004 one model year the U.S. got the Mk4 R32... So, maybe we could consider it the other way around. The R32 is a rebodied Beetle RSi 😉
A good friend of mines had a 2003 New Beetle. She liked the car but she had to get rid of it after three years because the car had too many reliability problems.
Ive been daily driving my 2001 Beetle GLX, in South Dakota, since 2008. Fantastic car in all weather conditions. Im at 280,000 with mostly original parts still. Timing belt x2, clutch and fuel pump.
I worked at VW in Germany for some time of my life and have visited the Mexican plant when both the New Beetle had its run-out and when the Beetle first came of the assembly lines. So many stories and memories but in short … the Mexicans and their factory do an amazing job! Still think about these days often, the optimism, the creativity and the great team work!
A bright green New Beetle was featured in Mandy Moore's music video for "Candy". Every time I saw a bright green New Beetle, I was reminded of that video.
The Dune was made, and sold during the Beetle’s final year or two. It was an appearance-only package that, although well done and had big stripes on the lower sides along with the word DUNE, it didn’t bring anything else to the table and was powered by a 1.6T with automatic only thru the front wheels - at least when I spoke to the dealership that was the case which was a total dealbreaker for me. Also missing here were niche models like the Fender, Denim, and others. As always, an expertly crafted and produced video - thank you sir.
As someone whose family has a 1973 VW Beetle convertible, I find it kinda sad the Beetle was discontinued back in 2019. I was also surprised to find out it was being discontinued, because the VW Beetle was known for being a huge sales success back in its day. Keep up the great work My Old Car, and don't change a thing! :)
The original Beetle was a huge sales hit, but the New Beetle was anything but. It was too expensive and too impractical and was just aimed towards Beetle lovers who simply liked its design.
A couple years ago I was a long haul trucker. I got stuck waiting for a load in San Diego so I decided to rent a car to go see the city. When I showed up at the Enterprise they told me they didn't have any economy cars left and asked if I wanted a brand new, metallic blue Beetle Turbo convertible for the same price. I told them absolutely and proceeded to get to spend an entire day cruising around San Diego in June in a sporty little convertible. Something that people would come from all over the world to get do and I got to do it for just the price of an economy rental. I'll never forget that day and I'll never forget that little Beetle.
If you owned the original Beetle in winter the air cooled engine provided very little heat. You carried an ice scraper for the ice buildup inside the windshield. The New Beetle water cooled engine put out heat regardless of how cold.
Actually when new or maintained well the beetle heater worked just fine. Don’t forget that in the 50s and 60s a heater was optional on many cars. The beetle had one standard with a truly amazing Audi art heater as an option.
I'm hoping they bring it back as a subcompact electric car... I'd give it a few years though, I'm hoping they can get their EV weight problem under control first. The ID3 weighs as much as a 1999 F-150. @~@;
@@christopherwilliams9418 at any given technology it comes down to range vs weight& money. And buyers seem persistently convinced that they need 300mi, when a reliable 100 would do for a revised expectation ( you're renting for car trips, etc) - for many, but not everyone- current automotive tech is pretty darn good after all.
@@christopherwilliams9418 I also thought about an electric Beetle since recently the ID. Buzz was launched which is a spiritual electric successor to the VW Bus
Nice video. You missed 2 details (probably because those version weren't available in the US): 1. VW did produce the Beetle Dune in its last generation (it was more of an off-road style upgrade) 2. VW offered an even sportier Beetle. The RSi. It was based on the New Beetle. It had an aggressive body kit, all wheel drive and a VR6 engine from the Golf R32
@@danweyant707 Yes. The RSi was intended to be a limited production car. The Dune started sales near the end of the Beetle so obviously it didn't sell a lot of units. In fact, I've only seen one Beetle Dune in my life. And I live in Europe
@@nickgav7390 for what it's worth, I have been Told ( just a story? I dunno) that Porsche does the higher end, limited run packages at the end of a production run.
When I was 24 I reserved a Nissan Maxima from Enterprise for a road trip from Manhattan to Cape Cod. They didn't tell me until I got there that I had to be 25 to rent a full size car, and all they had was a New Beetle available. The trunk was so small we had to put our luggage in the back seat.
I am a lifelong VW fan and have owned over 30 older models. My top 3 were a fastback type 3, 79 VW factory A/C bus and a 79 Rabbit. Unfortonantly I have not owned any of the newer generation VW's. I do the like the new Beetle though.
Never was a beetle fan, but I think the newer turbo models dialed in the "lean" look perfectly. They actually look quite nice, but a huge criticism for me on the "new beetle" is the MASSIVE dashboard. It's just weird.
I had 2 of these..a 09 convertible and a 2015 Turbo and I loved both of them. The only problem was my 09 top sucked!! The glass fell through the cloth and the leaks..smh
The New Beetle is an interesting study in how to do these things right, though it wasn't until its second generation in 2011 that it finally came into its own.
I think it’s good that you’re making videos on import/foreign cars. I think it captures a wider audience, and certain people are interested in cars from Japan and Europe. I have been watching your channel since you had less than a 1,000 subscribers. It’s great to see that your channel has grown and you are putting out good content.
My grandmother had a 2008 2.5 5MT and a 2013 Turbo 6MT, both convertibles, and loved both of them. They were a blast to drive (especially the 2013), and they turned heads everywhere, people loved them. It's too bad that America has gone crossover crazy, there's some good cars that have perished as a result.
I like your channel a lot. I started watching it because of the episode on the "Merkur". I have an Xr4ti and was very impressed with your thorough but simple video on it's history and found it helpful. Thank you ❤ *That's right, girls like weird cars too ❤
I will always have a spot in my heart for these! My uncle used to only buy Beetles in the 70s and 80s. This car brought back fond memories of my childhood and favorite uncle. I would love to own one, one day
I'm a proud owner of a 2004 turbo 5spd beetle. I got custom plates, kick ass wheels, illegal tint, a hundred stickers on the windows, JVC bluetooth (stock speakers & sub STILL sound great!) and underglow lol. Do my other car, a 1985 Saab 900....
I had a 98 NB TDI back in 2010. It had 90hp (small correction). It was a great car, my first foray into Diesels and I've been driving European diesels since
Thanks for keeping up with high quality, informative content. We got a 2008 Beetle 2.5 Cabriolet for my sister last month and so far she loves it. PS. Can you do the HHR, SSR or FJ cruiser next to keep with the retro car videos?
1C0, I remember part number prefix unique to the first generation New Beetle even though it has been over a decade since I worked at a VW dealership in the parts department. That narrow hood makes timing belt and water pump servicing more challenging and time consuming. Love the videos! would you consider possibly, a video on the NSU Prinz? I had a 1965 Prinz 1000 years ago
My cousin in Puerto Rico modified his 82 VW Beetle into a modified dune buggy. He took me and the guys out onto the beach in Loiza and we were speeding through the sands. We race them in Salinas Raceway where we have a Volkswagen racing festival. It was a blast!
I bought a 2001 glx 1.8 turbo..After getting it straightened out i must say this lil thing is cool...It has the world's most smallest turbo..A itty-bitty KO3S.. to be so little it does pack a punch..And yes they do require a lot of mantainence.. Especially a turbo car..
One punch is allowed for each of the following: Beetle (or New Beetle), yellow color, air-cooled, and convertible. So spotting an original Beetle convertible in yellow could result in four punches allowed. Yellow overlaps with the similar "riding in the car game" - Chicken. Any time a yellow car or truck is spotted, the sibling who sees it first and calls "Chicken!" is entitled to one free punch of their sibling's shoulder with no retaliation allowed. Games have rules, after all.
I just been looking online for a last gen Beetle is after seeing this great video. Found a black one with the attractive steel wheels (one of the rare occasions they look better) and I'm seriously tempted! It would actually be a decent car to have here in Norway, good for city and some trips further afield
For a few grand, you can convert it to EV to reduce maintenance costs and extend its life. If you can’t wait for VW to produce an EV Beetle, you could buy a Chinese clone and the Ora Ballet is the closest to the NB.
Got to do two rallies in the "cute car" commercial beetle. VW rallied it for a season then it was sold to another rally driver that I codrove for. Fun car.
Nicework on the Video and Referencing the Last Classic Volkswagon Beetle from 2003, I have collected Diecast Versions of this Car over the years from Hotwheels, Matchbox, Majorette, Kinsmart and many others and I would like to see you do a video on the Classic Volkswagon Beetle in the future.
I have a 1998 one with the 2L engine, it is very slow with 5 people in it it doesn't like to go past 80mph its fun to drive though and I paid 500$ for it so I'm not complaining wish it was a stick though instead of the annoying 4 speed auto.
I am in Arizona, so I see Mexican Beetles often. I even dated a guy that had a 2002 Mexican Beetle when I was driving a 2001.5 New Beetle. We laughed that both cars were from the same plant in Mexico and got a big kick that his car was actually newer than mine. It was wild!
The only beetles I like are 73-79 super beetles. Air cooled simplicity with classic styling. I have a 77 super beetle cabriolet orange with black interior
Childhood neighbor had that one. A dentist, who looked after it with care. They had it for ages and I even helped use it to move several loads of recycled bricks (up front) which it did just fine.
I knew a girl who had a 2003 Beetle in the color Snap Orange. It was a cool looking little car. Had every option available as well as this spoiler embedded in the rear glass that came up at 50 mph. From what I remember, it handled very well and took off like a slingshot. Had the 1.8L turbo.
I bought my New Beetle GL new in 1999. It has a manual transmission, manual windows and 68,000mi on the odometer as of 2024. Seeing the mileage on your car, and it's condition, I figure mine will last the rest of my life provided I continue to take good care of it, don't get into an accident.
When the New Beetle first became available for sale here in America, I easily remember seeing them all over the place during its first few years before sales declined. Red, yellow, and that mint green color were very common. I think some of the biggest reasons why females were the prime buyers were because most consisted of high school and college girls, the car was popular with pop music videos and singers, and the car was a popular Barbie toy. My younger brother has been a fan of Britney Spears' songs for years and I think she was featured many times with the New Beetle.
I went from a 1998 VR6 GLX Jetta to a 2001.5 New Beetle. It was an adjustment at first, but then I realized how much FUN it was. I put over 250K on that New Beetle and eventually traded it in for a 2014 Beetle Coupe. When VW announced it was going to be discontinued, I bought a 2019 Beetle Coupe that was one of the final off the production line. I still have SUCH fun driving it and get so many compliments on it.
As for engine variations, I had that 2.SLOW 4 cylinder then the 2.5L inline 5 and now the 2.0T 4 cylinder … I have to admit, I liked the 2.5 inline 5 the best.
I've owned a couple early "New Beetles" and they definitely have their charm. Honestly pretty fun to drive, although the long dashboard definitely takes a moment to get used to. Non-sunroof models have more head room than just about any vehicle you've ever been in--well, sitting in the front seats do anyway... Interior plastics are cheap, thin and get very brittle with age. That's one of the biggest gripes about them. I've owned a 2.0L 8V model and a TDI model that had a couple upgrades. Even the 115 hp engine could be kind of fun to beat on when coupled with the 5 speed manual transmission. May not make a lot of power but it is a stone simple, reliable engine. That early TDI engine was also similarly simple compared to what diesels have become since then. Girlfriend still has a 2000 New Beetle. We found a 'Color Concept' interior in the junkyard and swapped it all over into hers. Way more interesting, more comfortable seats, wired in the seat heaters. It's a great little car. They're just not super practical where it comes to hauling a lot of stuff. The trunk space is tiny, though, if it's only two of you, folding the rear seats down does make for a reasonable amount of room to haul stuff. Then again, the leg room and lack of head room in the rear really doesn't make the rear seats super usable for regular sized adults... The car was a fun throwback design concept that did sacrifice some practicality compared to the Golf and Jetta chassis siblings.
I totaled my 2018 Turbo Beetle Fender Edition in January. One of my favorite cars I've owned. It was my 44th car and I even did some performance modifications so it was a fun sleeper. It is such a pleasant-looking car and made people smile. And all my carguy friends loved it. If you get a chance to get a Turbo Beetle do it. *I replaced it with a rare 2002 Special Edition Miata. The Turbo Beetle made me appreciate cute cars a lot more.
Great video! I know I am dating myself, but I grew up with the old school VW's. Fox would be a great story, however, you highlighted so much of the original beetle here perhaps you follow up with the rest of the story of the original VW lineup? Thanks again! Love your videos.
They made all three generations of the Beetle here were I live in Puebla. It is not a stretch to say that it is a huge part of Pueblan culture, since it was produced since the 60s all the way till the end in 2019. If you come to Puebla you will see a lot of them. Heck, I owned one and my coworker has one as well.
Great episode, but you should have mentioned the original Beetle's precursor. The Tatra 97, produced from '36. Ferdinand Porsche copied the design changing only minor details from the major design work of Hans Ledwindka. There was even a lawsuit, apparently Porsche was to settle, because he stood no chance in a fair court, but his buddy Adolf Hitler advised him to delay, and solved his issue when he occupied the Sudetenland. Hans never saw a penny from VW's theft of his hard work.
Another great video 📹. My wife and I got our daughter a used 🪲 beetle with the 2.5 and one of my co workers got the turbo so you're right about the demographics. Even when I drive it, I do understand the appeal. Plenty of head room, great seats, and it's cute. I admit it...lol
I’ve had a 2013 Beetle Turbo 6MT since new and still get compliments from strangers while I’m driving it. So the ad with that guy hi-fiving everyone is accurate.
My 2nd car was an original 66 Beetle and then my 6th car was a 98 NB, which rekindled my love of Volkswagens... I now drive an Audi... Diesel Gate really hurt the quality of future models... lots of cost cutting...
I wish i d see the mighty beetle cup mentionned somewhere in the vid Theese factory racecar series were awesome to watch going 3 cars wide trough corners bumping eachother !
The problem with the New Beetle is that the late 90's was the start of VW's malaise era. Quality and reliability of all VW's products dropped dramatically across the board, and the New Beetle was no exception. Electrical problems and cooling system problems were common
Yes, and at the same time, the prices went through the roof. Under Piech, VW was to become a luxury premium brand, and the New Beetle was much too expensive for basically being a less practical, but more expensive Golf IV sibling.
In a related / unrelated note. I will always remember this car for one sole reason. My friends new smoking hot girl was driving us around in one of these. She farted and I was stuck i nthe backseat on the freeway with a window that didn't roll down. Farts smell no big deal but I vomited; it was the worst smelling I'd ever come across thus far in my life. haha
I bought the 1999 model, It had a ton of electrical issues, from the day I had it *the airbags never worked, the airbag was always on . But everything else , I enjoyed it mostly because in the debut era everybody wanted to look at it . It was future/retro .
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I have always really liked the final generation of the Beetle. That design was really good.
@@samholdsworth420 That's part of why it's cool. Lol
Especially the Dune edition!
Yasss with that turbo ! I want one !
I had a 2018 2.0 TSI - It was my "Poor Girl Porsche" Loved that car!
@@aayonce4 no you don't. Plastic parts fail due too heat build up under hood. Plus car needs wing and splitter as it Leaves the ground just north of 125mph. Hence the squashed look of the last ones.
It’s funny how the Volkswagen Beetle was used by hitler, and then became the embodiment of peace and love in the 1960s. I really like the videos. Keep it up 😎
Especially considering the emmisions is probably at least 3 times what a modern car puts out.
Peace and love in the 1960 was sposored by rich parents, so it' not much difference between them.
@@tomislavr5232 Very true. Behind every carefree young person out protesting and finding themselves, is a parent working their ass off to pay for said young person.
He didn't use one; he was driven in Mercedes cars. He used it to steal money from his people; typical dictator
Yeah talk about a marketing success story!
Those old type 1 style beetles are still everywhere here in Mexico, they’re cheap economical and reliable even many business still use them as delivery vehicles.
Some come with ac
That's sad lol
Lol they're not really reliable, but they're cheap to fix
To deliver tacos?
E aqui no Brasil tb
The car was not marketed as Käfer/Beetle in Germany. It was officially called the Typ 1 when it was VWs only model, later it was called VW 1200/1300/1500/1302/1303/1600 depending on year and model.
Komandervagens (Officer Cars) actually have different classifications , Guy has 2 and does shows here in California and has 3rd one produced with full regalia and symbols although owner looks like a Rabbi so nobody complains 🤣 type1/1200 was 2 years after his car when it was dubbed "People's car" his car is officially a Porsche made military vehicle
The 1200/1300/1500/1600 were engine sizes. It was always just a Beetle, but the numbers differentiate what decade the Beetle was from because of so limited variation. The 1600 for example was super Beetle and the last update for the Mexican market and came with EFI, an alarm system and some other options. 1200 was KDF only, 1300 was post KDF, 1302/1303 might have been engine variant for select markets, 1500 was the engine the US baby boomers remember in their Beetles and Super Beetles. The 1776 was a Porsche derivative but not an option, bore out a 1600 and slip in Porsche style parts. The 1600 was the Super Beetle, only carbureted. The Bus and Thing are the same way, though the Thing wasn’t available here for more than a few years
@@Roger-my5in I know what they were. I grew up with these cars here in Germany. You are talking about a different market. I don’t know how they were marketed in North America, in Germany they were never officially called Käfer, that was just a nickname.
1200 wasn’t KDF only. The 1200 was sold post war in Germany, 1302 and 1303 were the later updates of the 1300 model.
Beetle is actually a nickname given by most people, which VW and community eventually adopted as an official name.
I love my 1302 cabrio
I have a Y2K New Beetle TDI with about 230k on it. Love the thing. She gets great mileage, is a riot to drive, shifts like a dream (it's a manual) and has been my fave and only vehicle for the last 11 years. My boyfriend isn't short and he loves riding in and driving the thing. He doesn't fit in much but does fit the Beetle. Great video. I fondly remember the Turbonium commercials!
I have a Y2K New Beetle TDI with a 5 speed manual too with over 424k on it now, it's a keeper! Mileage with the summertime diesel blend usually gets over 50 mpg highway - have pushed it on occasion to over 700 miles pulling in on fumes to refill. One time with well over 700 miles on the trip meter it took 14.3 gallons in its 14.5 tank! Of course this is with our early TDIs, when VW came out with the "Clean Diesel TDI" a few years later that got caught up in the emissions cheating scandal, noticed the advertised mpg rating dropped had to 40 mpg highway instead of the 50 mpg the original TDI got. Still not "clean" and worse mpg - should have just left the original TDI alone.
When the orginal Beetles were being sold in the U.S., they were one of the least expensive cars you could buy. When the New Beetle came out, it was so complex that it was not even close to being an inexpensive "people's car", and there were so many better cars in the segment. That's what killed it.
The New Beetle was never meant to be an inexpensive people's car though, much like the New Mini it was rather meant to be a luxury lifestyle vehicle for people who liked the original.
@@torstenscholz6243 yes, as seen in Fight Club.
I'd argue what killed it was that it was a "novelty car." Aside from the cool retro styling, there wasn't much practical reason to buy in in preference to the Golf. Once all the people who wanted a reborn Beetle had their cars, there wasn't any additional market and sales fell off.
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Yeah, totally true. The styling was the unique selling point. It was basically the same car as the Golf, only more expensive and with a much less practical body. If you didn't want it for its design, there was little reason why you should buy it.
The dashboard flower vase was a throwback to a dealer option on the original type-1. They were made out of German Porcelain and were available until the early 60s, if not later.
3:57 Mexico wasn't the only country to manufacture and sell the Beetle after 1988 though - it was also still built in Brazil until 1986 and then again from 1993-96.
I love the last body style of the Beetle... Too bad I wasn't in the market for a new car when it came out.
You could still get a pre owned one
I’d like the convertible. They dropped the stick-shift sadly last few years. Mayne a 2013 or so would be nice.
I just bought a 1998 Beetle.... surprisingly in very good condition. Fun to drive, not bad on fuel consumption.
There was also the 2001-03 New Beetle RSi, a limited production of 250 units with a 221hp 3.2 VR6 and AWD
Rare
T*ts
Sadly that model never came to the U.S..
Definitely really neat, though. Had sportier and lighter weight interior parts, too.
so a rebodied r32 golf
@@zaxlorax7605 that's one way to think of it.
Although in Europe, the Beetle RSi was first. 2001-3 model years vs the 2004 one model year the U.S. got the Mk4 R32...
So, maybe we could consider it the other way around. The R32 is a rebodied Beetle RSi 😉
A good friend of mines had a 2003 New Beetle. She liked the car but she had to get rid of it after three years because the car had too many reliability problems.
Ive been daily driving my 2001 Beetle GLX, in South Dakota, since 2008. Fantastic car in all weather conditions. Im at 280,000 with mostly original parts still. Timing belt x2, clutch and fuel pump.
I worked at VW in Germany for some time of my life and have visited the Mexican plant when both the New Beetle had its run-out and when the Beetle first came of the assembly lines. So many stories and memories but in short … the Mexicans and their factory do an amazing job! Still think about these days often, the optimism, the creativity and the great team work!
I guess they make their Beetles just as well as they make their breakfast tacos.
Beetle assembly was top notch, but outside of Germany, nothing beats Chattanooga assembly. Those boys there run a tight ship.
A bright green New Beetle was featured in Mandy Moore's music video for "Candy". Every time I saw a bright green New Beetle, I was reminded of that video.
The Dune was made, and sold during the Beetle’s final year or two. It was an appearance-only package that, although well done and had big stripes on the lower sides along with the word DUNE, it didn’t bring anything else to the table and was powered by a 1.6T with automatic only thru the front wheels - at least when I spoke to the dealership that was the case which was a total dealbreaker for me.
Also missing here were niche models like the Fender, Denim, and others.
As always, an expertly crafted and produced video - thank you sir.
As someone whose family has a 1973 VW Beetle convertible, I find it kinda sad the Beetle was discontinued back in 2019. I was also surprised to find out it was being discontinued, because the VW Beetle was known for being a huge sales success back in its day. Keep up the great work My Old Car, and don't change a thing! :)
The original Beetle was a huge sales hit, but the New Beetle was anything but. It was too expensive and too impractical and was just aimed towards Beetle lovers who simply liked its design.
A couple years ago I was a long haul trucker. I got stuck waiting for a load in San Diego so I decided to rent a car to go see the city. When I showed up at the Enterprise they told me they didn't have any economy cars left and asked if I wanted a brand new, metallic blue Beetle Turbo convertible for the same price. I told them absolutely and proceeded to get to spend an entire day cruising around San Diego in June in a sporty little convertible. Something that people would come from all over the world to get do and I got to do it for just the price of an economy rental. I'll never forget that day and I'll never forget that little Beetle.
If you owned the original Beetle in winter the air cooled engine provided very little heat. You carried an ice scraper for the ice buildup inside the windshield. The New Beetle water cooled engine put out heat regardless of how cold.
Actually when new or maintained well the beetle heater worked just fine. Don’t forget that in the 50s and 60s a heater was optional on many cars. The beetle had one standard with a truly amazing Audi art heater as an option.
It's damn sad that the Beetle is gone. I've always thought it had an special charm
I'm hoping they bring it back as a subcompact electric car... I'd give it a few years though, I'm hoping they can get their EV weight problem under control first. The ID3 weighs as much as a 1999 F-150. @~@;
@@christopherwilliams9418 at any given technology it comes down to range vs weight& money. And buyers seem persistently convinced that they need 300mi, when a reliable 100 would do for a revised expectation ( you're renting for car trips, etc) - for many, but not everyone- current automotive tech is pretty darn good after all.
@@christopherwilliams9418 I also thought about an electric Beetle since recently the ID. Buzz was launched which is a spiritual electric successor to the VW Bus
84-01 Jeep Cherokee! Its the suv that reinvented jeep and launched the suv craze!
My friends had second hand New Beetles in high school. One had a 1998 2.0 and a 2000 1.8T, both manual. I loved that they both smelled like crayons.
Mines a 2006 & it smells like crayons. LOL
@ oh nice, is it he 2.5 five cylinder?
@@LaytonKnighttNo, mine is the 1.6L 4 cylinder.
Nice video. You missed 2 details (probably because those version weren't available in the US):
1. VW did produce the Beetle Dune in its last generation (it was more of an off-road style upgrade)
2. VW offered an even sportier Beetle. The RSi. It was based on the New Beetle. It had an aggressive body kit, all wheel drive and a VR6 engine from the Golf R32
Numbers must have been quite limited. (produced)
@@danweyant707 Yes. The RSi was intended to be a limited production car. The Dune started sales near the end of the Beetle so obviously it didn't sell a lot of units. In fact, I've only seen one Beetle Dune in my life. And I live in Europe
@@nickgav7390 for what it's worth, I have been Told ( just a story? I dunno) that Porsche does the higher end, limited run packages at the end of a production run.
When I was 24 I reserved a Nissan Maxima from Enterprise for a road trip from Manhattan to Cape Cod. They didn't tell me until I got there that I had to be 25 to rent a full size car, and all they had was a New Beetle available. The trunk was so small we had to put our luggage in the back seat.
The Dune and RSI models really remind me of the game "Midtown Madness 2." Fond memories for sure
2:44 I’m a native German speaker and you pretty much nailed the pronunciation
I am a lifelong VW fan and have owned over 30 older models. My top 3 were a fastback type 3, 79 VW factory A/C bus and a 79 Rabbit. Unfortonantly I have not owned any of the newer generation VW's. I do the like the new Beetle though.
Never was a beetle fan, but I think the newer turbo models dialed in the "lean" look perfectly. They actually look quite nice, but a huge criticism for me on the "new beetle" is the MASSIVE dashboard. It's just weird.
And they were simply not very good cars.
My sisters first car was a 2000 VW beetle with the Diesel engine and the car was a salvage tile which we only found out earlier
I had 2 of these..a 09 convertible and a 2015 Turbo and I loved both of them. The only problem was my 09 top sucked!! The glass fell through the cloth and the leaks..smh
The New Beetle is an interesting study in how to do these things right, though it wasn't until its second generation in 2011 that it finally came into its own.
I think it’s good that you’re making videos on import/foreign cars. I think it captures a wider audience, and certain people are interested in cars from Japan and Europe. I have been watching your channel since you had less than a 1,000 subscribers. It’s great to see that your channel has grown and you are putting out good content.
My grandmother had a 2008 2.5 5MT and a 2013 Turbo 6MT, both convertibles, and loved both of them. They were a blast to drive (especially the 2013), and they turned heads everywhere, people loved them. It's too bad that America has gone crossover crazy, there's some good cars that have perished as a result.
Awesome video! I just wish you mentioned the Beetle RSI. That car was so sick and surprisingly rare
I like your channel a lot. I started watching it because of the episode on the "Merkur". I have an Xr4ti and was very impressed with your thorough but simple video on it's history and found it helpful.
Thank you ❤
*That's right, girls like weird cars too ❤
I will always have a spot in my heart for these! My uncle used to only buy Beetles in the 70s and 80s. This car brought back fond memories of my childhood and favorite uncle. I would love to own one, one day
The flower vase was also an option on the old vw bus
Didn’t know that the new Beetle sold in America was built in Mexico, that explains why the quality was so poor.
I'm a proud owner of a 2004 turbo 5spd beetle. I got custom plates, kick ass wheels, illegal tint, a hundred stickers on the windows, JVC bluetooth (stock speakers & sub STILL sound great!) and underglow lol. Do my other car, a 1985 Saab 900....
So you ruined it
ALL of your videos are great but this was definitely one of my favorites...AND I've never even owned a Beetle! Thank you for making this channel.
The turbo s model looked really cool with the big wing. That car gives me so much nostalgia of the early 2000's
Just picked up a 2006 Beetle today. The interior is a textbook example on cost cutting. Worst plastic quality in any interior I've ever sat in.
I had a 98 NB TDI back in 2010. It had 90hp (small correction). It was a great car, my first foray into Diesels and I've been driving European diesels since
Thanks for keeping up with high quality, informative content.
We got a 2008 Beetle 2.5 Cabriolet for my sister last month and so far she loves it.
PS. Can you do the HHR, SSR or FJ cruiser next to keep with the retro car videos?
My wife drives a 2014 Beetle TDI. It's actually a really fun car to drive! I still prefer my Golf, but the Beetle has a lot of character.
The concept AWD Dune in yellow was AWESOME. Big mistake not making it.
1C0, I remember part number prefix unique to the first generation New Beetle even though it has been over a decade since I worked at a VW dealership in the parts department. That narrow hood makes timing belt and water pump servicing more challenging and time consuming. Love the videos! would you consider possibly, a video on the NSU Prinz? I had a 1965 Prinz 1000 years ago
My cousin in Puerto Rico modified his 82 VW Beetle into a modified dune buggy. He took me and the guys out onto the beach in Loiza and we were speeding through the sands. We race them in Salinas Raceway where we have a Volkswagen racing festival. It was a blast!
I bought a 2001 glx 1.8 turbo..After getting it straightened out i must say this lil thing is cool...It has the world's most smallest turbo..A itty-bitty KO3S.. to be so little it does pack a punch..And yes they do require a lot of mantainence.. Especially a turbo car..
amen 😁
@@RazgrizDavion81 and now the turbo oil seals are leaking..great
“Punch buggy, no punch back,”
We have to mention that bizarre game. Who started it? Kids today still play without the punches. 😅
We called it "Slug Bug".
One punch is allowed for each of the following: Beetle (or New Beetle), yellow color, air-cooled, and convertible. So spotting an original Beetle convertible in yellow could result in four punches allowed.
Yellow overlaps with the similar "riding in the car game" - Chicken. Any time a yellow car or truck is spotted, the sibling who sees it first and calls "Chicken!" is entitled to one free punch of their sibling's shoulder with no retaliation allowed. Games have rules, after all.
@@amerigo88 😅👍
The canvas top Beetle concept was also a throwback to the original Beetle convertibles. My dad had a "57 with the canvas rolltop.
I just been looking online for a last gen Beetle is after seeing this great video.
Found a black one with the attractive steel wheels (one of the rare occasions they look better) and I'm seriously tempted!
It would actually be a decent car to have here in Norway, good for city and some trips further afield
For a few grand, you can convert it to EV to reduce maintenance costs and extend its life. If you can’t wait for VW to produce an EV Beetle, you could buy a Chinese clone and the Ora Ballet is the closest to the NB.
The guy who designed this (J Mays) went to ford and designed the 2005 retro Mustang
Yes please do the old beetle and fox. Love those cars....
And the Karmann Ghia
Got to do two rallies in the "cute car" commercial beetle. VW rallied it for a season then it was sold to another rally driver that I codrove for. Fun car.
Nicework on the Video and Referencing the Last Classic Volkswagon Beetle from 2003, I have collected Diecast Versions of this Car over the years from Hotwheels, Matchbox, Majorette, Kinsmart and many others and I would like to see you do a video on the Classic Volkswagon Beetle in the future.
I like the original Beetle, I had a couple friends in high school in the early 90's that had Super Beetles. I would've like to have a Thing though.
You got the "Käfer"-pronunciation spot on! 👍🏼
This was quite good. I liked the information shared and the video editing really was great too. Thank you for sharing.
The Turbo S was an underrated beast! I drove one once and I would be blowing through those gears quick.
I have a 1998 one with the 2L engine, it is very slow with 5 people in it it doesn't like to go past 80mph its fun to drive though and I paid 500$ for it so I'm not complaining wish it was a stick though instead of the annoying 4 speed auto.
I am in Arizona, so I see Mexican Beetles often. I even dated a guy that had a 2002 Mexican Beetle when I was driving a 2001.5 New Beetle. We laughed that both cars were from the same plant in Mexico and got a big kick that his car was actually newer than mine. It was wild!
Seeing what BMW is doing to the MINI, I’m glad VW let the Beetle die off with grace
You’ll still see a lot of classic Beetles at many car shows and gatherings.
Here in Germany, you still see restored old beetles from time to time. One drove past me today and the sound of the engine just makes me happy.
When I think of the Turbo Beetle I think of the license test in Gran Turismo 3.
also you forgot to cover the rsi, only available in europe
Another great episode! I always love Saturdays ♥️
The only beetles I like are 73-79 super beetles. Air cooled simplicity with classic styling. I have a 77 super beetle cabriolet orange with black interior
Childhood neighbor had that one. A dentist, who looked after it with care. They had it for ages and I even helped use it to move several loads of recycled bricks (up front) which it did just fine.
Sweet but I like all beetles
Another great video as always!!!
Thank you for another great video. The Beatle has always looked timeless to me , the original I mean . The last generation also looked great.
I knew a girl who had a 2003 Beetle in the color Snap Orange. It was a cool looking little car. Had every option available as well as this spoiler embedded in the rear glass that came up at 50 mph. From what I remember, it handled very well and took off like a slingshot. Had the 1.8L turbo.
I drive a 2004 yellow new beetle. I love it and still laugh when I see people “slug bug” each other when I drive by.
I take it that’s an American thing ?
A little bit like in the 1980’s in Northern England if you saw a mini you’d pinch a friend and say “ mini pinch “
@@Lifesabitchthenyoudie yes, the same thing.
I bought my New Beetle GL new in 1999. It has a manual transmission, manual windows and 68,000mi on the odometer as of 2024. Seeing the mileage on your car, and it's condition, I figure mine will last the rest of my life provided I continue to take good care of it, don't get into an accident.
When the New Beetle first became available for sale here in America, I easily remember seeing them all over the place during its first few years before sales declined. Red, yellow, and that mint green color were very common.
I think some of the biggest reasons why females were the prime buyers were because most consisted of high school and college girls, the car was popular with pop music videos and singers, and the car was a popular Barbie toy. My younger brother has been a fan of Britney Spears' songs for years and I think she was featured many times with the New Beetle.
Great video! Please do more VW videos! The Fox, Scirocco/Corrado, Dasher/Quantum/Passat.
Many of the VW Beetles in Mexico have been used as Tijuana Taxi Cabs
I went from a 1998 VR6 GLX Jetta to a 2001.5 New Beetle. It was an adjustment at first, but then I realized how much FUN it was. I put over 250K on that New Beetle and eventually traded it in for a 2014 Beetle Coupe. When VW announced it was going to be discontinued, I bought a 2019 Beetle Coupe that was one of the final off the production line. I still have SUCH fun driving it and get so many compliments on it.
As for engine variations, I had that 2.SLOW 4 cylinder then the 2.5L inline 5 and now the 2.0T 4 cylinder … I have to admit, I liked the 2.5 inline 5 the best.
I've owned a couple early "New Beetles" and they definitely have their charm. Honestly pretty fun to drive, although the long dashboard definitely takes a moment to get used to.
Non-sunroof models have more head room than just about any vehicle you've ever been in--well, sitting in the front seats do anyway...
Interior plastics are cheap, thin and get very brittle with age. That's one of the biggest gripes about them.
I've owned a 2.0L 8V model and a TDI model that had a couple upgrades. Even the 115 hp engine could be kind of fun to beat on when coupled with the 5 speed manual transmission. May not make a lot of power but it is a stone simple, reliable engine. That early TDI engine was also similarly simple compared to what diesels have become since then.
Girlfriend still has a 2000 New Beetle. We found a 'Color Concept' interior in the junkyard and swapped it all over into hers. Way more interesting, more comfortable seats, wired in the seat heaters. It's a great little car. They're just not super practical where it comes to hauling a lot of stuff. The trunk space is tiny, though, if it's only two of you, folding the rear seats down does make for a reasonable amount of room to haul stuff.
Then again, the leg room and lack of head room in the rear really doesn't make the rear seats super usable for regular sized adults...
The car was a fun throwback design concept that did sacrifice some practicality compared to the Golf and Jetta chassis siblings.
I totaled my 2018 Turbo Beetle Fender Edition in January. One of my favorite cars I've owned. It was my 44th car and I even did some performance modifications so it was a fun sleeper. It is such a pleasant-looking car and made people smile. And all my carguy friends loved it. If you get a chance to get a Turbo Beetle do it.
*I replaced it with a rare 2002 Special Edition Miata. The Turbo Beetle made me appreciate cute cars a lot more.
Great video! I know I am dating myself, but I grew up with the old school VW's. Fox would be a great story, however, you highlighted so much of the original beetle here perhaps you follow up with the rest of the story of the original VW lineup? Thanks again! Love your videos.
An episode on the Mitsubishi Galant please
They made all three generations of the Beetle here were I live in Puebla. It is not a stretch to say that it is a huge part of Pueblan culture, since it was produced since the 60s all the way till the end in 2019. If you come to Puebla you will see a lot of them. Heck, I owned one and my coworker has one as well.
They ruined it by mostly marketing it to women. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it alienates half the potential buyers.
I love my 04
Great episode, but you should have mentioned the original Beetle's precursor. The Tatra 97, produced from '36. Ferdinand Porsche copied the design changing only minor details from the major design work of Hans Ledwindka. There was even a lawsuit, apparently Porsche was to settle, because he stood no chance in a fair court, but his buddy Adolf Hitler advised him to delay, and solved his issue when he occupied the Sudetenland. Hans never saw a penny from VW's theft of his hard work.
Another great video 📹. My wife and I got our daughter a used 🪲 beetle with the 2.5 and one of my co workers got the turbo so you're right about the demographics. Even when I drive it, I do understand the appeal. Plenty of head room, great seats, and it's cute. I admit it...lol
Yep. Total Chick car. Much like the Cabriolet, which I had 2 of.
@@danweyant707 I fucking love my 04 lol
My Dad drove a Peugeot 505 GTX & a VW Fox growing up and it took me to grow up to understand why he loved driving it lol
Your pronounciation of the word Käfer was really good.
I just like these cars.😊
But, that Dune looked awesome!😍
I’ve had a 2013 Beetle Turbo 6MT since new and still get compliments from strangers while I’m driving it. So the ad with that guy hi-fiving everyone is accurate.
My 2nd car was an original 66 Beetle and then my 6th car was a 98 NB, which rekindled my love of Volkswagens... I now drive an Audi... Diesel Gate really hurt the quality of future models... lots of cost cutting...
I wish i d see the mighty
beetle cup mentionned somewhere in the vid
Theese factory racecar series were awesome to watch going 3 cars wide trough corners bumping eachother !
MY DREAM CAR ! ❤❤❤❤
Scirocco please!
💥 Your pronunciation of Käfer was perfect 👍
The problem with the New Beetle is that the late 90's was the start of VW's malaise era. Quality and reliability of all VW's products dropped dramatically across the board, and the New Beetle was no exception. Electrical problems and cooling system problems were common
Yes, and at the same time, the prices went through the roof. Under Piech, VW was to become a luxury premium brand, and the New Beetle was much too expensive for basically being a less practical, but more expensive Golf IV sibling.
Front power window regulators failed often. And, to work on the rear windows required removal of several unrelated parts.
In a related / unrelated note. I will always remember this car for one sole reason. My friends new smoking hot girl was driving us around in one of these. She farted and I was stuck i nthe backseat on the freeway with a window that didn't roll down. Farts smell no big deal but I vomited; it was the worst smelling I'd ever come across thus far in my life. haha
8:00 vw dune?? I bet that would have been a money maker for VW!! i never heard of this one!
Especially in today's market where people are going crazy for Broncos and Wranglers!
There was a rather awesome-looking VW ID Buggy that was close to production a few years ago, but sadly the project got cancelled.
I bought the 1999 model, It had a ton of electrical issues, from the day I had it *the airbags never worked, the airbag was always on . But everything else , I enjoyed it mostly because in the debut era everybody wanted to look at it . It was future/retro .
It did improve it 1000%
I have a 07 Fj cruiser love it my first Toyota hopefully you can do a episode on those Toyotas version of the Jeep but better