Subject: Trivia...old, middle and latest model Beetle?
DubbyFan
Wolfsburg Wizard
Posts: 518
Threads: 193
Registered: November 1st, 2010
Member Is Offline
Location: Lord Howe Island, NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Better to be late than dead on time
posted on October 3rd, 2011 at 02:01 PM
Trivia...old, middle and latest model Beetle?
Your trivia for the day, so what would be the correct terms
for the three model Beetles that exist, the early 1950's to 70's
classic, the middle 1990's to 2000's not so classic and now the current 2011 on grunty looking 356 bummed version?
I guess it's early model, middle model and latest model!
I wonder if VW have an official term for the three models!
Snap Crackle Bang
Seriously Crusin Dubber
Posts: 146
Threads: 9
Registered: August 30th, 2009
Member Is Offline
Location: Fernvale
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on October 3rd, 2011 at 05:29 PM
I'd say early model up to 67, Late model up to 77, with Superbugs as a sub-category.
I'd prefer to think the front engined ones are like the Star wars pre-quals - pretend they never really existed.
Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
Head in the Clouds
Posts: 2703
Threads: 193
Registered: August 28th, 2002
Member Is Offline
Location: Sydney
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
posted on October 4th, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Are you asking what the cars were originally or officially called?
In the 1950s the car was sold simply as the 'Volkswagen', or more specifically the 'Volkswagen 1200'. This is what appears on the glovebox
owners' guide, and the factory brochures of the time. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries categorised it as the 'VW 1200' and totalled the
sales accordingly. This model was sold in Australia from June 1954 until early 1966 (Deluxe) and early 1967 (Standard).
The next model was the 'Volkswagen 1300', an update of the VW 1200. It was made from early 1966 until March 1968 (Deluxe) and September 1968
(Standard). Then it was revived in late 1970 and sold as a 'budget' low-spec model until late 1975.
The difficulty came in 1968 when the much updated VW 1500 went on sale. There was already a 'VW 1500' in the lineup - the Type 3, which had first
gone on sale here in 1963. So while it was still called the 'Volkswagen 1500' officially, the updated Type 1 started to be called the '68 Beetle'
unofficially to differentiate it from the Type 3. The FCAI just recorded 'VW 1500' sales in their annual reports, so today it's impossible to say
how many are Beetle and how many are Type 3.
In 1971 we saw the 'Superbug S', which was sold alongside the 'VW 1300' mentioned earlier. In 1973 this was updated to the 'Superbug L'. Again
the FCAI recorded their sales as 'VW 1600', so like before it's impossible to say how many are Superbugs and how many are Type 3s. It has also
(unfortunately) become fashionable nowadays to call the Superbugs '1302' and '1303', using the names they used in Europe. But those names weren't
ever used here. In any case, in Europe the '1302' and '1303' could be bought with 1200 and 1300 engines - only the '1302S' and '1303S' were
1600cc like our Superbugs. It must be very confusing for new VW enthusiasts; I wish people would stick to the Australian names instead of trying to be
kewl.
Both the 1300 and the Superbug L were discontinued in late 1975, and replaced by a 'bitsa' for 1976, using the last of the leftover parts. The
Melbourne factory used the 1300 bodyshell, pan and front beam but with Superbug front discs, double joint rear and 1600 engine. This was officially
sold as the '1600 Beetle', the only time the 'Beetle' name was officially used. That car ended production in July 1976 but it took another 8
months to sell the unwanted backlog. The Golf was the future.
Volkswagen assigned 'Type' or 'Model' numbers to all their vehicles, which used to be in the chassis number after 1965 and nowadays appear in the
VIN. The Australian Beetle (1965-67) was a Model 19; the later CKD Beetles were Type 11 and the Australian Golf was 17.
The 'New Beetle' went sale in Australia in 2000 and has only recently been discontinued. It was based on a Golf Mk4 platform. For Australian models
the model number on the VIN is 9C (so it's NOT a Type 1!) I don't really like them either but I think they served two useful purposes - they
introduced a new generation of VW buyers to the marque, and they provided a useful link from the air-cooled era to modern VWs for air-cooled
enthusiasts who wouldn't buy a Golf or Polo.
As far as the new model is concerned, it won't be on sale here until next year so it's too early to tell. But as far as I am aware it will be sold
as the 'Beetle', with the 'New' being dropped. I don't yet know what the VIN model code is.
DubbyFan
Wolfsburg Wizard
Posts: 518
Threads: 193
Registered: November 1st, 2010
Member Is Offline
Location: Lord Howe Island, NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Better to be late than dead on time
posted on October 5th, 2011 at 05:18 AM
Wow that is a great explanation and yes it is very confusing,
in saying that also interesting as well.
