Volkswagen Beetle
Ferdinand Porsche designed a people’s car for Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, when it was known as the KdF-wagen (where KdF stood for Kraft durch Freude, ‘strength through joy’). Serious production did not begin until after the war, by which time the Wolfsburg factory was under British control. British motor industry experts were shown the prototype car and expressed misgivings about the design, but they were proved wrong: the ‘Beetle’ went on to become the best selling car ever, eclipsing the Model T Ford.
The simple formula of the ‘Type 1’ was based on a pressed steel platform chassis, with an air-cooled flat-four engine mounted at the back. Early cars had split rear windows and a 1131cc engine, but numerous changes and improvements were made over the years. A bigger oval rear windows arrived in 1953 and featured on the popular 1200 model introduced a year later. The rear window was changed again in 1958, this time to a rectangular shape. Bigger engines followed, a 1285cc unit in 1965 and a 1493cc, 44bhp engine in 1966.
The ‘Super Beetle’ of the 1970s introduced MacPherson strut front suspension, disc front brakes, a rounded nose providing more luggage space and the debut of a curved windscreen. Throughout the Beetle’s career – which continued in South America after German production ended in 1980 – there was an attractive convertible option, and these are now the most sought-after Beetles of all.