The Beetle: Back to front

H. Kishie Singh goes down memory lane with two iconic automotive brands that reinvented themselves

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Jawohl! Mein Herr!”, said Ferdinand Porsche in April 1934. Adolf Hitler gave the order to make a people’s car. ‘People’s car’ translates into Volkswagen and that’s what it has been called for the last eight decades.

Hitler clarified that the basic car must carry two adults and three children at a 100 kilometre per hour. It must travel 100 kilometre on seven litre of petrol. Most important, the engine had to be air cooled. Anti-freeze was not easily available in Germany in those days. Sub-zero temperatures are common and water freezing will crack the radiator.

In keeping with Dr Porsche’s design, the air-cooled engine had to be at the rear. He would have it no other way. The air-cooled engine was the car’s greatest asset. From the frozen lands of Russia to the burning sands of the Sahara, the engine worked flawlessly.

The car was mechanically simple. The 995-cc engine and the flat four-cylinder configuration combined with the torsion bar suspension gave it a superior performance.

The body construction was so precise that the Beetle was airtight. It could float on water. Only a handful were produced when the war broke out. Production turned to military vehicles. Fifty two thousand Kubel Wagons were produced for the officers. The Beetle was produced in small numbers in 1941.

In 1944, production came to a halt because the factory was bombed out.

Post-war, the production did not start when the Americans handed over the factory to the British. No British car manufacturer was interested in the offer. Said the British, “The vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirements of a motor car!” The factory continued to make cars for the British army.

The credit for the reopening of the factory goes to Major Ivan Hirst. Knowing that the British needed cars and the Germans needed jobs, Major Hirst got moving. By March 1946, the factory was producing 1,000 cars a month.

In 1955, the one millionth VW came off the line. The Beetle, as it came to be known, had been accepted. It had a top speed of a 115 kmph. and 36 mpg, far superior to the Citroen 2 CV and the Mini.

Things had to change. One issue was that VW came under the scathing for safety issues. Sales plummeted. For decades, VW had been the best import into North America. In 1973, the Toyota Corolla stole that crown. In 1974, VW was in the red with a staggering loss of 142.5 million British pounds. Production stopped in Germany but continued in Mexico and Brazil.

VW had to have a replacement. It was the Rabbit in 1974 which became the Golf. The Golf would replace the Beetle. And what a replacement and what a difference! The engine at the back had gone up font. Today, just about every manufacturer uses this configuration of front engine, front wheel drive.

What sets the Beetle apart is its shape. It is so near to perfection that in over 80 years the shape has changed minimally. Ferdinand Porsche designed an almost perfect car. The functions did not change so the form did not change.

However, there is something unique about being a Porsche. The man not the car!

His son, Ferdy Porsche designed the Porsche 911 in 1963. Today, 54 years later, the mesmerising silhouette remains unchanged. By 2002, over 21 million VW Type 1 had been produced. ‘Type 1’ signifies the first VW produced. Universally, she came to be loved as the Bug. The French called it ‘Coccinelle’ meaning Lady Bug. For the French anything beautiful has to be female!

In 1999, the Car of The Century competition to determine the most influential cars of the 20th century, the Type1 stood fourth. After the model T4, second place went to the Mini and the Citroen DS was awarded the third place. VW did venture into the fun car segment. In the 1960s, there was a demand for a recreational vehicle.

During the war, VW had built the Kubel Wagon for the army. It was a very practical and functional vehicle. It had four doors, a canvas top which could be easily removed allowing the officer to stand up and salute or review the troops.

The Nazi Kubel Wagon was introduced as ‘The Thing’ in civilian clothes. It was an off-roader, a beach buggy and a hit in car crazy California. But not being able to meet the tough safety standards, ‘The Thing’ died a natural death.

While the Beetle goes rolling on!