New Beetle

The early 1990s saw Volkswagen in serious troubles. The company was over manned, was building its cars in a very inefficient and had some significant quality troubles. Ferdinand Piech took over as the chairman and CEO of Volkswagen in 1993, determined to shake the VW family to its roots. Piech had build an enviable reputation, first as an engineer at Porsche and then as the boss of Audi. The concept One was unveiled in 1994 and was designed under the guidance of American stylist J Mays and was a signal that VW was preparing to go back to its roots in order to reinvent itself. Indeed, Piech had a very close connection to the car that founded the brand. His grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche, was commissioned in the 1930s by Hitler to build the original ‘People’s Car’.

Concept One, however, was viewed by some in the press as a triviality. After all, the oddball retro car was not going to rescue VW from its problems. However, Piech was determined to see it enter production. Piech’s engineering vision saw the New Beetle’s unique shape being based on the MK4 Golf chassis, a move which was much admired in the industry and triggered a re-think it could be achieved with everyday components. A convertible version of the Beetle was inevitable, but VW didn’t extend the range any further. The most outlandish version was the limited-run RSi, equipped with a 225 bhp V6 engine, four wheel drive and styling to match. In July 2007, New Beetle production hit 500,000 units.