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The Beetle - VW 1200 De Luxe - The sun rises again and again

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Created on October 8, 2011

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Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

32

Archiv

46

Bruno von Rotz

32

Archiv

46

VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Almost every family in our latitudes had a car like this in the family

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The shape remained largely untouched for more than forty years

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Embellished with chrome wheel trim rings

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Simply drive off and enjoy

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - classic and still well-known front design of the Beetle today

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - And runs, and runs, and runs, and runs ....

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Ready for departure

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Relatively rare color scheme in turquoise

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - indicators from 1960 model

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The Wolfsburg coat of arms on the front of the vehicle

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The rear with the narrow nose, later it became wider

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - hubcaps, wheel trim rings and whitewall tires - the pride of the owner in the sixties

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Small lamps at the rear, which also got bigger over time

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - View of the minimalist dashboard - a speedometer had to suffice

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Upright pedals, minimalist interior

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The curved gearshift in the classic interior

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - rear seat for two, in an emergency three people

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - In the sixties, children rode in this trough behind the rear seats when no suitcases were loaded

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Window crank and door opening

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The indestructible air-cooled boxer engine

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - As if it were yesterday

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - indicators were available from 1960

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The exterior rear-view mirror was an accessory

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The owner is probably picking apples

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Beautiful to look at, now that it has become a rarity

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - An autumn drive with the Beetle is something special

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The way many people wanted it, with whitewall tires and a roll-top roof

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - From everyday car to classic in around 30 years

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - With an open retractable roof in the great outdoors, here comes joy

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - It could have looked like this fifty years ago

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The Beetle needed no water throughout its life thanks to its air cooling system

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - The 140 km/h speedometer was a notable upgrade in the early sixties

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VW 1200 (1960) - Joy on Lake Maggiore

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VW 1200 (1964) - Why is the Volkswagen so popular in 136 countries, because ... - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it masters every mountain, even on snow and ice - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it fits everywhere, ... even in the smallest parking space - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it drives on all roads ... even if there are no roads - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it stays cool, ... no matter how hot it is - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it has so much to offer, ... even the heating is standard - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it has room for four people, .... and their luggage - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it is so well built, ... even the underside is painted - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1964) - The VW Beetle is so popular because it is so cheap to maintain ... and its value is still so high even years later - from a sales brochure from 1964

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VW 1200 (1960) - Stowage space in the Beetle, shown in the see-through drawing

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VW 1200 (1960) - this is how much storage space was available in 1960 - illustration from brochure

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VW 1200 (1960) - view through the engine

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VW 1200 (1963) - no-frills equipment

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1958) - still equipped with indicators

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VW 1200 Export (1959) - the export model from 1959

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VW 1200 (1957) - noticeably improved visibility from 1957 onwards

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VW 1200 (1960) - the safety steering wheel is touted by VW as an important improvement

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VW 1200 (1960) - The Beetle next to the VW Bus, both with sunroof

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VW 1200 (1961) - Advertising illustration shows the Beetle with indicators

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VW Sedan (1963) - already with indicators and crank sunroof

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VW 1200 Export (1961) - The export model with whitewall tires and roll-up roof at the port

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1959) - Beetle ready for delivery, lined up in rank and file

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VW 1200 Export (1956) - on this promotional picture from 1956, the license plate and the driver were subsequently removed

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VW 1200 Export (1957) - the more luxurious Export variant from 1957, already with a large rear window

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VW 1200 Export (1962) - the export version with a roll-top roof and a happy family

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VW 1200 (1957) - the larger rear window from 1957 allowed better views in and out

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VW 1200 (1961) - View through the Beetle - from 1961 the VW had 34 hp and a fully synchronized gearbox

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VW 1200 Export (1956) - the luxurious Export variant of the 1956 model year, still with oval rear window

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VW 1200 (1960) - An enlarged luggage compartment, asymmetrical tail lights and indicators were some of the improvements introduced to the VW Beetle on August 1, 1960

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VW 1200 (1960) - the Beetle is becoming increasingly sophisticated - windshield washer system, padded sun visors, flexible handle for the front passenger and a speed indicator up to 140 km/h

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Dashboard with minimal equipment in the test car from 1961

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - the test car in Bern in front of modern architecture of the time

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - the test car from 1961

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - the indicators were already a thing of the past in 1961

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - test car still with small tail lights

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1960) - the more luxurious version at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - the test car from 1961 was at least equipped with a retractable roof

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VW 1200 (1957) - the chassis shown above a mirror at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show gives an insight into the technology

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VW 1200 (1965) - the Beetle was omnipresent in photos and on the roads, here snowed in in 1977

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VW 1200 (1965) - The Beetle was also omnipresent in traffic education in the 80s; recommendation - don't wear dark clothes

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VW 1300 (1967) - the Beetle was up for all kinds of fun

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VW Type 11 (1955) - A collection of pretzel beetles photographed in 1981

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VW Type 30 (1937) - Start of the Beetle era with the Type 30

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VW 1200 (1971) - savings beetle for less than 7000 francs in 1971

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Summary

Everyone knows it, almost everyone has driven it or has a friend who did. The VW Beetle was the most common car on our roads in the sixties and seventies. Today, the Beetle is a classic car and is rarely seen in everyday life. As a classic, it is a pleasant companion and, if its weaknesses are forgiven, it is a lot of fun to drive without incurring major costs. This report goes briefly into the history, but in particular shows an example from 1961 in detail and describes the emotions that arise when driving such a classic. An extremely rich selection of pictures from yesterday and today, many original brochures and even the running noise provide a comprehensive overall impression.

This article contains the following chapters

A beetle in every family story
A classic car even when new
Simple, practical and durable
German perfectionism, constant gradual improvements
Praised and criticized by the press
The whole is more than the sum of its parts
Marketing anachronism
The most built car in the world in its day
Where have they gone?
A life with the Beetle
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It's as if I only got off the train yesterday as a five-year-old. Everything is exactly as it was back then. The door (on the right without a lock) only closes when you press it and makes that inimitable "plop" sound. A single round instrument provides information about the speed and the distance traveled. The ignition lock is located to the right of the steering wheel on the dashboard, which is made of sheet metal and shines in the color of the car. Turn the ignition key and the air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine in the rear begins to play its familiar song, unspectacular and reliable. Your hand falls on the long gearshift, first gear is on the front left, the shifting feel is bony, the sound metallic. A little throttle is enough, let the clutch in and off you go. Shortly afterwards, you can shift into second, third and fourth gear, 60 km/h is on the speedometer, which is enough and feels great. This is nostalgia in action. The direct steering is surprising, the brakes work, the high bodywork makes you feel as safe as in a fortress.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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