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How the Americans judged the VW Beetle - okay

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Created in 1954

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Wilbur Shaw

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Volkswagen / Werk

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Archiv

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Volkswagen / Werk

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Archiv

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VW 1100 Export (1953) - bereits ohne "Brezel"-Fenster hinten

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VW Käfer (1954) - für die USA okay

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VW Käfer (1954) - für die USA zwar klein, aber okay

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VW Käfer (1951) - Montage Karosserie in Wolfsburg

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VW Käfer (1953) - eine halbe Million Käfer wird gefeiert

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VW Käfer (1955) - Die erste Million ist voll!

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VW Käfer (1954) - das grössere Heckfenster ohne Mittelsteg gab es ab März 1953

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VW (1953) - Internationale Automobilausstellung (IAA) in Frankfurt 1953 - VW mit neuem Heckfenster

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VW Käfer (1952) - Blick unter die hintere Motorhaube

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VW Standard (1954) - die Konstruktionseinzelheiten konnten von unten, aber auch am Chassis-Modell an der Wand besichtigt werden - Genfer Automobilsalon 1954

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VW Käfer 1100 Export (1952) - mit den berühmten Brezel-Heckfenstern

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VW Käfer (1952) - der Heckmotor

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VW Käfer (1952) - Einstieg

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VW Käfer (1952) - Interieur Beifahrerseite

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Summary

In 1954, the VW Beetle was still selling relatively poorly in the USA, albeit with rising sales figures. The American car tester Wilbur Shaw tried to find out whether the Beetle had a chance in America and came to a negative assessment despite its clear qualities. He was wrong, because in the following years the Beetle became the most successful imported car in the USA, so that even the American manufacturers, who were used to success, had to react. This article reproduces the original wording of the 1954 test and provides an interesting look back at the beginnings of the Beetle in the USA.

This article contains the following chapters

Model consistency
Too small, too ugly and too weak?
Not a racing car
Economical and maneuverable
Hardly any chance in the USA
Qualities
Additions from Wolfsburg

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

On North Capital Avenue in Indianapolis, my home town, there is a car dealership that sells what is probably the most unattractive car in the world by American standards. But as we all know, taste is debatable - for a Hottentot, a woman is only beautiful when she has a ring in her nose. The car I am talking about here is not only simple and unpretentious; judging by the sales figures, it must also be one of the best cars in the world. It is carefully designed, its road holding is excellent, it runs almost indefinitely without needing repairs, and it is a pleasure to drive. And it needs only half as much fuel as most American 'road cruisers'.

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