Volkswagen Type 2 1964, Generation I

In 1950, the Volkswagen Type 2 adapted a bus-shaped body to the compact Volkswagen Beetle.

Only two 1949 models were sold in America that year, convincing Volkswagen chairman Heinrich Nordhoff the car had no future in the U. S. ( The Type 1 went on to become an automotive phenomenon.

* July 30 – The last Volkswagen Type 1 rolls off its production line in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.

* a Volkswagen Type 2 van generation

A 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 | VW Kombi bus decorated with hand-painting

The Volkswagen Beetle, officially called the Volkswagen Type 1 ( or informally the Volkswagen Bug ), is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen ( VW ) from 1938 until 2003.

Although designed in the 1930s, the Beetle was only produced in significant numbers from 1945 on, when the model was internally designated the Volkswagen Type 1, and marketed simply as the " Volkswagen ".

It remained a top seller in the U. S., owing much of its success to high build-quality and innovative advertising, ultimately giving rise to variants, including the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and the Volkswagen Type 2 bus.

In 1994, Volkswagen unveiled the Concept One, a " retro "- themed concept car with a resemblance to the original Beetle, and in 1998 introduced the " New Beetle ", built on the Golf platform with styling recalling the original Type 1.

After World War II, it was known as the Volkswagen Type 1, but became more commonly known as the Beetle.

1949 Volkswagen Type 1

1949 Volkswagen Type 1 interior

Volkswagen made only two of these air-cooled boxer diesel engines ( not turbocharged ), and installed one engine in a Type 1 and another in a Type 2.

1975 models featured Air Flow Control ( AFC ) Fuel Injection on U. S., Canadian, and Japanese Beetles, a derivative of the more complex Bosch fuel injection system used in the Volkswagen Type III – and equivalent to Bosch L-Jetronic.

In the 1970s, Volkswagen made the SP-2 ( derived from the Type 1 pan and the Type 3 powertrain ) with a 1, 700 cc engine ( a bored-out 1, 600 cc ).

The Volkswagen Type 1 chassis was used as the basis for an mine-protected APC called the Leopard security vehicle and the Pookie demining vehicle, fielded by the Republic of Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War.

The original design used an Audi-sourced four-speed manual transmission for the 924 mated to VW's EA831 2. 0 L I4 engine, subsequently used in the Audi 100 and the Volkswagen LT van ( common belief is that the engine originated in the LT van, but it first appeared in the Audi car ), as well as in the AMC Gremlin, Concord, and Spirit.

Once in production, the 912E was powered by an 86 bhp 2. 0 L Volkswagen air-cooled engine, refined with a new Bosch L-Jetronic ( Air Flow Controlled ) fuel injection system.

Recent forced induction V6 engines have delivered horsepower and torque output comparable to contemporary larger displacement, naturally aspirated V8 engines, while reducing fuel consumption and emissions, such as the Volkswagen Group's 3. 0 TFSI which is supercharged and directly injected, and Ford Motor Company's turbocharged and directly injected EcoBoost V6, both of which have been compared to Volkswagen's 4. 2 V8 engine.

The Beetle had marked a significant trend led by Volkswagen, Fiat, and Renault whereby the rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout had increased from 2. 6 percent of continental Western Europe's car production in 1946 to 26. 6 percent in 1956.

In 1954, Volkswagen added 2 mm to the cylinder bore, increasing the displacement from 1, 131 cc to 1, 192 cc.

* Volkswagen Type 2 ( T3 ), the third generation of the Volkswagen Bus

The Volkswagen 1-litre car and Aptera 2 Series are examples of ultra-low-drag vehicles.

< sup > 1 </ sup > AMC contracted with Volkswagen to buy tooling for the Audi 2. 0 L OHC I4.

New high-performance models included the 3. 2 L VR6-engined four-wheel-drive Golf " R32 " introduced in 2004, its predecessor the 2. 8 L VR6-engined " Golf V6 4Motion " ( succeeding the 2. 9 L Mk3 " Golf VR6 Syncro "), as well as use of the famous 1. 8T ( turbo ) 4-cylinder used in various Volkswagen Group models.

The plug-in hybrid drive of the Golf Variant twinDRIVE is equipped with either an 11. 2 kWh or a 13. 2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, as Volkswagen is testing packs from two vendors.

* The Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four engine used in the Volkswagen Beetle, SP2 and Karmann Ghia, and later developed further for the Volkswagen Type 2 ( Bus ) transporters and Volkswagen Type 3 cars.

Some speakers therefore shorten the name " double u " into " dub " only ; for example, University of Washington, University of Wyoming and University of Western Australia are all known colloquially as " U Dub ", and the automobile company Volkswagen, abbreviated VW, is sometimes pronounced " V-Dub ".

Well known beyond Germany's borders are trademarks such as Horch, Audi, Trabant and Volkswagen.

The model became widely known in its home country as the Käfer ( German for " beetle ") and was later marketed as such in Germany, and as the Volkswagen Beetle in other countries.

Based heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle, it was prototyped as the Type 62, but eventually became known internally as the Type 82.

Certainly, the major internationally known German brands ( Volkswagen and Mercedes, as well as Magirus-Deutz ) were represented in the range, but in order to cater to that market using the dies at hand, it was decided to develop a model version just for Germany.

In 1961 Volkswagen introduced the Type 3 ( also known in various markets as the Variant and the Volkswagen 1500 ( later the Volkswagen 1600 )), available as a two-door sedan and as a two-door station wagon, which was commonly called the Squareback.

But many of the more recently built stadiums, like the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany, have never been known by a non-corporate name.

Westfalia-Werke also converted non-Volkswagen vans, and produced trailers and other products, but they were best known for their Volkswagen camper conversions.

The Volkswagen Group is known for using three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines ; in the Audi A2, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Fox, SEAT Ibiza and Škoda Fabia.

The first Opel car to carry the Kadett name was presented to the public in December 1936 by Opel's Commercial-Technical director, Heinrich Nordhoff, who would in later decades become known for his leadership role in building up the Volkswagen company.

In 2000, Ford of Brazil developed a cheaper version of the Zetec-SE engine, to compete with the classic Volkswagen EA827 engine series also known as AP ( from " Alta Performance ", or " High Performance ", in English ) engine in Brazil.

The initial SEAT León ( Volkswagen Group Typ 1M ), launched in 1999, available only as hatchback, and the related saloon version was known as the SEAT Toledo.

Among the latter, the freight-truck assembly operated by the Volkswagen Group controlled Swedish Scania company is probably the best known.

The Chinese government decided to award this contract to Volkswagen, and instead gave Citroën the rights to the " compact car " segment, with what today is known as the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile factory, producing over 100, 000 cars a year.

Other known names considered during development included: Magnum ( later used by Dodge ), Scirocco ( later used by Volkswagen ) and Raven.

He is the fourth child of South African-born Simone Lyons and former Rallycross driver John Button, who was well known in the UK during the 1970s for his so-called Colorado Beetle Volkswagen.

Certain models of the Volkswagen Type 2 played a role in an historic episode during the early 1960s, known as the Chicken War.