The original VW Beetle was first offered for sale in the United States in 1949 and officially ended sales in 1977.
The Volkswagen Beetle (also called the VW Type-1) is one of the most recognizable vehicles of all time. In the United States, it was the de-facto symbol of counterculture hippies of the 1960s and 1970s and was a symbolic big slap in the face to the mile-long luxury barges and inefficient muscle cars from the era, according to Volkswagen. In post-World War II Europe, it was inexpensive and efficient transportation. For South and Central American customers, the original Beetle became a cultural icon, until its final production at the factory in Puebla, Mexico in 2003.
The Type-2 VW Microbus or Transporter was another from the greatest hits catalogue that exploded in popularity in the United States and markets abroad. Both the Type-1 and Type 2 were well-built vehicles that are still sought after today and fondly remembered by essentially everyone that ever owned one. At the heart of either car is an air-cooled boxer engine that has soldiered on for decades.
