Volkswagen records its 500,000th sale of the New Beetle in the U.S.

Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that U.S. sales of the legendary New Beetle reached the half- million mark. It was exactly nine years ago that the New Beetle made its worldwide debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Excitement for Volkswagen's original Beetle remained strong in the United States during the 1960s through the end of its U.S. run in 1979. Like a true survivor, it only lay dormant until it returned to the scene as an evolution of the original. When the New Beetle was introduced in 1998, it took America by storm, and today passion for the iconic vehicle remains strong. In contrast, it took nearly thirteen years for the original Beetle to accomplish what the New Beetle did in nine -- a half-million units sold!

"The New Beetle is fun, functional and enduring," said Adrian Hallmark, executive vice president, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "It maintains its strength and popularity in the market and its icon status promises that the New Beetle will continue to be a magnet for the brand."

Originally shown as the Concept 1 at the 1994 North American International Auto Show to an enthusiastic audience, the New Beetle's profile and classic elements satisfied America's desire for a design that was fresh and unique. When it entered the market in 1998, sales quickly exceeded the anticipated 50,000 units. It reinvigorated Volkswagen's performance in the U.S. market, and helped rejuvenate sales across Volkswagen's entire range of products.

With New Beetle sales came an insurgence of the Bug in pop culture: From the return of the "punch buggy" game to the 2005 movie Herbie: Fully Loaded, the New Beetle is truly a modern cultural phenomenon. New Beetle owners coordinate "Bug Ins" and attend an annual celebration in Roswell, New Mexico, home of the alleged alien sighting.

Volkswagen continues to modify the New Beetle lineup to meet customer demand, offering a turbo version in 1999 and a convertible model in 2003. In 2005, the New Beetle was refreshed with a more dynamic new shape, giving it a stronger, slightly more aggressive and masculine appearance. Volkswagen also gave the New Beetle an all-new 2.5-liter, in-line cylinder gasoline engine that delivers 150 horsepower.

For 2007, Volkswagen offers something for everyone when it comes to the New Beetle. Paying homage to the historical roots of the Beetle, Volkswagen for 2007 is once again offering a Triple White New Beetle convertible; and since the Beetle was always known for its tremendous value, Volkswagen will offer a limited number of New Beetles staring at $16,490.

chewy - 1/7/2007 3:34:14 PM

-1 Boost

The new Beetle has been out for a long time now, I wonder if VW will have Gen 3 Beetle.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/7/2007 3:42:01 PM

-2 Boost

It's a little sad that the New Beetle, in eight years, has sold half of the Mercedes E-Class in four.

chewy - 1/7/2007 3:50:10 PM

+2 Boost

This is for US only, I don't think that the E-Class sells @ 250,000 a year in US as MB only sells 300,000 per year here for all vehicles.

DieselRules - 1/7/2007 10:13:45 PM

0 Boost

I think the E-class is MB's best seller. Its their bread & butter. Not a real comparison.

The VW Beetle is a niche model that is not nearly as practical a car as a Golf. (I know ... I bought the 1st Beetle TDI in Western Canada, and the back seat is only usable for midgets, but its a great coupe for tall people).

As a comparison, that is (marginally) better annual sales than the Chevy Camaro's production when GM killed it. The Camaro had a unique platform. The Beetle, viewed from underneath (on a hoist) is identical to a Golf, Jetta, or Audi TT. So even though its a low-volume niche car, it is practical to build because it shares its platform with the world's best selling car model (VW sells roughly 3/4 million Golfs anually in Europe alone!)

In reality, you could think of it as a Golf with a weird body.
And that shorter body was very handy for fitting into parking spaces back when I worked in Seattle! :)

chewy - 1/7/2007 10:26:18 PM

-2 Boost

But MB still doesn't sell 250,000 E classes in the United States per year

tincanman99 - 1/8/2007 11:47:12 PM

+1 Boost

What does an E class Mercedes have to do with the New Beetle? A buyer of either of these cars will not be buying the other. From the average Mercedes owner I encounter they are fat yuppies with money, while the Beetle is a mix of fat yuppies, young women and older men.