VW Beetle with oval windows, red
It just keeps going and going and going… For over 60 years, the Beetle has been rolling on roads all over the world. Its story begins in 1931, when Ferdinand Porsche’s design office had already developed a streamlined sedan. After neither Zündapp nor NSU could commit to production, Porsche was commissioned to develop a “people’s car.” Mercedes was tasked with building an initial test series of 30 vehicles. It wasn’t until many years later that it became known that Porsche wasn’t the sole originator of the Beetle’s design, as Béla Barényi had already been working on a humpbacked car with a rear-mounted, air-cooled boxer engine as early as 1925. Hans Ledwinka also designed a very similar prototype for the Czech Tatra Works – both of their contributions were only recognized many years later and compensated by VW with substantial payments.
