-The 1960 VW Beetle was priced at $1,565, with the convertible version starting at $2,055! – VW’s success in the market had been entirely due to the Beetle. A front and anti-roll bar, as well as a hydraulic steering damper, were added to the 1960 vehicles.
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According to Ward’s Automotive, VW continued to grow, producing 739,443 cars and exporting 159,995 of them to the United States, or 32.1% of all imports. Despite the Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon, and Chrysler Valiant produced by domestic automakers as a retaliatory measure, American consumers bought 117,868 VW Beetle Sedans and 5841 Cabriolets in 1960.
The 1960 Deluxe Sedan now costs $1565, the Sunroof Sedan $1665, and the Cabriolet $2055, all modest price increases. The compression ratio of the 1192 cc engine was increased from 6.6:1 to 7:1 to give it a 36 horsepower upgrade.
The passenger seat now featured a footrest, the seat backs were curved, the headliner was made of plastic instead of mouse fur, the right hand armrest had an open grasp, and new push-button door handles were installed in place of the pull-type ones. The oil drain plug was moved to the sump, the dipstick was made easier to read, and a better carburetor was installed mechanically. Turn signals were electrically relocated to the front fenders’ tops and incorporated into the rear taillights. Both a front sway bar and a steering damper were installed. The switch for the washer and wipers was combined.
The VW Beetle’s sales in the United States peaked at approximately 400,000 units in 1968 and remained at that level for a number of years in the late 1960s. The company struggled to keep a 25-year-old design at the forefront of the import market during this time, beginning with timely and intelligent visual adjustments and ending with some fairly daring mechanical revisions.
The 1965 Volkswagen Beetle had a number of alterations, the most noticeable of which were the overall bigger windows. The sun visors could be turned to the side, and the windshield was now slightly curved to lessen glare. The pillars were smaller, and the windscreen was 11 percent larger. The rear window increased by 20%, the rear side windows by 18%, and the front side windows by 6%. The motor was more powerful, and the wipers were longer.
1,174,687 Volkswagen vehicles across all types were produced worldwide, while 296,431 Beetles and 7,848 Cabriolets were sold in this country. VW sold 383,978 units in the United States, or 67.4% of all imported automobiles, if you count trucks. The dealer network, however, shrank from 968 to 908.
The 1192cc, 34 horsepower engine was upgraded to a 40 bhp engine, although performance was still sluggish. The 1965 Beetle Deluxe Sedan was $1563, the Sunroof Sedan was $1653, and the Cabriolet was $2053, all small price decreases. Improvements included switching the heater controls from rotary knobs to twin levers. On each side, there were two jacking spots. The clutch and brake mechanisms were enhanced.
What was the new price of a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle?
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DETROIT, 15 DEC
The second price hike for Volkswagen’s 1971 Beetle models was announced today.
The retail price of the 1971 Super Beetle at both ends of the country’s borders was $1,985. On the West Coast, where the German automobile line faces increasingly fierce competition from American mini-autos and Japanese imports, there will now be an increase of only $1, compared to a 4.5% increase, or $86, on the East Coast.
A less expensive 1971 Beetle version was increased from $1,780 in the East to $1,840 in the West to $1,845 on both coasts.
The model had an East Coast list price of $1,839 and a West Coast price of $1,924 in the 1970 line, which included just one Beetle model instead of two. These rates did not include dealer preparation fees, inland shipment costs, or additional equipment costs.
Prices for other Volkswagen models were increased by up to $200, with East Coast price increases being significantly bigger. Volkswagen blamed the increases on a 12% pay increase as well as generally higher part pricing in Germany.
Just under half of the sales of imported cars are accounted for by V.W., which reported 535,000 sales in the United States in the first 11 months of this year. One out of every seven new cars sold in the US is a Volkswagen.
The figure is closer to one in four on the West Coast, although Japanese automakers Toyota and Datsun are making significant strides there. This year, these two businesses claimed 270 000 deliveries in the US, an increase from 160 000 during the first 11 months of 1969.
Volkswagen sold 1,921,013 automobiles globally in 1967, marking 18 years of rising sales. Sales of Beetles in the United States increased to 320,692 units, including 6349 Cabriolets, but the company’s import market share decreased to 57% as GM used Buick to market German Opels and Chrysler acquired the Rootes group in Britain, releasing some Hillman and Sunbeam models in the United States.
The 1500 Beetle, which was offered in addition to the 40 bhp, 1285cc 1300 unit, was the big news, and it is powered by a 53 bhp, 1493 cc engine. The traditional sloping headlights were replaced by sealed beam models, but the vintage bumpers with loop over riders retained. To reduce the strain on the torsion bars, the rear suspension was given an equalizer spring that ran from one axle tube to the next and was connected by rods. A 12-volt electrical system and dual circuit brake system were also added to U.S. Beetles, however it appears that the 1500 model received these upgrades gradually in October. Wiper motors now have two speeds.
The 1967 Deluxe Beetle is now $1639, the 1967 Sunroof Beetle is $1729, and the 1967 Cabriolet is still $2075.
What types of automobiles were favored in the 1960s?
The 1964 Mustang ignited a revolution and is arguably the most recognizable 1960s automobile in all of America. The first Mustang was attractive and affordable, wasn’t particularly quick, but it had a V8 option that demonstrated the design’s potential. Later on, the light Mustang became a blast thanks to improved V8s and a reliable four-speed manual transmission. Everyone could choose from a variety of body types thanks to fastbacks and convertibles; even Carroll Shelby joined in the fun. The Mustang is such a household name that even children know what it is.
In 1969, how much did a Volkswagen Beetle cost?
From the start of manufacture in 1938 until the final Vocho left the Puebla assembly line in 2003, the original Type 1 air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle maintained its design. In 1949, VW started selling automobiles in North America. Ten years later, the company’s sales figures really took off, and they stayed high throughout the 1960s.
Although the Beetle’s design was clearly outdated by 1969, American automobile buyers continued to purchase them for the same reasons their ancestors purchased the antiquated Model T Ford in 1924: it served its purpose, was dependably reliable, and was incredibly affordable. This vehicle’s MSRP was a pitiful $1,799 (about $13,070 in 2020 dollars), while a similarly equipped AMC Rambler cost $1,998 in that year.
The air-cooled Beetle was doomed in the United States during the following decade due to crash safety and emission control regulations, not to mention cheap Japanese subcompacts, but 1969 ended up being another fantastic sales year for VW here.
Sales of Volkswagen vehicles increased slightly in 1973, reaching 1,128,784 worldwide and 350,357 in the United States, of which 7567 were cabriolets. The Super Beetle received a curved panoramic windshield that was 43 percent larger than the previous model, which was the main upgrade for the 1973 Beetle. The Beetles also received an airbag-compatible padded safety dash, face-level vents for better ventilation, 5-mph bumpers, new front seats, enormous “elephant foot” taillights, brighter headlights, and a 24/24 warranty. Four stacks of louvers across the tail were incorporated into the design of the rear engine cooling vents.
The Sunroof Sedan was now $2299, but the standard 1973 Beetle Sedan was remained $1780. Super Beetle prices increased to $2459, while Cabriolet prices soared by over $500 to $3050.
In 1972, Volkswagen sold 1,082,098 passenger cars globally, although sales in the United States slightly increased to 344,137 Beetles and Super Beetles, of which 8491 were cabriolets. The standard Beetle Sedan and Sunroof Sedan continued to be produced, but the Super Beetle also served as the Cabriolet’s chassis. When the 15,007,034th car rolled off the assembly line on February 17, the Volkswagen Beetle had surpassed the Ford Model T in sales for the year. It was a 1972 Super Beetle Sedan, one of 1,000 Marathon Beetles that were only marketed in Europe and painted a rare shade of blue metallic. For the 1972 Beetle, changes were minimal. The safety steering wheel now has four padded spokes, the safety belts have inertia reels, and a parcel shelf covers the back storage space in addition to the 11 percent larger rear window.
The Sunroof Sedan climbed to $1999, while the standard Beetle Sedan remained at $1780. The price of the Cabriolet increased to $2599, while the Super Beetle went up to $2159.