8 Beetles that Got Squashed Before They Made it to Market

When you think of iconic Volkswagen vehicles over the years, you think of the GTI series, the VW Type 2 Microbus, and, of course, the Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle specifically is interesting because it’s one of the few vehicles in history that’s had two distinct periods of success – one in the 1950’s thru the 1970’s, and then another in the 1990’s well into the new millennium.

However, not every release is a home run. Sometimes you need to take a few swings before you hit pay dirt. The following Beetles we’ll be discussing today aren’t going to be located at your local Volkswagen dealer. Here are eight VW Beetle designs that never panned out.

EA47-12 (1955-1956)

There were exactly fifteen VW prototypes made during the time period of 1953 thru 1956. The EA47-12 was the twelfth of them, and the official first attempt by VW to introduce a new heir apparent to the Beetle line. Originally designed by Italian car designer Karmann Ghia, the car would have elongated the traditionally compact Beetle design to look more like a traditional compact. The car put out 30 horsepower and could achieve a top speed of 50 mph, but ultimately, VW decided to scrap the design.

EA48 (1955)

Few may recall this, but back in the 1950’s, VW was still relying on Porsche for design and engineering input. The EA48 would change that, becoming the first prototype designed exclusively in-house by Volkswagen. Their engineering team started from scratch, aiming to create a car that was made for casual city driving, but didn’t exceed the Beetle in terms of performance and price. The EA48 ran on a flat-twin 18 bhp engine and could achieve a top speed of 60 mph. Alas, it never made it out of the starting gate.

EA97 (1960)

Many of the VW prototype cars resulted in one-off productions, but the EA97 was one of the few that saw quite a bit of production (as far as prototypes go). Ultimately, 200 models of the EA97 were built by hand-assembly, indicating this vehicle would be much more than a simple prototype. Just as workers were gearing up to get the assembly line ready for production, the executives at VW got gun-shy and killed the project. Apparently, they weren’t fully committed to replacing the Beetle just yet, and the EA97 was positioned too close to it and the Type 3.

Type 3 Cabriolet (1961)

The Type 3 Cabriolet was marketed as a highfalutin alternative to the Beetle that would be slicker, more stylish, and available as a convertible for those that enjoyed feeling the wind in their hair. The only problem is that the Cabriolet was similar to the Karmann Ghia…so similar that VW decided to cut and run, ditching what was surely going to be a fun summer cruiser for drivers. They didn’t want any internal competition amongst the two vehicles.

EA128 (1963)

On the outside the EA128 was going to be the Volkswagen version of a luxury vehicle, a four-door sedan that could seat up to six people, although it would be a tight squeeze. Under the hood, the EA128 was running on the very same 2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed engine that was used with the Porsche 911. Ultimately, it never came to pass.

EA142 (1966)

In the mid-60’s, VW started to get really experimental with the body styles of their cars, but especially so with the 1966 EA142. Unlike the Beetle it was aiming to replace, the EA142 sported a boxy body with a hatchback. The 1.7-liter engine the car ran on was located in the rear of the vehicle, which is the only part of the car that made it into production. VW would take the engine and put it in the Type 4.

EA276 (1969)

Sometimes the car you don’t use serves as the bridge to bigger and better things. This front-wheel-drive hatchback is considered the boxiest when talking about potential Beetle replacements. It would ultimately go on to serve as the primary inspiration for the VW Golf, which was later released as the VW Rabbit here in the United States.

EA266 (1969)

The final close-but-no-cigar on our list is the EA266, a joint design venture between VW and the Porsche team, led by Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche. The EA266 ran on a water-cooled four-cylinder 1.6-liter engine that was mounted under the rear seat. This sporty hatchback would pack a lot of wow factor from a design perspective, but ultimately would never make it to production.

Test Drive a Brand-New Volkswagen Today!

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about VW Beetles that never were. Now it’s time to move on to some VW vehicles that you can actually get behind the wheel and drive. Our current hot-sellers include the brand-new VW Taos, the ever-popular VW Tiguan, and the all-new all-electric VW ID.4, which was recently named the 2021 World Car of the Year. Your local Volkswagen dealer has them all.

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Got a question or would like to set up an appointment? No problem. Simply go to our Contact Us page and message us. One of our team members will get back with you ASAP. You can also visit our Lee’s Summit dealership for routine maintenance or repair. The Volkswagen service center is on-site for those needing an oil change, tire rotation, or other maintenance.

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