1998 Volkswagen New Beetle Test Drive

Volkswagen fought a losing battle since 1975 when the Rabbit came out to replace the aging Beetle. Of course the modern trend-setting Rabbit was successful initially. but soon the hatchback concept ran aground in the US market and the German company spent more time defending its home turf. Throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s, Volkswagen tried to sell itself as a sophisticated engineering corporation that didn’t want to be known as the “Beetle Company”.

Although it was more than two decades before the nameplate returned, it was still the care that came to mind when people thought of Volkswagen. So, they stopped fighting and returned to the fun.