Volkswagen
Germany · Founded 1937
The people's car. From Nazi-era origins to counterculture icon, VW became synonymous with simple, honest transportation.
Heritage
The Beetle was designed as cheap transportation for the masses under Nazi Germany, but became something far more interesting in America. The air-cooled engine, the friendly shape, the anti-establishment vibe — VW accidentally created the car that defined the counterculture. The Bus extended that ethos into a lifestyle vehicle. Even as VW went upmarket with water-cooled cars, the air-cooled originals retained their cult status.
Volkswagen Vehicles (5)
1967 Volkswagen Beetle
The Beetle is the most successful car design in history. Over 21 million produced. It democratized car ownership in post-war Europe, then became the counterculture icon in America. The air-cooled flat-four is mechanically simple to the point of being educational — generations of enthusiasts learned to wrench on Beetles. The 1967 is the collector sweet spot: the last year before US-mandated safety changes brought larger bumpers and sealed-beam headlights. But any classic Beetle captures the magic. This is where the entire air-cooled VW community starts.
1967 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus (T2)
The VW Bus transcended transportation to become a cultural icon. It was the vehicle of the counterculture, the road trip, the alternative lifestyle. The split-window 'Splitties' and later bay-window 'Baywindows' carried surfers, hippies, travelers, and dreamers to wherever they wanted to go, slowly. The Bus proved that a vehicle could be more than transportation — it could be a statement, a home, a lifestyle. Every modern camper van owes something to the Type 2.
1969 Volkswagen Baja Bug
The Baja Bug proved that the humble Volkswagen Beetle — designed for German roads in the 1930s — could conquer the harshest desert terrain in the Americas. When the Baja 1000 started in 1967, people showed up with Beetles because they were cheap, air-cooled (no radiator to puncture), rear-engined (weight over the drive wheels), and nearly indestructible. Cut the fenders for bigger tires, add a skid plate, raise the suspension, and suddenly you had a legitimate off-road racer. The Baja Bug became the everyman's entry into desert racing — you didn't need a factory team or a purpose-built vehicle. You needed a beater Beetle, a welder, and more courage than sense.
1969 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
The Karmann Ghia is a sports car that isn't really a sports car — and that's exactly why people love it. Italian styling by Ghia, German construction by Karmann, built on Beetle running gear. It's gorgeous but slow. Romantic but practical. A car for people who understand that driving pleasure isn't always about speed. Every Karmann Ghia on the road is a statement that beauty matters, even if you can't outrun a Civic.
1974 Volkswagen Thing (Type 181)
The Thing is what happens when you take a military utility vehicle and sell it to beach towns. Based on the WWII Kubelwagen design, VW updated it for the '60s and '70s as a recreational vehicle. In America, it became a cult item for exactly two years before failing new safety standards. That brief window and the quirky design created instant collector appeal. The Thing is the ultimate beach cruiser — doors off, top down, completely impractical, and absolutely joyful.