It could be said that the Beetle is one of the cars that defined Volkswagen. So when a concept appeared in upcoming French animated children's film, it’s understandable that folks got hyped up for a possible Beetle revival. Besides, the (animated) car was to be featured alongside current and upcoming electric Volkswagen models.
Volkswagen UK even called the model featured in the cartoon as the “concept car electric Beetle”. At the time, we thought it was a clever way of presenting a new concept car. Plus, this is the Beetle we’re talking about. Surely, the car that shaped the brand will be revived at some point, right?
Well, no.
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Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told Autocar that a new-generation Beetle is off the table, electrified or not. That was his response when asked if the Beetle could return someday. “There are certain vehicles that have had their day. It wouldn't make sense to bring it back,” said the executive.
Instead of looking at the past, Schäfer said he would rather hold on to “traditional, successful” names such as the Golf and the Tiguan. Granted, there is no denying that the Beetle helped greate the empire of the Volkswagen Auto Group, but the later air-cooled models sold nowhere near the volume of the original article. These days, it’s the Golf that serves as the company’s bread and butter, and it has a strong following too, just like the original Beetle.
"Obviously we have a lot of names in our history, but there are only, I'd say, a little more than a handful that are really iconic and global. There are the typical ones, the Golf, the Tiguan… Would you do Scirocco or would you do Arteon? Probably not. That is part of our naming philosophy that we are now finalising," said Schäfer.
From a business standpoint, the CEO’s answer does make sense, but what about the ID.Buzz? After all, that model drew inspiration from another iconic model from VW’s history, the Type 2 (aka, the Kombi). For Schäfer, if the company is to revive a model, it should be close to the original model’s DNA.
As nostalgic as it looks, the ID.Buzz is a practical people mover, much like the original intention of the Kombi. If VW were to bring back the Beetle, it should be a two-door if the company adheres to that line of thinking. Two-door models aren’t exactly huge sellers these days, so it’s possible that VW isn’t expecting a lot of revenue from a Beetle revival.
As a final thought, Schäfer told Autocar "There are examples in the auto industry at the moment where someone has taken a classic name and then put it on a car that's not at all what it is… But I'm not mentioning names."
Shots fired.
