1975 Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle grew out of a growing interest in motoring among post-war Europeans. It was conceived from the experiments of Project 12 at the Porsche facility. Their engineers established a feasible front and back weight distribution by positioning a rear-mounted motor with aluminum and magnesium castings. With a platform-type chassis, the Bug would undergo many revisions with 30 prototypes built by 1935. Eventually, the Series 38 would make its debut of the first Beetle.

In the United States, its popularity grew quickly. Volkswagen later added to its line of automobiles with creations such as the Volkswagen Thing and the Microbus.

For 1975, the Volkswagen Beetle received electronic fuel injection for its horizontally opposed, overhead-valve four-cylinder engine. Its 1,585cc air-cooled engine produced 48 horsepower which was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox.

Available body styles included the 2-door hardtop sedan and a convertible sedan. Drum brakes could be found at all four corners. The front suspension used MacPherson struts and coil springs, while the rear used semi-trailing arms with torsion bars. The wheelbase measured a short 94.5 inches.

La Grande Bug
In 1975, Volkswagen introduced a limited-edition Super Beetle variant dubbed the 'La Grande Bug,' endowed with additional comfort and performance enhancements. It had a slightly longer and wider body which resulted in additional interior space for passengers and storage. The Super Beetle upgrade brought improvements to the front suspension with MacPherson struts. The pinion steering system improved the handling and gave a tighter turning radius. Better fuel economy and improved acceleration were courtesy of the electronic fuel injection. Three exclusive metallic paint options (blue, green, and harvest gold) were offered with the La Grande Bug, paired with a special interior (brown interior for the gold exterior; blue interior for the blue exterior; a green interior for the green bug) that combined a grained leatherette upholstery with corduroy insets and rosewood trim. The standard plastic grip of the steering wheel was replaced with a more comfortable 'comfort' grip. Additional standard amenities included air-conditioning and a sliding sunroof. Optional at the dealership were pop-out rear windows.

The La Grande Edition sedan was discontinued after 1975, but the convertible version remained through 1980.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016