A long time ago (to me) a little bug was built in Germany. That was my car. I decided to show a little of what I've found about my car when it came from the factory. Sadly I don't know much about the history of my car yet, but I have done a lot of research into the 1974 model year. I think that 1974 is a very special year. In this year Volkswagen produced the most advanced and safe beetle that would still include from the factory an easy to use carburetor engine.
My car when it rolled out of the German factory was a brilliant orange color, just like the ones in the picture. Orange was a very popular color for that year. This is one of the colors I've contemplated repainting it when the time comes.
1974 saw some new changes to the bug. One of the features that came was new reinforced and upgraded bumpers, attached with energy absorbing brackets, this was to prevent damage in parking lot accidents. This year also saw a new steering column, one that had a smaller size column, VW continued to use the same column. In fact you can install the water cooled VW steering wheels from the 80's and 90's as well.
A new comfort feature was added that year as well. The seats were redesigned using the mechanics of the previous year. The previous year was probably the most extensive change to the seats which made them fully adjustable. This year though had new contoured seats for a more comfortable ride. They continued to use these seats the next year.
This year as I said has the most advancements seen on a carbureted beetle. It was a good year, maybe I'm a little biased, but it was a good year for the beetle. The engine had all the bugs worked out and was quite powerful with that light weight car.
Another noteworthy point about 1974 was the sun bug. This year saw the sun bug, it came as standard, super, and convertible beetle. It came in gold yellow and had either the sunroof or convertible top. It was a neat special edition.
Thanks for reading my spotlight on the 1974 year. Tell me a little bit about what makes your model/year VW special in the comments below. I would love to hear about it.
About a week and a half ago I ordered this booklet on thesamba.com. I've looked through the classifieds multiple times for 1974 related materials. Commonly I see the sales brochure, the colors sheet, the spec sheet, and occasionally an owner's manual. This one something I hadn't seen before. It is a dealership booklet that shows all the accessories you could get for your beetle in 1974. I decided that maybe it was time to start my collection for my car. I want to eventually get all the factory/dealership books, pamphlets etc. for the 1974 beetle. Something extra to show off at car shows. Today it finally came and I got to take a good look through it.
This booklet is full of all sorts of things. For instance did you know Volkswagen offered a tissue box you could install under the dash? It even has the Wolfsburg Crest on it. A variety of shifters were also available, sport shifters, with leather or wood knobs. Wood trim to dress up the dashboard. And even vinyl lettering or stripes on the side of the car. As I've looked through the book I've realized that, not only will this be a cool thing to show off at shows, but it will help me get the correct accessories for 1974 as I restore my car. If you ever have a chance to pick up something lick this for your car I would recommend it, it's fun and helpful to look through.
