Squaring up - Chris barber chronicles the history of the beetle, into the swinging Sixties...

摘要

IN the August 2004 issue, we looked at the development of the VW Type 1 up until the summer of 1957, the last year of the oval rear window. During the mid-1950s, Heinz Nordhoff came under some pressure to update the car, to bring it more into line with what was considered the average European small car of the time. He called in the famous Italian body designer Luigi Segre, of Ghia, in Milan, with whom Volkswagen had close contacts via the Karmann Ghia models, and asked for suggestions to improve the body styling. After some consideration came the response: 'Enlarge the rear window.'