Concept Car of the Week: Volkswagen Concept 1 (1994)17 December 2015 | by Tom Phillips
Just before the emissions scandal broke, rumours began to circulate that Volkswagen was preparing to unveil a new concept version of its long-awaited reborn Bulli. And despite #dieselgate and VW's new scaled-back approach to motor shows, the concept will debut at the CES show in Las Vegas next month.
A look back at the firm's history books gives a good reason why a new Bulli could make business sense. Back in the early 1990s, J Mays and Freeman Thomas were working together at VW's new advanced studio in Simi Valley, California.
During their research, the designers discovered that to most American customers Volkswagen meant the classic Beetle, both in terms of its overall form and the memories of the free-thinking 1960s it evoked. Therefore, a new take on the old car could be a solution to VW's dramatic slump in US sales at the time – dropping from over 500,000 in 1970 to less than 40,000 in 1992.
The designers presented their ideas to VW's recently-appointed head of design, Hartmut Warkuß. Despite initial resistance from the management in Germany, where the original Beetle is seen at best as an old fashioned icon, and at worst a direct product of Hitler's Nazi occupation, Warkuß gave the go-ahead for two quarter-scale models to be produced.
Following this, he also gave the sign-off for the concept that debuted at the 1994 Detroit Motor Show, chosen for its location away from Beetle-loving California, and for the fact that the show attracts large numbers of international press to better gauge reaction to the car.
Unlike the original, the concept's engine was front mounted and water cooled. The concept was built on the contemporary Polo platform, unlike the production car that used the fourth-generation Golf's underpinnings. As a result, the concept is around 300mm shorter, 85mm narrower but the same height as the production car, although its wheelbase is 10mm longer than the road-going model.
Its design was a perfect homage to the old car, updating its shape by a using large, friendly arc to form the car's windscreen and roof, and two smaller ones that gave the car its signature wheelarch shapes.
The shutline of the hood gave the car an irresistible smile, while the same line was mirrored at the rear to reference the hood that covered the original Beetle's air-cooled engine.
The interior was kept stripped back, in keeping with the original. It featured a simple, two-spoke steering wheel, and air vents that matched the intakes on the front mask. Inspiration was taken from the original Beetle for the circular theme to the HVAC controls and single gauge for the driver, too, although these both glowed neon green on the concept.
The concept also made a feature of exposed metal on the doors, and used the car's exterior colour across the IP, while new features included the indicator and light stalks with oversized graphics took inspiration from product design.
A convertible version of the showcar followed at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, while a fully revised near-production model debuted at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. This car introduced the car's best-remembered feature, the small vase built into the IP that you could stand a flower in.
The production car debuted at Detroit in 1998, and while it wouldn't be a volume seller, it encouraged people to return to VW dealers again, propelling sales numbers back to 366,970 in 2014. The New Beetle did its job as a design-led halo for the brand, a trick that J Mays, Freeman Thomas and others would repeat with the design of the TT for Audi that arrived shortly after the Concept 1.
It remains to be seen if the design team's work on a new Bulli and its accompanying production model can undo the drama of 'dieselgate' and repair VW's reputation, not just in the US but worldwide, in the coming years. The sales figures will remain the true test.
- See more at: http://www.cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2015/12/vw-concept-1-1994/#sthash.z6HHA7MO.dpuf
Just before the emissions scandal broke, rumours began to circulate that Volkswagen was preparing to unveil a new concept version of its long-awaited reborn Bulli. And despite #dieselgate and VW's new scaled-back approach to motor shows, the concept will debut at the CES show in Las Vegas next month.
A look back at the firm's history books gives a good reason why a new Bulli could make business sense. Back in the early 1990s, J Mays and Freeman Thomas were working together at VW's new advanced studio in Simi Valley, California.
During their research, the designers discovered that to most American customers Volkswagen meant the classic Beetle, both in terms of its overall form and the memories of the free-thinking 1960s it evoked. Therefore, a new take on the old car could be a solution to VW's dramatic slump in US sales at the time – dropping from over 500,000 in 1970 to less than 40,000 in 1992.
The designers presented their ideas to VW's recently-appointed head of design, Hartmut Warkuß. Despite initial resistance from the management in Germany, where the original Beetle is seen at best as an old fashioned icon, and at worst a direct product of Hitler's Nazi occupation, Warkuß gave the go-ahead for two quarter-scale models to be produced.
Following this, he also gave the sign-off for the concept that debuted at the 1994 Detroit Motor Show, chosen for its location away from Beetle-loving California, and for the fact that the show attracts large numbers of international press to better gauge reaction to the car.
Unlike the original, the concept's engine was front mounted and water cooled. The concept was built on the contemporary Polo platform, unlike the production car that used the fourth-generation Golf's underpinnings. As a result, the concept is around 300mm shorter, 85mm narrower but the same height as the production car, although its wheelbase is 10mm longer than the road-going model.
Its design was a perfect homage to the old car, updating its shape by a using large, friendly arc to form the car's windscreen and roof, and two smaller ones that gave the car its signature wheelarch shapes.
The shutline of the hood gave the car an irresistible smile, while the same line was mirrored at the rear to reference the hood that covered the original Beetle's air-cooled engine.
The interior was kept stripped back, in keeping with the original. It featured a simple, two-spoke steering wheel, and air vents that matched the intakes on the front mask. Inspiration was taken from the original Beetle for the circular theme to the HVAC controls and single gauge for the driver, too, although these both glowed neon green on the concept.
The concept also made a feature of exposed metal on the doors, and used the car's exterior colour across the IP, while new features included the indicator and light stalks with oversized graphics took inspiration from product design.
A convertible version of the showcar followed at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, while a fully revised near-production model debuted at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. This car introduced the car's best-remembered feature, the small vase built into the IP that you could stand a flower in.
The production car debuted at Detroit in 1998, and while it wouldn't be a volume seller, it encouraged people to return to VW dealers again, propelling sales numbers back to 366,970 in 2014. The New Beetle did its job as a design-led halo for the brand, a trick that J Mays, Freeman Thomas and others would repeat with the design of the TT for Audi that arrived shortly after the Concept 1.
It remains to be seen if the design team's work on a new Bulli and its accompanying production model can undo the drama of 'dieselgate' and repair VW's reputation, not just in the US but worldwide, in the coming years. The sales figures will remain the true test.
- See more at: http://www.cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2015/12/vw-concept-1-1994/#sthash.z6HHA7MO.dpuf
