In 1948, Wilhelm Karmann bought a standard Beetle and converted it into a four-seater convertible. After successfully presenting it at VW in Wolfsburg, Karmann began production of the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet in 1949. After a number of stylistic and technical alterations made to it (corresponding to the many changes VW made to the Beetle throughout its history) the last of 331,847 cabriolets came off the conveyor belt on 10th January 1980, bringing with it the end of an era. In 1971, alongside continued production of the standard Beetle, a variant which featured MacPherson strut front suspension and a re-designed front end was introduced which was officially known and marketed in Europe as the 'VW 1302' from 1971 to 1972, and 'VW 1303' from 1973 onwards.
Scale 1:24