By the early 1950s, the Volkswagen Beetle had already been in production for over 10 years. Despite already being one of the most successful vehicles on the market, Volkswagen didn’t believe that the Beetle would sell past the mid-1950s. As such, they started to look into newer models to phase out and then entirely replace the Beetle.
The earliest concepts to replace the Beetle were simply re-bodied versions of the car, such as the EA41 concept, designed by Pininfarina. It wasn’t until 1955 that a proper new model was created as a potential replacement. Designed by Ghia, the EA47-12 concept design was similar to the Karmann Ghia’s design. While this concept would not be the one to replace the Beetle, the Type 3 would borrow design cues from the EA47-12.
In 1955, Volkswagen also created the EA48, which was smaller than the Beetle- its size was similar to that of the Mini, which would act as its main rival. Interestingly, if released, the EA48 would’ve been the first front-engine Volkswagen. It was also the first in-house design, designed without help from Porsche. While the EA48 would not replace the Beetle, it did make Volkswagen look towards a hatchback to replace it.
Out of all the early concepts, the EA97 was the one that got closest to production. The EA97 was a handsome two-door, rear-engine sedan, designed in 1960. Volkswagen was enamoured by the concept, liking it so much that they assembled 200 pre-production cars and had begun setting up the production line for the car. However, after a further look, Volkswagen realised that the design for the EA60 was too similar to the Type 3, so one of the best beetle replacement concepts never got to see the light of day.
In 1961, Volkswagen looked at a different approach, ending the Beetle and instead using a different car as a flagship. As such, Volkswagen designed the Type 3 Cabriolet, whose soft-top was more technologically advanced compared to the Beetle. After some research, Volkswagen felt that there was a large enough market for them to be able to release the car. However, the Type 3 cabriolet was deemed to be too close to the Karmann Ghia convertible, so it could potentially affect the sales of that car.
By the mid-1960s, Volkswagen was fully focused on designing a replacement for the Beetle. As such, Volkswagen began looking at different types of vehicles to replace the Beetle. Hatchbacks, Sedans- nothing was off the books. As expected, there was some trial and error when trying to replace one of the greatest vehicles of all time.
In 1963, Volkswagen created the EA128, a car that has been mentioned here before. The EA128 was expected to replace the Beetle and serve as a rival for the Chevrolet Corvair. It featured a Porsche 911 engine and was one of the most luxurious Volkswagen concepts to date. While the design and the technical specification impressed the executives, the cost of production did not. Ultimately, CEO Heinrich Nordhoff ended the project due to a projected lack of profits.
In 1969, after years of development, Volkswagen whittled down their choices to two different concepts. The first was the EA266 concept, designed by Porsche, which was amongst one of the most innovative prototypes expected to replace the Beetle. The development of the project was led by Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the original designer of the Beetle. The engine was mid-mounted rather than rear-mounted, allowing for a smaller body and better handling. With the engine under the rear seat, a space-efficient powertrain arrangement and Porsche DNA, the EA266 was expected to be the frontrunner as a Beetle replacement. But in the end, it fell just short of the finish line.
This is because the concept that would be selected as the replacement for the Beetle and inspire the Golf, was the EA276 concept. The EA276 was a huge departure from any of the other designs being considered by Volkswagen. It was square and boxy, unlike the other models in the Volkswagen line-up at the time. The exterior design was inspired by NSU, a company that Volkswagen had recently acquired. Another novel feature was the engine placement, with the engine being placed above the front axle, as opposed to the rear. The original concept featured the standard Volkswagen air-cooled, four-cylinder engine. However, Volkswagen would decide not long after to use NSU’s water-cooled family of engines.
In the end, all these concepts slowly led to the evolution of the Beetle into the Golf over 15 years.
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