The Volkswagen Beetle was so popular in the United States during the 1960s that it can be viewed with an aura of inevitability. Even so, one could argue that the VW benefitted by being in the right place at the right time.
Up through the late-60s, no other foreign automaker managed to so effectively cater to the American public’s demand for an economical small car that was fun to drive but not too much of a hassle to own.
The Beetle was particularly impressive in achieving iconic status even though it rejected the standard way Detroit designed cars. Or perhaps because of it.
Most notably, during an era when the annual model change was at its peak, the Beetle’s styling managed to gain acceptance even though it dated back to the 1930s — and had been given relatively modest changes since then.
Nor could one argue that the VW’s design was particularly advanced for its time, with its old-fashioned outboard fenders and rear engine.
The Saab was an intriguing counterpoint to the Beetle
The first postwar Saab was roughly the same size as the Beetle and priced slightly higher. However, the Saab arguably had more advanced engineering, such as front-wheel drive and unit-body construction.
In addition, the Saab had much more modern styling than the Beetle, which resulted in a car that was more aerodynamic and perhaps a bit roomier.
In a 1957 road test, Motor Trend (1957) lauded a Saab 93 for its good handling and performance. The three-cylinder engine’s top speed was 80 mph with gas mileage of 35 mpg or more.
In contrast, the Beetle was noted for its good handling and low depreciation. Despite a four-cylinder engine, top speed was 68 mph and gas mileage 27 mpg.
Our featured car appears to be a 1960 model, which was distinguished by a switch to front-hinged doors. This would be the last year for the 93, which was replaced by facelifted 96 models in 1961. The 93 was a successor to the first Saab automobile, the 92, and was augmenteed by the 95 wagon (Wikipedia, 2024).
To give you a sense of how the Saab’s design evolved, pictured below is a 93 model imported in 1973. The basic shape is the same — and just as iconic — but the car benefitted from numerous improvements.
At least in theory, the Saab offered enough of a better package than the Beetle that it should have been more successful. Unfortunately, it had a major disadvantage until late in its life — a two-stroke engine.
Indeed, Saab was the last European automaker outside Warsaw Pact countries to produce two-stroke engines. The Swedish automaker didn’t switch to a modern four-stroke engine until 1967 (Foster, 2014).
In addition, Saab never developed anywhere near the organizational capacity that VW did, which manifested in a much weaker U.S. dealer network and advertising.
And even if Saab had been run with more talented and ambitious leadership, might the automaker have been held back at least somewhat because its home market of Sweden was much smaller than VW’s home market of Germany?
What if VW hadn’t been so enamored with the Beetle?
I am glad that the Beetle challenged the way that Detroit did business, but I wish that it had been given a more adventurous design akin to the Saab’s.
As a case in point, imagine if by the mid-50s Volkswagen had ditched the Beetle’s ancient platform in favor of one with a front-engine, front-wheel drive and greater attention to modern aerodynamics.
I suspect that such a car could have been just as successful in the 1960s as the Beetle was in the U.S. — but could have more gracefully evolved as the competition from both foreign and domestic automakers heated up.
NOTES:
Product specifications were drawn from Cole (2012), Flammang (1992), Foster (2014) and Wikipedia (2024).
RE:SOURCES
- Cole, Lance; 2012. Saab Cars: The Complete Story. Crowood Press, Wiltshire, UK.
- Flammang, James M.; 1992. Standard Catalog of Imported Cars: 1946-1990. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Foster, Patrick R.; 2014. “1956-73 Saab 93, 95, and 96: Unconventional Swedish Autos in the USA.” Collectible Automobile, April: 63-71.
- Motor Trend; 1957. “6 Car Comparison Test.” April issue: pp. 18-22.
- Wikipedia; 2024. “Saab 93.” Page last edited May 15.
Americans were probably put off by the two-stroke engines and the lack of a dealer network. Even Volkswagen realized that a bullet-proof dealer network was the key to success early in the process in the 1950s post-Max Hoffman.
Jed said everything I wanted to say only better and more succinctly. I cannot stress the dealer network enough. I experienced my first VW dealership in 1960 in Green Bay. It was a large brand new building with state of the art mechanic bays, fully stocked parts, and a German head mechanic. It even had a gift shop. Yeah, everyone’s heard of Green Bay but Packers aside, it was a lunchpail town with a population of 50 k then. VW built a solid reputation from day one and it just built on that. I remember seeing my first SAAB dealer in Chicago in the mid-60s. It was a large storefront with a lot next to it. It also sold IIRC some second tier British car also.
Styling-wise both the Käfer/Beetle/Coccinelle and the Saab arose from the streamlining wave of the 1930s and 1940s: the Saab car is more advanced given both timing and the aeronautics roots of its company, but even then if you merge the VW’s fenders into the body you do get a more stubby – but similar to the – Saab.
Dealer network and the four-stroke engine, alongside the size of its home market, was probably the deciding factor between whose car won out the market in the US.
Agree with others concerning the Saab, there is also the question of what would have been a suitable four-stroke engine for the 93 had Saab initiated an earlier Operation Kajsa.
As for the Beetle, since Volkswagen explored countless replacements and proposals one would like to believe that more than a few had enough promise to be given approval as opposed to a few finding their way to Brazil.
However of the view Volkswagen could have done a lot more with the rear-engine rear-wheel-drive layout and boxer engine than was the case, had they pushed through with substantial upgrades instead little improvements prior to switching over to front-engine FWD.