Mostly from a mechanical point, the coachbuilt convertibles followed the steel roofed models, here is a brief overview of how the soft top versions came about: During 1949, Wolfsburg’s Volkswagen sanctioned two designs of coachbuilt convertibles, based on their Beetle. One was the two seater produced by Josef Hebmüller and Son more often called a “Heb”. The other is the far more common four seater Type 15 version, designed and produced for over 30 years by Karmann in Osnabrück Germany.

The VW Beetle has become an iconic vehicle worldwide, and has built a huge loyal following. It is known by numerous names, for example, in Germany it’s a Kafer, in the USA a Bug or salon, England a Beetle etc. As the floor pan and running gear can be used without the body being attached, they became a firm favourite of the kit car builders. They were turned into Porsche 356 replicas, beach buggies, and Nova kit cars to mention just a few. When production stopped in 2003 in Mexico over 21 million air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles had been produced.  During eight decades of manufacturing came a whole variety of models, ranging from 25Hp through to the 1303S or Super Beetle with its Independent Rear Suspension (also known as IRS). Salons, sunroof models, cabrios and even specialist versions as police cars, German post office delivery vehicles and in Mexico City, the green and white Beetle taxi, with its missing passengers seat, was a common sight until recently.

This Type 18A version of the Heb is a four-seat police car built in the late 1940s. The car came in two versions and was hand-built by the Hebmüller company. One style had four steel doors, while most of the 482 produced in this style had canvas “doors”. With the 6-volt system, no doors are provided for easy access, and the extra headlights provide better nighttime visibility.

In 1961, it changed from the boxy “Karmann Convertible” to a more curvaceous, almost boat-shaped “Karmann” version with a six-pointed star above the letters. The 34 hp engine was introduced in the same year (1961) and the turn signals replaced the signal lights. The 1300 engine appeared in 1966, followed by the 1500 in 1967 and the 1600 in 1970. Other changes, like those brought about by the Super Beetle, aren’t all that different from the sedan changes over the years.

In 1972, Super Beetles introduced an all-steel upper frame (previously wooden hangers were used on steel frames). Production of the sedan ended in 1975 and that of the convertible in 1979. The only thing that remained constant from each convertible throughout production were the running boards.