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Seems to be a lot of confusion about Beetles and Bugs.
My sister bought a brand new and I think first of its kind, Karmann Ghia in 1955 or 1956. This was a volkswagen with an Italian made sporty body which vaguely resembled a "Beetle". From the dealer it was $2500 and used ones were selling in Chicago for $3500 to $5000 in Los Angeles. Dealers were bound by Germany to sell at their price but demand was so high you could sell one for nearly twice what you paid for it.
The standard Volkswagen was called a Bug.
I never heard of a "Super Beetle". Unless they are talking about the new ones being made now.
Those Beetles/Bugs were great little cars. My sister's Ghia had a manifold heater and air passing over the manifold was directed into the car. Didn't work worth a darn in our Michigan winters.
When it snowed hard the snow would come right into the car through the defrosters and you would have a small blizzard inside the car while driving down the road.
My sister's Ghia got about forty five miles per gallon and you could drive it 70 MPH all day long and be comfortable.
Both models were great in the snow. Definitely the "People's Car".
I think the only reason the Beetle was considered a good car was because its competition at the time was so much worse.
The Super Beetle was a distinct model introduced in '72 or '73, ran through the end of '79. It was lightly longer, had a curved windshield, curved styled dash, upgraded interior materials, & an outside gas filler door. The regular beetle became a stripper model. I had a new dark blue '73 Super, my first car with radial tires!
Not just the other Euro brands that you mentioned but American cars as well. The Vega/Astra, Pinto and many others of that time were pure junk.
I think the curved front window started with the '73 model year, 71 and 72 had flat windshields. After 75 or 76, they got fuel injection.
My 74 SuperBeetle took me to college every day, excluding one fuel pump failure, and lasted until I saved enough money to buy a car with a heater and AC.......
I believe you are right on the 1973 model year. My mom had a 1974 Sun Bug (metallic gold, velour seat inserts, MacPherson struts, curved windshield, etc). I worked at a VW dealer at the time. Also the big round tail lights.
The extra gas heater just ahead of the heat exchanger on the passenger side (not the one in the luggage compartment) worked extremely well.
I had the accessory one in the front, under hood. It never worked and my closest VW dealer charged Mercedes prices for service and parts, so I never got it fixed. After graduation, I moved south so, I didn't need it.
Pure masochism.
Woodgrain