The Back End: September 2009

SHIFTING GEARS On the move with ...

Convertibles

In 2003 the Volkswagen Sedan Ultima Edicion was created to commemorate the last production run of the original Beetle. The final “Bug” (unit number 21,529,464) was sent to the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.
—JOE PHILLIPS

1885: First car, by Karl Benz, is only 106 inches long.

1908: First Model T is even smaller (100 inches long).

1938: First VW Beetle is introduced (159 inches long).

1949: After World War II, Japan creates tiny, 110-inch-long Kei Cars.

1959: British Motor Corp. launches first Minis (120 inches long).

1964: Honda’s first mass-marketed cars—the S600 ragtop and coupe—are 129 inches long.

1970: Ford Pinto (163 inches long) is one of numerous new compact cars.

1977: In Lyon, France, the three-wheeled, Moped-powered Arola is a mere 72 inches long.

1998: VW intros New Beetle (162 inches).

2008: Smart car arrives in U.S. market—at 106 inches, it is the same length as Karl Benz’s first car.