VW Beetle 1200 as the inspiration for the Welly model
The vehicle from the Modelly member “Play-X” collection is a black Volkswagen Beetle and, based on its body shape, oval rear window, and sunroof, it most likely represents the
Volkswagen Beetle 1200 from the second half of the 1950s. As a model line, it belongs to the
Type 1 generation, which was built from
1938 to 2003. The model shown fits especially well to a production year around 1956, when the
Volkswagen Beetle 1200 still had the smaller oval rear window; this feature was introduced in 1953 and replaced by the larger rear window in 1957. The predecessors of the early postwar models with the split “Brezel” rear window were the Beetle versions from 1945 to 1952. The basic technical concept was developed under the leadership of
Ferdinand Porsche;
Karl Rabe worked as chief engineer. The body shape is mainly credited to designer
Erwin Komenda. The design combined a unitized platform with a compact, air-cooled rear engine and a round, flowing body.