The Volkswagen Beetle was launched by the German automaker in 1938 and discontinued in 2003 over several decades Volkswagen's iconic line of cars has dozens of versions but you may not know that the Beetle once had a diesel version.
In the early 1950s, diesel was plentiful in Europe and therefore an extremely cheap fuel while gasoline on the other hand was becoming increasingly scarce at the time, said Heinz Nordhoff, president of the manufacturer.
In 1951, Volkswagen completed the prototype 1.3 L diesel engine for the good old Beetle and installed it in the 1950 Beetle. Only two of the naturally aspirated and air-cooled boxer diesel engines were available. This was built and installed one engine in a Type 1 and one in a Type 2. The diesel-powered Beetle was tested at the Nürburgring and reached 0100 km/h (062 mph) in 60 seconds.
The Volkswagen Beetle Diesel that was never in Brazil has probably become the rarest car, explore this precious relic through the images below:
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