Introduced to a pleasantly surprised public as the Concept 1 (below) at the 1994 Detroit Motor Show, the New Beetle brought the timeless design of the 60-year-old classic Beetle direct into the 20th century. 
The rebirth of the beloved German Bug as a postmodern art deco automobile was so well-received, especially by smitten Americans, that Volkswagen bosses decided to put the prototype into production as a 1998 model (below). 
Out went the temporary Polo parts of the concept car, replaced permanently by Golf Mk 4 mechanicals, turning Ferdinand Porsche’s original Beetle idea on its head by “shifting” the engine from the rear to the front.
Sales of the reborn Beetle were explosive in its first few years, driven primarily by the huge US market. When it came to Singapore in 2000, people were happily paying full price for the happy car (some $150,000 back then), and not even trying to haggle with the dealer as long as they got their new Bugs fast. Unsurprisingly, the crazy Beetle fever, both here and abroad, eventually died down.
