22 Cars With VW Beetle Engines And 5 Surprising Models That Joined The Club
Back in the day, a buddy of mine swapped the engine in his ratty old dune buggy for a VW Beetle motor, figuring it was simple, reliable, and easy to fix on the fly.
Little did he know, that humble Beetle engine had already powered more cars than he could count, quietly sneaking into some pretty unexpected rides.
While the Beetle’s engine might look unassuming, it has a secret life of its own, popping up in some wild and surprising models that make you wonder how they ever got away with it.
1. Volkswagen Type 2 (Bus)
Nothing screams counterculture quite like the iconic VW Bus. Sharing the Beetle’s reliable powerplant, these beloved hippie wagons transformed road travel with their spacious interiors and unmistakable character.
Early models limped along with just 25 horsepower, making mountain climbs an exercise in patience.
Drivers developed a special relationship with momentum, planning hills miles in advance. Despite their sluggish performance, Type 2s became cultural icons representing freedom and adventure.
2. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
Wrapped in Italian-designed bodywork, the Karmann Ghia transformed the humble Beetle into something genuinely sexy.
Hand-built bodies by coachbuilder Karmann gave these sports coupes their distinctive flowing lines and premium feel.
Fashion triumphed over function here – despite the sporty appearance, they packed the same modest engine as the Beetle. Owners joked it was “a sports car in appearance only.”
Still, the Ghia’s beautiful proportions made it the perfect boulevard cruiser for style-conscious drivers.
3. Volkswagen Thing (Type 181)
Military heritage meets beach party in this gloriously boxy oddball.
Originally designed for the German military, the Thing became a civilian cult classic with its removable doors, fold-down windshield, and go-anywhere attitude.
Underneath that utilitarian sheet metal lurked the familiar Beetle engine and transmission. Drivers loved its no-nonsense approach to fun – hose it out after a day at the beach!
Production lasted just two years in America due to changing safety regulations, making these quirky machines highly collectible today.
4. Porsche 356 (Early Models)
Ferdinand Porsche’s first production sports car borrowed heavily from his earlier Beetle design.
These curvaceous little performers utilized modified VW flat-four engines, transformed through higher compression, better carburetors, and performance-focused tuning.
Featherweight construction made the modest power feel genuinely thrilling. Early models produced just 40 horsepower but weighed barely 1,800 pounds.
James Dean famously owned a 356 Speedster, cementing the model’s cool factor and helping establish Porsche’s legendary status in American sports car culture.
5. Porsche 550 Spyder
Giant-destroyer doesn’t begin to describe this diminutive racing legend.
Weighing just 1,500 pounds, the 550 Spyder housed a heavily modified Beetle-derived engine producing 110 horsepower – enough to embarrass much larger competitors on race day.
Tragically, the model gained eternal notoriety when James Dean fatally crashed his 550, nicknamed “Little Bastard.”
Before that dark day, these purpose-built racers dominated their class at prestigious events worldwide. Only 90 examples were built, making authentic 550s among the most valuable Porsches ever produced.
6. Meyers Manx
Bruce Meyers created an icon when he stripped a Beetle down to its chassis and topped it with a colorful fiberglass body.
His creation conquered the Baja peninsula and launched an entire industry of copycats almost overnight.
The original Manx maintained the Beetle’s engine, transmission, and suspension while shedding hundreds of pounds.
This weight loss transformed the modest VW powerplant into a surprisingly capable off-road performer. Over 6,000 genuine Meyers Manx kits were sold, but knockoffs outnumbered them by the tens of thousands.
7. Apal Buggy
Belgian ingenuity created this European answer to America’s dune buggy craze.
Unlike many fiberglass pretenders, Apal’s quality construction and thoughtful engineering made them standouts in the crowded buggy market.
Founder Edmond Pery designed a body that accommodated the full Beetle floorpan rather than requiring chassis shortening.
This preserved the car’s structural integrity while providing more interior space than competing designs.
With their distinctive round headlights and curved fenders, these rare buggies remain highly sought after by European collectors.
8. Bradley GT
Suburban driveways across 1970s America occasionally featured these dramatic gullwing-doored dreamboats.
Bradley GTs delivered exotic car looks on a shoestring budget by combining a Beetle chassis with a swoopy fiberglass body kit.
Assembly required moderate mechanical skills and plenty of weekend hours. The finished product’s dramatic styling belied its humble VW underpinnings.
Nearly 6,000 Bradley GT kits found homes, making them among the most successful Beetle-based kit cars ever produced. Their distinctive space-age styling still turns heads at car shows today.
9. EMPI Sportster
Volkswagen performance specialists EMPI created this sporty roadster to showcase their high-performance parts catalog.
Combining a shortened Beetle pan with a sleek open-top body, the Sportster delivered wind-in-your-hair thrills on a budget.
Unlike many kit cars, EMPI’s factory backing meant better quality control and parts availability. The company offered complete turnkey vehicles or do-it-yourself kits depending on customer preference.
Racier than a stock Beetle but more practical than extreme dune buggies, these roadsters found a sweet spot in the VW-based custom car market.
10. Manx SR
Futuristic styling meets dune buggy DNA in Bruce Meyers’ follow-up to his wildly successful Manx.
The SR (Street Roadster) featured an enclosed cockpit with gullwing doors and a distinctive spaceship-like appearance that screamed 1970s.
Underneath that wild bodywork sat the familiar Beetle running gear. Performance-minded owners often added larger engines and wider tires to match the car’s aggressive looks.
With just 1,000 produced, these rare machines now command serious collector interest as both automotive oddities and retro-futuristic design statements.
11. Puma GT (Brazil)
South American craftsmanship produced this gorgeous sports car when Brazil’s import restrictions prevented foreign vehicles from entering the country.
Resourceful Brazilians created their own exotic using locally-produced VW components wrapped in sleek fiberglass bodywork.
Early models used standard Beetle engines, while later versions incorporated more powerful Volkswagen variants. The lightweight construction made even modest power feel spirited.
Nearly 23,000 Pumas were produced between 1964 and 1995, making them Brazil’s most successful indigenous sports car and a fascinating example of automotive resourcefulness.
12. Gurgel Xavante
Brazilian automotive pioneer João Gurgel created this rugged off-roader using the ubiquitous VW Beetle engine.
The Xavante’s boxy fiberglass body and tubular frame made it virtually indestructible in the harsh South American terrain.
Unlike most Beetle-based vehicles, the Xavante featured a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. This required a complete drivetrain reconfiguration from the donor Volkswagen.
Gurgel’s innovative designs helped establish Brazil’s domestic auto industry during a period when import restrictions made foreign vehicles prohibitively expensive for most consumers.
13. Rometsch Coupe
Coachbuilder Friedrich Rometsch transformed ordinary Beetles into elegant luxury coupes for discerning European customers.
Each handcrafted vehicle featured unique styling touches and custom interiors that elevated the humble Volkswagen into something truly special.
The Beetle’s robust chassis provided an excellent foundation for these bespoke creations. Craftsmen stretched and reshaped the platform to accommodate more luxurious proportions.
Fewer than 500 were ever produced, making these coachbuilt beauties extraordinarily rare today. Their handcrafted quality and distinctive styling have made them prized collector items.
14. Dune Buggy (Various Kits)
Beyond the famous Meyers Manx, countless manufacturers offered their own interpretations of the dune buggy concept.
These kit cars ranged from crude fiberglass shells to sophisticated engineered packages, all utilizing the Beetle’s reliable mechanicals.
Popular brands like Berrien, Bounty Hunter, and Deserter each developed loyal followings. Some emphasized beach cruising while others focused on serious off-road capability.
The simple formula – lightweight body + Beetle running gear – created an entire industry of affordable fun machines that continues to thrive in enthusiast circles today.
15. Kelmark GT
Ferrari looks without Ferrari prices made the Kelmark GT a tempting proposition for ambitious home builders. This mid-engine kit car transformed Beetle components into something resembling an exotic Italian supercar.
Unlike most VW-based kits, the Kelmark required significant chassis modification to relocate the engine amidships.
The complex build process resulted in a more balanced driving experience than typical rear-engine specials.
Dedicated owners often upgraded to larger Porsche or Corvair engines for performance to match the exotic styling, creating genuinely impressive machines from humble beginnings.
16. Fiberfab Aztec
Space-age styling defined this ambitious kit car from California manufacturer Fiberfab.
The Aztec’s radical wedge shape and dramatic proportions looked like nothing else on the road, especially considering its humble Volkswagen underpinnings.
Assembly required substantial modification to the donor Beetle chassis. Builders needed to extend the wheelbase and make significant structural changes to accommodate the futuristic bodywork.
Despite the complex construction, several hundred determined enthusiasts completed these eye-catching machines. Their outlandish styling perfectly captured the optimistic futurism of late 1960s automotive design.
17. Beetle Trike Conversions
Motorcycle enthusiasts with Volkswagen leanings embraced these distinctive three-wheelers.
Conversion kits allowed builders to transform a standard Beetle into an eye-catching trike by replacing the front end with motorcycle forks and wheels.
The air-cooled engine proved ideal for open-air cruising. Many builders enhanced the experience with custom exhausts that amplified the distinctive VW exhaust note.
Legal classification as motorcycles exempted these conversions from many automotive regulations, making them particularly popular during the emissions-conscious 1970s when traditional hot rodding faced increasing restrictions.
18. VW Buggy Sandrail
Minimalist engineering defines these bare-bones off-road machines. Sandrails strip the Beetle platform down to its absolute essentials – engine, transmission, and just enough tubular framework to hold everything together.
Originally developed for tackling sand dunes, these skeletal creations quickly found favor in desert racing.
Their lightweight construction and robust VW mechanicals proved surprisingly capable in harsh environments.
The exposed design means drivers experience every bump, bounce and slide with nothing filtering the experience. For pure visceral thrills, few Beetle-based vehicles can match a well-built sandrail.
19. Hebmüller Cabriolet
Elegant open-air motoring came to the Volkswagen lineup through this rare factory-authorized convertible.
Coachbuilder Hebmüller received Beetle chassis directly from VW and transformed them into stylish two-seater convertibles with distinctive rounded rear decks.
Production lasted just two years before a devastating factory fire ended the program. Only 696 were built, making them among the rarest factory-authorized Volkswagens ever produced.
These hand-built convertibles featured unique styling touches including special trim, upholstery, and dashboard details that set them apart from standard Beetles.
20. Baja Bug
Weekend warriors created an entire motorsport subculture by lifting, cutting, and reinforcing standard Beetles for off-road duty.
The signature look – chopped fenders, lifted suspension, and exposed engine – became instantly recognizable to automotive enthusiasts worldwide.
These modified machines proved remarkably capable in desert environments. The rear-engine layout provided excellent traction, while the simple air-cooled design thrived in dusty, hot conditions.
Unlike purpose-built dune buggies, many Baja Bugs maintained street legality, serving as daily drivers during the week and desert racers on weekends.
21. Volkswagen Fridolin
Postal workers in Germany and Switzerland delivered mail from these quirky little vans built specifically for their national mail services.
Based on Beetle mechanics but with a unique body, fewer than 7,500 Fridolins were produced between 1964 and 1974.
The compact dimensions made them perfect for navigating narrow European streets. Their right-hand drive configuration allowed postal workers to deliver mail without leaving the vehicle.
Almost all were destroyed after their service life ended, making surviving examples extraordinarily rare and sought-after by serious Volkswagen collectors.
22. Tatra JK 2500 (Prototype)
Czechoslovakian engineering met German mechanicals in this fascinating Eastern Bloc sports car prototype.
Designer Julius Kubinsky created a sleek fiberglass body to house the reliable Volkswagen powertrain, resulting in a striking coupe that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Western showrooms.
Only a handful were built before Communist authorities shut down the project. Private automobile production didn’t align with the state’s economic plans.
The few surviving examples represent a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been if Eastern European designers had enjoyed the same creative freedom as their Western counterparts.
23. Trekka (New Zealand)
Kiwi ingenuity created this rugged utility vehicle when import restrictions limited foreign vehicle availability in New Zealand.
Combining locally-fabricated bodywork with imported Volkswagen components, the Trekka provided affordable transportation for farmers and tradespeople.
The simple design prioritized functionality over comfort. Removable side panels and canvas tops allowed for multiple configurations depending on the owner’s needs.
As New Zealand’s only indigenous production vehicle, approximately 2,500 Trekkas were built between 1966 and 1973. They remain beloved cultural icons representing the country’s resourceful, can-do spirit.
24. Denzel 1300 (Austria)
Austrian motorcycle racer Wolfgang Denzel created this handsome sports car by pairing his own chassis design with upgraded Volkswagen mechanicals.
The lightweight aluminum body cloaked thoroughly modified Beetle components, including a tuned engine producing significantly more power than stock.
Performance impressed contemporary reviewers, with the car winning numerous alpine rallies.
Denzel’s racing experience informed the chassis design, resulting in handling that outshone many more expensive sports cars.
With fewer than 350 built over a decade of production, these rare machines represent an important chapter in Austria’s automotive history.
25. Zunder 1500 (Argentina)
Argentinian manufacturer Industrias Platenses Automotrices created this sporty coupe using locally-produced Volkswagen components.
The fiberglass body featured distinctive styling that combined European and American design influences of the early 1960s.
Technical innovations included four-wheel independent suspension derived from the Beetle but significantly modified for improved handling.
Only 40 examples were produced during a brief production run, making the Zunder among the rarest of all Beetle-based vehicles and a treasured piece of South American automotive history.
26. Brubaker Box
Automotive designer Curtis Brubaker reimagined the minivan concept a decade before Chrysler made it mainstream.
His radical box-shaped creation utilized Beetle running gear beneath a practical, spacious body with a single sliding door and panoramic windows.
The interior featured a conversation pit layout with bench seating and shag carpeting. This groovy arrangement perfectly captured the free-spirited vibe of early 1970s California design.
Production challenges limited output to approximately 50 vehicles, ensuring the Brubaker Box remains an ultra-rare collector’s item and a fascinating footnote in automotive design history.
27. Ruska Buggy (Netherlands)
Dutch entrepreneur Ruiter Dakker created this distinctive European take on the dune buggy concept.
Unlike American designs that emphasized beach cruising, the Ruska focused on practical all-weather usability with features like doors, a proper windshield, and weatherproof top.
The distinctive body featured integrated roll protection and surprisingly comfortable seating.
Beneath the fiberglass shell sat standard Beetle running gear, making maintenance straightforward even in remote areas.
Popular throughout Northern Europe, these versatile machines proved that Beetle-based vehicles could be practical as well as fun.