Volkswagen Celebrates 75 Years in North America

Published on January 17, 2024 in Galleries by Guillaume Rivard

On January 17, 1949, Dutch businessman Ben Pon arrived in New York with two Volkswagen Type 1 cars a.k.a. Beetles, marking the first attempt to sell the brand to Americans. Throughout 2024, the German automaker will celebrate this 75th anniversary in many different ways, and it starts today with a visual retrospective of some of its most iconic models, from the aforementioned Beetle all the way to the current ID.4 electric crossover and the upcoming ID. Buzz electric minivan.

Enjoy the photo gallery above and make sure to check out our Volkswagen section for the latest news and reviews. The celebration will continue with a commercial to air during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11. Don’t miss it.

A Beetle on board the first shipment to the U.S.

1949 Volkwagen Beetle

1949 Volkwagen Beetle

1972 Volkwagen Squareback

1977 Volkwagen Dasher

1977 Volkwagen Golf

1979 Volkwagen Scirocco

Volkswagen Type 2 a.k.a. Bus or Microbus

Karmann Ghia

1982 Volkwagen Jetta

1983 Volkwagen Rabbit GTI

2001 Volkwagen New Beetle

2024 Volkwagen ID. 4 and 1949 Volkswagen Beetle

2024 Volkwagen ID. 4 and 1949 Volkswagen Beetle

1949 Volkswagen Beetle and 2024 Volkwagen ID. 4

2024 Volkwagen ID.4

2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz and 1949 Volkwagen Beetle

1949 Volkwagen Beetle and 2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

1949 Volkwagen Beetle and 2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

1949 Volkwagen Beetle and 2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

1949 Volkwagen Beetle and 2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

1949 Volkwagen Beetle and 2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz

2025 Volkwagen ID. Buzz, 2024 Volkwagen ID. 4 and 1949 Volkwagen Beetle