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Inspired by a response here, & by a thought I've had before...

The VW Beetle sold really well, considering. However, the company only offered a 2dr coupe & limited production cabrio. So, was it possible the Beetle could have sold even better if something like the Rometch 4dr had been a standard production model? Would it have outsold the 2dr? If so, by how much?

Would a high-production 4-seat cabrio have helped? If so, how much?

Would a panel/delivery have helped? If so, how much?

Would more conservative styling have made a difference? That is, notchback rather than slantback?

IMO, all the above options would have meant greater VW sales postwar & into the '70s. I don't expect any of the water-cooled models would be delayed, but the Type 3 might have been. (I'll allow steel shortages in postwar Germany are problematic; feel free to ignore them.)

Would this, OTOH, have encouraged VW not to switch to watercooled, if the Type 1 was still selling well?:eek: And could this have crippled VW in the late '70s, as emissions & safety regs took hold in the U.S.?
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