VW Beetle Strives to Stay Young at Age 78

SEATTLE – While in college, Jeffrey Lear worked for a Volkswagen dealership, where he got a separate education in auto retailing.

Armed with that frontline experience and a master’s degree in information technology from George Mason University in Virginia, the new graduate four years ago applied for a job at Volkswagen of America headquarters in nearby Herndon, VA, close to Washington and where he grew up. 

“VW basically was in my backyard,” he says. The automaker hired him as a product specialist, a title he held at the dealership, but with different duties.

At VW, he works on setting vehicle prices, balancing content and cost and “staying on top of the competition,” he says.

At the store, Karen Radley VW in his hometown of Woodbridge, VA, Lear’s duties included familiarizing car buyers with their new purchases and ordering inventory.  

The store is the namesake of the late Karen Radley, whom Lear remembers as “running a tight ship and totally understanding the idea of customer satisfaction.”

His current corporate work centers on marketing and strategy for the Beetle, a vehicle that dates to 1938. Back then, it was a sole 25-hp rear-engine model for VW.

Today’s lineup includes Coupe, Convertible and Dune models, and variants thereof. They’re powered by a 1.8L engine that’s a Ward’s 10 Best Engines winner. New for ’17 is a so-called #PinkBeetle offered in the coupe and convertible. The hashtag in the name is intended as a hip factor.

VW sold 22,667 Beetles in the U.S. last year, down from 29,182 units in 2015, according to WardsAuto data.

At a VW press event here, WardsAuto spoke with Lear about keeping the Beetle fresh, buyer demographics and how his dealership experience affects what he does now.     

WardsAuto: The original Beetle dates way back as VW’s very first car. It seems like a throwback to some people. How do you keep it relevant in today’s market?

Lear: It’s unique and the original people’s car. Our special models keep the Beetle fresh and unique with new styling elements, colors and interiors. Limited editions, special models and styling enhancements keep the car fresh.

WardsAuto: So it is still a viable vehicle in the lineup?

Lear: Absolutely, and our goal is to offer the special models that people enjoy.

WardsAuto: It’s not just a car made for old times’ sake then?

Lear: No it’s not.

WardsAuto: Who typically buys it?

Lear: Slightly more female. Around 56% female. They are about 56 years old as well. The Cabriolet version differs a bit. That is more female, about 60%. Demographically, the annual buyer income average is about $83,000 for the Coupe and $107,000 for the Cabriolet. That’s very in line with our competitors, the Mini Cooper and the Fiat 500.

WardsAuto: Are you fine with those female figures or would you like to get more males into the buyer mix?

Lear: When we launched this generation, one of the goals was to increase the number of male buyers, and we’ve done that. The male mix has grown to a decent amount, and we’ve pretty much met our targets on that.

WardsAuto: Back in the 1960s, the Beetle was an iconic car, consumers across different lifestyles bought it, from young people to surfers to older people to buyers on a budget.

Lear: It was for everyone.

WardsAuto: It’s more of a niche vehicle now. Do you ever see it becoming a for-everyone-vehicle again or are you happy with the niche status?

Lear: I wouldn’t quite…To a certain extent, it is a niche vehicle, but we offer a wide variety. This year we are debuting the #PinkBeetle. So that meets a certain customer.

But on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have the new Dune Coupe and convertible as well. The Dune is a bit more of a sporty ride. It’s wider and higher and looks more rugged than the regular Beetle.

And then of course we have the normal lineup, the S, SE and SEL trims. The S is really the people’s entry-level car, starting at $19,995, and pretty well equipped, too.

WardsAuto: Those are a lot of trim levels and models for one vehicle.

Lear: Actually, it’s pretty lean. The Mini Cooper is available in many, many build combinations. I would imagine it is hard for dealers to stock those. But we think the main trims and the special models make up a perfect lineup for us.

WardsAuto: Of course, with Mini, that’s the only thing those dealers sell. VW dealers sell other models such as the Passat sedan and Tiguan CUV.

Lear: Correct.

WardsAuto: What’s the story on the pink Beetle?

Lear: It came about because several Beetle buyers repaint them in pink or wrap them in that color. We saw there was a demand. We had dealers asking for it. It’s a car that deserves the cool color.

WardsAuto: Elvis had a pink Cadillac in the 1950s, but there aren’t that many pink vehicles out there today.

Lear: No, there certainly aren’t. The Beetle’s is called Fresh Fuchsia Metallic, a very unique shade. It changes colors in different lights. It’s perfect for the vehicle.

WardsAuto: How challenging is it to keep the same design cues so that it remains recognizable as a Beetle, and yet not look like it belongs in a vintage car museum?

Lear: That’s a tough one. Designers did a fantastic job on the current Beetle. It still has those round curves that the original one had, but it is a super-modern take on the Beetle. And it’s larger. For ’17, we updated the front bumper. Keeping the sheet metal obviously gives it away as a Beetle, but we’re able to keep it fresh.

WardsAuto: The roof is a little flattened so it doesn’t have so much of a bubble look anymore.

Lear: Exactly. It’s less bubbly, and there aren’t those three round (front-middle-back) shapes like the New Beetle was when we launched that in 1998. It’s a modern take, but you can’t miss that it’s a Beetle.

WardsAuto: What about the Dune version?

Lear: It is a pretty cool special model that we launched in the Coupe for ’16, and we’re bringing out the Cabriolet version in ’17. It’s a Beetle lifted by 0.4 ins., and widened by 0.6 ins. It gives it a rugged feel. There’s exterior cladding, a honeycombed grille, fog lights and special alloy wheels. The sport seat with yellow stitching ties in with the yellow theme of the original Dune buggy.

WardsAuto: Is the higher clearance for driving or for appearance sake?

Lear: Mainly appearance. You could probably do some light off-roading on light gravel surfaces and things like that, but I wouldn’t recommend taking it completely off road. The Beetle customer isn’t looking for a lot of rugged driving. The No.1 purchase reason is exterior styling.

WardsAuto: Do you ever have older people come up to you and say, “Hey, I used to own an old Beetle”?

Lear: I do. My mother’s first car was a Beetle. I love those stories. Everybody has one.

WardsAuto: Has your dealership experience helped you in your headquarters job?

Lear: Dealership experience helps so much, even though it is different from corporate work. You get to really understand customers’ wants, needs and buying behavior.

WardsAuto: In Europe where VW is based, people buy cars differently than in America. Europeans will order cars and wait weeks to take delivery. In the U.S., car buyers want their vehicles much quicker.

Lear: We certainly remind our colleagues in Germany that not everyone wants to order a vehicle; Americans tend to want that car today.  

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