Volkswagen
Beetle 1302 "World Champion" special model

Why it matters

The "World Champion" was the first Volkswagen special model. It was issued as a thank-you for the Beetle production record: on 17 February 1972 the 15,007,034th Beetle was built, making it the most-built car in the world ahead of the Ford Model T.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The record Beetle, a VW 1302, left the Wolfsburg line on 17 February 1972. Volkswagen marked it with a special series sold as a limited-time promotion from 19 February to 31 March 1972, and over 6,000 customers bought one.

The 1302 on which it is based was the 1970 revision of the Beetle with McPherson-strut front suspension and a semi-trailing-arm rear axle.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The factory describes a special colour, Marathon Metallic, created by the in-house Colours and Fabrics department and named by interior designer Gunhild Liljequist. Compared with the basic 1302 the series had Lemmerz World Champion rims, halogen headlights, a dual horn, reversing lights, a heated rear window, black cord seats, dashboard upholstery, floor mats and rubber strips on the bumpers. Buyers also received a factory certificate, a sticker, a key ring, a jewellery pendant and a gold medal inscribed "Der Weltmeister".

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Beetle (Käfer) 1302 (1970–1972) Level A Volkswagen Newsroom (Volkswagen Classic archive)

   • over 6,000 customers snap it up
   • new VW 1302 model features McPherson struts on the front axle
   • semi-trailing arm suspension on the rear axle

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Beetle (Käfer) 1302 (1970–1972) | Volkswagen Newsroom Level A

   • 6000 customers who bought it ("over 6,000" – a sales figure)

   Accessed 2026-11-12