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Informative Speech

The document summarizes the history of the Volkswagen Beetle through its different generations, from its origins in 1935 as a car commissioned by Hitler to be affordable for the German people, to the classic 1938 model, the first generation 1998 model, and the second generation 2012 model. It discusses the mechanical design and history of each generation, including personal anecdotes. It aims to provide interesting facts about the iconic car and how its design and engineering changed over time to transition from the air-cooled rear engine of the original to front-mounted engines in later models.

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251 views3 pages

Informative Speech

The document summarizes the history of the Volkswagen Beetle through its different generations, from its origins in 1935 as a car commissioned by Hitler to be affordable for the German people, to the classic 1938 model, the first generation 1998 model, and the second generation 2012 model. It discusses the mechanical design and history of each generation, including personal anecdotes. It aims to provide interesting facts about the iconic car and how its design and engineering changed over time to transition from the air-cooled rear engine of the original to front-mounted engines in later models.

Uploaded by

kas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Informative speech

4-6 minutes
Generations of the VW Beetle
Intro
 Attention getter
o “What are some of the most iconic cars you know? *take answers* (ex: mustang,
model T, corvette, camaro, challenger) While all of those are mostly muscle cars,
what about the beetle? This car stretches from something your grandparents
remember growing up to the newer versions driving around now”
 Thesis
o There is a lot of history and reputation about this car along with some mechanical
aspects that I think are very interesting to know.
 Relevance to Audience
o What I think might interest some of you are the history behind it, the mechanical
redesigns, and some of the pop culture it’s in.
 Preview
o So today, I wanted to talk to you about the different generations of the VW beetle
going from the classic to 1st generation to the 2nd generation new beetle.”
Prototype 1935
 Commissioned by Hitler to be an accessible car for the people (Solomon, 2018)
o Photo
o Made by Ferdinand Porsche
o “Volkswagen” translates to “the people’s car”
o Wanted something affordable
o Dubbed the nazi car, but later fixed reputation
Classic 1938
 Personal Connection
o Mom’s first car at 17 in the early 90’s
 photo
o Hard to drive, clunky 4 gears plus reverse
o Very fun, memorable experience, nostalgia
 Design
o Photo quarter shot of full car
o Rear air cooled engine, about 30 hp (2019)
o Front trunk
 Photo shows front trunk and rear engine
o Favorite fact of classic- engine held up by only 4 bolts
o No seat belts
 Pop Culture
o Herbie car
 Photo
o Recent transformer movie
o Car of choice for Ted Bundy
o Hippy movement, summer of free love
1st Gen 1998
 Personal Connection
o Photo of both cars for transition
o Photo just my car
o Pap got it because he found a beetle for cheap
o My first car at 16
o Much faster than original
o Electrical issues
 Design
o Bubble car design
o Supposed to be futuristic take on classic
o Engine in front, not air cooled (2019)
o 100-180 hp (2019)
2nd Gen 2012
 Design
o Concept mimics lines of classic
o Pushed down and back
o Around 170 hp, depends on model (2019)
o Last produced in 2019 (2019)
 Personal connection
o Never personally driven one
o Supposed to fix a lot of the electrical issues from 1st gen
Conclusion
 “So, to wrap this up… The Beetle’s lifespan is like a rollercoaster. It has interesting
roots, but the real enjoyment for me comes from the culture/history surrounding it, and
how the design and engineering of the car changed throughout the different generations.
Thank you for listening to me and hopefully you at least have some new trivia on an
iconic car.
References
Solomon, M. (2018, September 17). Luxury Lineage: A Brief History of the Volkswagen Beetle.
Retrieved September 23, 2020, from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/msolomon/2018/09/14/luxury-lineage-a-brief-history-of-
the-volkswagen-beetle/
VW Beetle Generations. (2019, May 15). Retrieved September 23, 2020, from
https://www.autolist.com/guides/volkswagen-beetle-generations

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