The last Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line in July last year, which marked the end of the line for a nameplate that first appeared in 1938. The German manufacturer said the last goodbye to the iconic moniker with an emotional video just before New Year, kicking off 2020 without the Beetle in its global lineup for the first time in decades. That doesn’t mean the model is dead as enthusiasts from all around the world just keep producing crazy and awesome machines based on the two-door legend.
The Beetle Is Dead, Long Live The Beetle!
There’s nothing cooler than a Beetle ute and there’s a company called Smyth Performance that offers affordable and smart kits that transform your 1998 to 2010 Beetle into a nice, small truck. A video that went viral on Facebook shows the entire process of the kit's installation in just one minute. And yes - it’s really easy.
With period-matching wheels and exterior accessories, the Beetle ute looks just brilliant from every angle. Not only that, but for less than $3,000 the kit actually offers a proper cargo bed for your daily duties. Below the text in this article, we’ve also attached a full summary video that covers all the stages of the kit’s installation.
Gallery: Smyth Performance New Beetle Stepside Kit
Obviously, the price mentioned above doesn’t include the cost of the car, or the expense of installation. A complete A-to-Z installation at a professional body shop plus the donor car itself should fall well under $10,000. Do it all yourself, and it could be considerably less.
Smyth Performance also offers similar kits for 2005-2010 Dodge Chargers, which are currently priced at between $3,190 and $3,290.
Source: Smyth Performance