January 17, 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the Volkswagen Beetle’s arrival in the United States. 

Dutch importer Ben Pon, already importing Beetles into the Netherlands, brought the first two across the Atlantic to test the car’s American sales potential. Arriving on January 17, 1949, he had difficulty selling those first two cars, but things quickly improved as this ad from late 1969 explains.

Pon’s Automobielhandel B.V is still very much in business today as the official Dutch Volkswagen importer. 

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Where to find this ad:

“Life” - Dec 26, 1969

“Look” magazine - Apr 7, 1970

Classic Volkswagen Ads