La Grande But that's not a super beetle?

[oasis]

Viper Green Metallic is L98B. Lime Green Metallic is L96N. They are close but not the same. Porsche 914s (or VW-Porsche outside the US) also were available in Viper Green Metallic.

The La Grande (or on original window stickers, La Grand, probably a spelling mistake) was a 1975 Super Beetle only special edition. I'm not sure if it was a US only special edition or a NA only special edition. They were never standard Beetles of any year.

The La Grande plate was a dealer added item. It sometimes was placed on the glove box door and it was sometimes placed on the engine lid. Sometimes, it was handed to the new owner and it was plain forgotten sometimes. The fact it is on this glove box door is as meaningless as if this standard would have been retrofitted with front bullet turn signals.
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Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[airkooler66]

Well, this car, other 77 sedans I have worked on in the past are all stamped "MEXICO" on the front aprons. Which leads me to believe it was built in Mexico. It also has a US emissions certification decal on the driver side B pillar. I'll post pics later. Also, Lime Green Metallic IS the La Grande Bug color according to the brochure posed earlier in this thread. Not Viper Green.
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy

[airkooler66]

I'm in agreement with Glutamodo. It's possibly some type of dealer special ordered thing. They have been known to happen. As far as the emblem on te glove box door, it's possible someone stuck it on later. It's very possible as I have an NOS Baja Champion SE badge still in the package. I also was always led to believe La Grandes were fancier super beetles. Either way. It's kind of a neat car. And the mystery is somewhat appealing. But who cares? It's still a fat chick! Lol. But that's ok, big girls need love too.
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy

[airkooler66]

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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy

[Antonio Trejo]

Volkswagen of Germany imported a lot of body parts made by Volkswagen of Mexico, like aprons, hoods and side panels, many of them were MEXICO press stamping.
From 1979 to 1985 76,800 complete mexican Beetles were imported to Germany by VW.
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Parts VW
"From Volkswagen of Mexico factory..."
Genuine VW Sedan parts
Genuine VW Ultima Edition parts
Genuine VW Type 2 watercooled parts

[airkooler66]

Ahhh I see. Thanks for the info dude!
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1952 Zwitter
1966 Baja Bug
1966 13 window DeLuxe
Dolphin Dune Buggy

[Joel]

[glutamodo]

The COTC book mentions that as well, saying "LIME (ALSO VIPER) GREEN" when both L98B and L96N were mentioned.

[oasis]

If anyone can show me a genuine 1975 La Grande in L96N, I'll start believing it. I have seen many blues, many L98B greens, and a few golds (only two in person but a handful more otherwise). My searches date back to 2001 or so when I first started looking for a platform for a German Look Super Beetle, and continued again when looking for a replacement for my '71. It still holds an interest for me to this day. I have never seen an L96N Super for the 1975 model year.

While everyone is focused on this particular car's color and a badge stuck on the glove box, no one has mentioned its lineage of ownership. I know my Acapulco Thing is a genuine Acapulco because I have the original dealer sticker and other paperwork. This car is the wrong year and wrong model in a questionable-at-best color with unknown other "options" which even if it did have could have been add-ons like the badge.

I have seen countless Special Edition parts for sale here, on eBay, at shows and get-togethers, etc. I have seen Things with a Sports Bug steering wheel. Apparently, one needs to be a forensics expert to know the difference between a genuine Sun Bug badge and a reproduction (which may be important given the asking prices for those pieces of plastic which weren't even included on all Sun Bugs).

I'd be happy to learn something new like an alternative color for the La Grande. If true. And a mere mention in a book isn't good enough unless it's actually shown. I have seen plenty of stuff in the books I have owned which were either contradictory to info in other books or proven to be just plain wrong.

This car has an interesting heritage. I'm guessing it is largely unknown and perhaps irretrievable. To think it is a legitimate La Grande is laughable. It reminds me of a Maverick Grabber I once had in my youth. The previous owner stuck the CobraJET badge on its fake Grabber hood scoops, and there were those who needed convincing it wasn't a special edition offshoot or the V8 under the hood wasn't really a 428.

Pretty funny. Pretty sad.
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Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[glutamodo]

[pb_foots]

FWIW, here's my gold 75 La grande bug. Wish I could show it to you in person, but it's long gone. Really drove nice, I loved the FI and R&P steering on this car.

[/img]

[oasis]

[glutamodo]

Here's the entire body color entry: (The book is written in ALL CAPS so that's why I typed the following quotes that way)

ONLY TWO BODY COLORS WERE OFFERED AT FIRST, L97B ANCONA BLUE METALLIC AND L90B LIME (ALSO VIPER) GREEN METALLIC. L99B HARVEST GOLD METALLIC RETURNED WITH THE SECOND RUN OF LA GRANDE BUGS. THE LAST RUN ACTUALLY OCCURED EARLY IN THE 1976 MODEL YEAR AND L96N (ALSO VIPER) GREEEN METALLIC REPLACED THE L98B SHADE. A FEW VERY LATE MODELS WERE FINISHED IN 1976 L99D TOPAZ METALLIC IN PLACE OF THE L99B HARVEST GOLD METALLIC.

The author, Garwood, I do believe was still working at a VW dealership at the time and his information is a combination of what he saw first-hand and the data he collected over the years.

Now the chassis numbers:

He doesn't note when the first run began, but it ended at 1352187424.

2nd run: 1352248016 through 1352248083. Hmm, that's only 68 cars... which does not sound right. I suspect a typo.

3rd final run: 1352262066 through 1352267815. That's 5750 cars. "THESE VERY LATE '75'S WERE THE LAST 1303 SEDANS. THEY WERE PRODUCED AFTER THE '76 MODEL YEAR HAD BEGUN AND HAD 1976 PAINT CODES AND ENGINES! PRODUCTION CEASED BY NOVEMBER 1ST, 1975. 1976 US MARKET BEETLE SEDANS WERE DELAYED TO START UNTIL CHASSIS NUMBER 1162006148.

Anyway, if you're going to find a La Grande in the 76 colors, it will be in that 1352 262066 - 267815 range.

I wouldn't mind seeing photo proof of this myself.

The only Super Sedan I would have wanted to own myself would have been those 75s, with EFI/R&P.

-Andy

[oasis]

Fantastic info. Thanks!

VW has done weird stuff with batches over the years, so a 68-count batch out of nowhere wouldn't surprise me. VW made small Type 181 (Thing, Trekker, Safari by other names) runs in Germany through 1983 although many say 1980 was the last year (perhaps in Mexico, it was).

I have seen a Topaz in person. It looked pristine and was clearly a five-figure car even back then -- it was that clean. I scratched my head about the color. The production date would explain it very clearly. (I wish I was smart enough to have grabbed its VIN.) It would also explain a "replacement" green.
_________________
Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI

[pacheconline]

It’s never too late to answer.

I have La Grande Bug, and the differences are:

- La Grande Bug it is a Superbeetle, specially a std 1303.
- Only made on 1975, and only 13,273 units sold in the USA & Canada.
- Only came on 3 original colors, Anacona Blue Metallic, Lime Green Metallic and Metallic gold (those colors can’t be found on any other bug).
- 4.5’ Lemmertz GT Wheels.
- Rosewood applique on the dash.
- Leather grained steering wheel.
- Original electronic Fuel Injection system.
- Sliding sunroof.
- The “motto” was “You don’t drive in it, you arrive in it”.

Your car it’s a std Mexican 77, with the metallic plate that on Grande Bug’s was on the engine deck lid. Nice ride, but that’s not a “La Grande Bug”.

You can see more at www.facebook.com/groups/vwsuperbeetle
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Joaquin Gonzalez Pacheco
Beetlefriends Chile (o\ ! /o) (0\ | /0)

1975, 1303 Superbeetle "La Grande bug" --> "Romantico Viajero"
1961 Standard Beetle --> "Chimuelo"

[mkgearhead]

[janerick3]

A co-worker of mine had an Ancona Blue one. The dealer placed the "La Grande Bug" label near the top of the engine lid. It's the only one I've ever seen with a label in that location.

I would assume, like many other dealer-applied, special edition badges, they ended up in a mechanic's toolbox after pre-delivery inspection was completed.
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Thanks,
Jan K.

[creative native]

A couple of photos I found with the La Grande logo placed on the VW.