What drivetrain layout did the original Beetle use?

The original Volkswagen Beetle used a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.

Its air-cooled, four-cylinder boxer engine was mounted behind the passenger compartment and powered the rear wheels through a transaxle. This arrangement left no need for a conventional front-engine driveshaft and helped give the Beetle its distinctive proportions, with luggage space under the front bonnet and behind the rear seat.

The rear-mounted engine also contributed to strong traction on slippery surfaces because significant weight sat over the driven rear axle. The design was compact and mechanically simple, although it produced handling characteristics that differed from those of front-wheel-drive cars that later became common in Europe.

The Beetle’s layout is sometimes confused with that of its successor, the Volkswagen Golf. The Golf, introduced in 1974, moved to a front-engine, front-wheel-drive configuration. The classic Beetle retained its rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture throughout its long production history.