The optional Beetle feature with a textile cover that appeared in 1950 was the sunroof.
Volkswagen added the sunroof as an extra-cost option to the export model beginning in 1950. Unlike a modern glass panel, this early arrangement used a textile covering that could be opened to let in air and light while preserving the Beetle’s simple, period construction.
The timing is easy to confuse with other early Beetle upgrades. In the same period, Volkswagen introduced hydraulic brakes on export models, while later cars gained vent windows, revised rear-window designs, and larger engines. Headrests, heaters, and radios were equipment details, not the distinctive textile-covered feature identified in the historical description.
This sunroof option belongs to the original rear-engined Type 1 Beetle, decades before the 1998 New Beetle revived the car’s name and styling cues. The original Beetle’s export model also stood out through improved interior trim, chrome bumpers, and additional brightwork.