What was the engine displacement of the first production Volkswagen Beetle in 1938? 985 cc. The earliest Volkswagen Type 1 and KdF-Wagen used a small, rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-four engine with a displacement of 985 cubic centimetres. That compact engine reflected the project’s original priorities: low cost, modest fuel consumption, mechanical simplicity, and suitability for ordinary roads and drivers.
The 985 cc engine was part of the car’s unusual engineering package. The Beetle placed its engine behind the passenger compartment, drove the rear wheels, and used air cooling instead of a liquid radiator system. This reduced complexity and helped the vehicle operate in climates where freezing coolant could be a concern.
The number is easy to confuse with later Beetle engine designations. Volkswagen’s familiar 1200, 1300, 1500, and 1600 labels generally referred to larger later engines, not the first 1938 unit. The earliest cars were also associated with the KdF-Wagen name; “Beetle” became the widely recognized name much later. Although cars were built before the war, full civilian series production did not begin until after 1945.