The Volkswagen Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T at exactly 15,007,034 vehicles produced. The milestone occurred on 17 February 1972, when the Beetle became the world’s best-selling automobile by total production.
Ford’s Model T had held the record for nearly half a century. Volkswagen’s achievement was especially striking because the Beetle remained fundamentally consistent in layout and appearance: an air-cooled, rear-mounted flat-four engine, rear-wheel drive and a durable platform shared across many markets.
The record-setting Beetle was a Super Beetle, and Volkswagen donated it to the Smithsonian Institution for permanent display. The milestone did not represent the end of Beetle production; factories continued building the car for decades afterward in places including Brazil and Mexico. By 1973, worldwide Beetle production had already passed 16 million, and the model ultimately reached more than 21.5 million examples.