1953 - 1957 Volkswagen Beetle

External styling changes were kept to a minimum throughout the Beetle's nearly 70-year lifespan, even as functionality under the skin was continually tweaked and improved. This was not unlike the evolution of Ferdinand Porsche's other famous project, the Porsche 356. VW enthusiasts mark the Beetle's second generation by the advent of the single oval rear windshield pane, which in 1953 replaced the previous split oval window. Not a great deal was updated during the brief Oval-Window period, but the engine grew from 1131-cc to 1192-cc in 1954, and dual chrome tailpipes were added in 1956.