1974 Volkswagen Beetle - Classic on 2040-cars

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MotorWeek recalls the glory days of the VW Cabriolet

Remember the car that the rich, very attractive girl in your high school got on her 16th birthday? Was it a Volkswagen Cabriolet? But time marches on, and the boxy convertibles have attained a certain quirky coolness in the modern day. MotorWeek weighs in with a look at the 1989 model in the latest entry in its Retro Review series. MotorWeek actually comes away rather impressed with the Cabriolet, especially its handling. The show doesn't even complain about the big roll bar over the center of the car that has always looked more like a basket handle than a safety aid. Host John Davis must have enjoyed driving the droptop VW, too – despite his very '80s windbreaker and polo shirt ensemble, he was sporting quite the tan in this clip. The small, inexpensive convertible segment has largely disappeared today, but as MotorWeek shows by comparing the Cabriolet to the Chrysler LeBaron and Chevrolet Cavalier, it wasn't always this way. Take a ride in VW's droptop to see how it scores.

The Civic goes hybrid, driving the Nissan Z Nismo and more | Autoblog Podcast #833

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They discuss the refreshed 2025 Honda Civic and its new hybrid powertrain, a possible Ford Maverick sport truck, rumblings of a new Mitsubishi Delica, the continued growth of hybrid sales, the UAW's loss in Mercedes' Alabama plant, the VW ID.7 being delayed, Tesla Semi news and the BYD Shark headed to Mexico. They chat about Formula 1 for a moment before hopping into the reviews section. Zac's been driving the new 2024 Nissan Z Nismo, and Greg's been spending a bunch of time in the long-term 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #833 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid refresh Maverick sport truck on the way? Is Mitsubishi bringing a new Delica to North America? Hybrid sales are booming The UAW loses in Mercedes vote Volkswagen ID.7 delayed in North America Tesla Semi picks up more steam BYD Shark is headed to Mexico as a mid-size pickup Formula 1 catch-up Cars we're driving: 2024 Nissan Z Nismo 2024 Mazda CX-90 PHEV Long-Termer Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Government/Legal Green Motorsports Podcasts Ford Honda Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mitsubishi Nissan Toyota Volkswagen Truck Crossover Hatchback SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Sedan Podcasts

Volkswagen continues hunt for new chairman

Volkswagen is going to need a new chairman. And the question is not only who that will be, but when he or she will be selected. The German automaker held its Annual General Meeting in Hannover yesterday, the first in a baker's dozen years without Ferdinand Piech presiding as chairman. The gavel was wielded instead by Berthold Huber, a labor representative on the board who was named as interim chair. Piech was ousted along with his wife Ursula (who also sat on the board) after a failed attempt to push out Martin Winterkorn as CEO. According to Winterkorn, in speaking with Reuters in an article published by Automotive News, the industrial giant is working hard at finding a new chairman in short order. "The executive committee and the supervisory board are working hard to swiftly resolve the remaining issues with regard to the composition of the supervisory bodies in the best possible manner," Winterkorn said. The publication's German counterpart, however, paints a different picture. Speaking with Stephan Weil, the president of Lower Saxony who sits on the board as a shareholder representative, Automobilwoche says Volkswagen is in no rush to name a new chairman. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. What is clear, however, is that the new chairman will need broad support from the company's labor representatives as well as its shareholders – including the Porsche and Piech families and government representatives from Lower Saxony and Qatar. Porsche Automobil Holding SE holds 50.7 percent of the company's shares, the State of Lower Saxony another 20 percent, Qatar 17 percent and the remaining 12.3 percent by other shareholders. Some have speculated that Winterkorn could be promoted to the chairmanship of the Supervisory Board, but could end up having his term as chief executive (and chairman of the managing board) extended instead, with the chairmanship going to another candidate. Related Video: