Thanks Matt, didnt think about that one… I am looking more at the 1/24 ones now so that is the contender at the moment as Mr Bezos does it at a good price and they are in stock 
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Airfix, 1/32,
https://uk.airfix.com/products/medium-starter-set-vw-beetle-a55207
paints and brushes included 
needs a lot of tlc but maybe that’s not an issue for a diorama accessory …
It does have the more modern one piece rear window though …
The Aeroplast kit is an earlier version with the split rear window:
This is the rallye version, with ‘Herbie’ as licence plate …
but the real Herbie was a 1963 with one piece rear window so Aeroplast
seem to be “pulling a fast one” by using the police car plastic and cheating on
the boxart by using the same wheels as the police car
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About the PITA …
Coincidentally the same year my father bought one. We kids didn’t like it that much as when the doors were closed it seemed to hurt ones ears - a sort of pressurisation effect I assume.
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What about a diecast one ? (depending on what your plan is…)
Welly make several variants in their 1/34-1/39 range :
Judging by what I’ve found on eBay, the scale may be close to 1/35…
H.P.
Revell do a 1/32 1968 model year beetle.Can’t think of any 1975 beetles. I am assuming you are looking for the ‘elephant’s foot’ tail lights. Is this for a 70’s Bundeswehr/ Bundesgrenshutz car?
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After looking at my images, I am probably going down the Tamiya 1/24 one as I like the look of it … small issues like lights will not be an issue as I am no longer overly concerned by my initial question regarding a 1975 version… the Beetle shape is what concerns me now. Thanks to all
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I do have an abiding memory of a Beetle (none of this adds any value to your requirement John); when stationed in the massive British Army garrison at Rheindahlen near Moenchengladbach in around '78, I was employed in the NATO Army Group HQ. The camp then was wide open as the IRA hadn’t started killing too many of us back then, so there were several German roads running through the camp. There was a collection of German banks, bars and other shops located in what was known as Camp Centre. One hungover Saturday morning I and a few equally stricken friends were bimbling around said Centre. We were waiting to cross the road and for the lights to change when a beige VW Beetle cabriolet - top down - pulled up at the same crossing. It was populated by 2 of the most beautiful German girls I had ever set my piggy little eyes on. Both brunettes, well-made up, happy and smiling at the bedraggled specimens waiting at the crossing. I sometimes wonder if it wasn’t akin to visiting a Zoo from the German perspective - on the lines of “Let’s go and look at the British soldiers then go for a coffee” sort of thing.
I just gawped; 2 stunning young women, fashionable and just so, apparently, sophisticated . And there we were: 3 of us, clad in scruffy jeans, a miscellany of rugby shirts, sweatshirts and trainers, unshaven, red-rimmed eyes, breath that would strip paint, impressing absolutely no-one.
I resolved there and then to up my game, sartorially improve, learn German and bag myself a sophisticated German girlfriend, ideally owning a cabriolet Beetle; of course, I never did. We were pushed to form relationships with the British military girls on camp, let alone venture into the big world beyond the garrison. I just reverted to the truculent alcoholic beasts that we were (nothing unique there amongst any young soldiers I should think): we couldn’t get the women so we drank, and they wanted nothing to do with us because we drank.
Amongst the memories accumulated from my 45 years of service, that Spring morning back in ’78 has stuck with me – not least in emphasising the inherent personal and social failures; the sight of a cabriolet Beetle these days could almost reduce me to tears. (Sigh).
Sorry John – ‘told you this wouldn’t help(!)
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Still amusing though 
even if it didn’t help …
Maybe a diorama idea, the 1 + 2 + 3 (1 Beetle Cabrio + 2 stunners + 3 wrecks)
Revell
or the IMAI / Scale Craft / Aoshima / Italeri version
The latest Aoshima version claims to be a 1975 …
The Beetles sealed up nice and tight, which is why they don’t quickly sink if you drive one into water.
very good lol … I think most of us have suffered from that 
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I daren’t Robin, the tears would mingle with the glue and spoil the build!
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Well, I’ve found some suitable Hornet Heads for us 3 awestruck tramps:
in 1:35 of course. Sigh - again.
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Slowly, methodically, when you least expect it,
I will patiently push you to the edge of the precipice
and suddenly you will realise that you have wanted
to build this diorama all along.
IMHO: it would be an awesome diorama, showing what
military life can be, getting drunk and dreaming about
gorgeous Fräuleins in a cabrio …
Lots of possible titles:
Seeing double
If only …
Need to get my act together.
Watch it soldier! (if you add two MP’s on the other side of the street)
Lovely …ermm … car
It’s funny you should mention it; I’ve been toying with the idea of making another few models/dioramas reflecting some aspects of my military life. The only one I’ve managed to date was my Land Rover kit somewhere way back when in this section.
I’ve signed up (within the Command & Control campaign) to do another one - my military life did not involve much more than Land Rovers(!)
As I say, I was entertaining the idea of modelling a few more small depictions of life not normally seen on the display tables: sticking maps together anyone? Chatting up an Air Force girl (the only female presence) on a big NATO exercise in southern England while Gama Goats and Mules trundled past - with no small encouragement from the Yanks aboard? Getting sacked on exercise and yet sharing a Huey with COS NORTHAG? Hmmm. I’ll have to think about these - might be misconstrued as a tad egocentric; on the other hand, no one else is ever likely to model such out of the ordinary stuff - perhaps. It would certainly help reduce the stash, even if only the Land Rovers(!)
In my opionion those dioramas are sorely missing. The warfighting part of military life
is extensively covered but those other sides are just as interesting.
All the funny little mishaps, minor accidents, tomfoolery et.c.
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Speaking of VWs and Fräuleins, I just got this in the mail not 30 minutes ago:
I can’t wait to show my wife and tell her this is what she got me for my birthday!
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Well, not quite what I recall but going in the right direction!
A bit of modification and maybe some more clothes …
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Curse you Robin; I started casting around for suitable figures to encompass “One Saturday Morning 1978” (see above) and my favourite go-to site for 1:35 females is that of Aurora Figures, however it appears to be no more; does anyone know if they’ve packed it all in? Presumably they have. Whilst they were made of something like tungsten, and therefore difficult to convert, the range was pretty good. Converting some suitably attractive women figures to be seated in a VW Beetle might be a fair old challenge but I can’t immediately recall any other female figures - but then - I haven’t really started looking. All ideas welcome.
John: Apologies for a huge thread hijack(!)
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