Volkswagen is selling nostalgia again. In 1998 the German auto maker brought out its New Beetle, a car that copied the shape of the original "people's car," an automotive icon from the 1950s and '60s. Now, in 2007, VW reintroduces the Rabbit, inspired by the model that bore that name from 1974 through 1984.
The Rabbit is less of an icon than the first Beetle, because Rabbit's form was nowhere near as memorable as the humped, egg-shaped bug. But Rabbit broke new automotive ground. It was America's first mass-market car with a transverse (sideways) engine driving the front wheels. And it was the first mass-market manifestation of a hatchback body, efficiently applying the station wagon concept to a much smaller vehicle.
The Rabbit is less of an icon than the first Beetle, because Rabbit's form was nowhere near as memorable as the humped, egg-shaped bug. But Rabbit broke new automotive ground. It was America's first mass-market car with a transverse (sideways) engine driving the front wheels. And it was the first mass-market manifestation of a hatchback body, efficiently applying the station wagon concept to a much smaller vehicle.
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