[Jeff Higgins]

There were so many similar cars being developed in that era that it would be easy to ascribe the original idea for the basic Beetle platform to any one of them. Like so many other great designs, the Beetle represented more of a good application of proven concepts, with some refinement, than any real breakthroughs in any one aspect of its design. The brilliance of the Bug lies in the execution. Dr. Porsche pulled it all together like no one before him had. Saying a Dutchman is responsible for the Beetle is like saying Ford is responsible for the Camaro simply because they had the Mustang first. Nice try, but it just doesn't wash. The development history of the Beetle is simply too well documented to come in at this late hour and try to say anyone other than Dr. Porsche was responsible. He obviously got ideas from other's work, but that is as far as it goes.