Jeans Beetles

March 2026

The site gets a fresh new look!

Website update. I hope you enjoy this new version!

December 2025

2005-2025: Jeansbeetles turns 20!

If someone had told me that Jeansbeetles.com would still be around 20 years after its creation, I wouldn't have believed it! I also wouldn't have believed that this model would become so popular, and that its fanbase would never stop growing... and it’s not going to stop anytime soon!

The Jeans Beetles home screen in 2005 and 2015

September 2023

The Jeans turns 50!

On August 23, 1973, the first units of the Jeans special edition rolled off the Wolfsburg assembly lines. Designed by Gunhild Liljequist and introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September '73, it quickly became a great success and endured through several editions produced throughout the Beetle's career. Common and not very sought-after in the 80s and 90s, it often served as a base for Cal Look, Baja-bug, or other trends of the time. In the early 2000s, restored examples could be counted on one hand. Then came Marco de Waal's project with his magnificent slammed Jeans, which brought the model back into the spotlight. Since then, its popularity (and its market value...) has steadily increased, making it today a highly prized model for fans of seventies editions. Happy Birthday, Jeans Beetle!

Jeans Wolfsburg — Two Jeans from the second series (S714/S716) on the assembly line. A truly great photo!

Jeans Assembly 1 — Photos of assembly lines showing Jeans Beetles are quite rare. Here is the "Hochzeit"—the marriage of the body and the chassis.

Jeans Assembly 2 — Assembly of 1200cc engines on August 23, 1973—the very first day of Jeans production.

50th Anniversary Jeans Meeting: A Fabulous Weekend!

Jeans enthusiasts gathered on May 27th and 28th, 2023, at the stunning site of Lake Vassivière in the Creuse region. A total of 27 Jeans Beetles attended throughout the weekend. It was a time of great motivation, a warm atmosphere, sharing stories, and tasting local delicacies brought by each participant. An unforgettable weekend!

Jeans Vassiviere Meeting — A historic lineup at Lake Vassivière.

My Jeans is back on the road!

Just in time to celebrate the Jeans' 50th anniversary with its friends! After more than 20 years in its original configuration, it needed some TLC and underwent a full restoration of its bodywork, mechanics, and interior. Here it is with a fresh new look, fitted with "period correct" parts and accessories. All the details coming soon!

The Vochoneta!

A blend of "Vocho" (the Beetle's nickname in Mexico) and "Camioneta" (pickup/light truck). I love it!

A new "oldest" Jeans Beetle has been identified!

The Jeans belonging to Stéphane Le Ruyet is now the earliest known survivor! She is resplendent and has never been restored.
Built on the very same day as the previous title holder—Thursday, August 23, 1973 (the first day of production for the series)—her production number (344-0053) is indeed lower than Fabien Flis's Jeans (344-0102) and Kevin Friquet's (344-0202).

Update

The South African Jeans page has been updated!

February 2023

An upcoming anniversary date!

The Jeans Beetle's 50th anniversary is this year! To celebrate, members of the "VW Coccinelle Jeans" Facebook page are organizing a gathering for Jeans owners. The date is set for May 27th, 28th, and 29th, 2023. This isn't an official car show, but rather a meet-up between enthusiasts where everyone brings their Jeans Beetle, their good spirits, and some culinary specialties from their region. More information is available on the "VW Coccinelle Jeans" Facebook page or via the site's contact page if you don't use Facebook.

Jeans 50th Anniversary — We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Goes Electric!

Likely the first electric Jeans Beetle in the world! This retrofit was performed on a rare "Frostrite" Jeans. This special edition takes its name from the Cambridge VW dealer Jack Frost. Distinctive features include the black vinyl roof and the rear decklid grille adorned with a unique aluminum trim.

Source: Repurposed Classics

Jeans Bug... Ster!

A new variation based on a Bugster!

June 2020

A new first-day production Jeans Beetle has been identified!

A new Jeans Beetle built on August 23, 1973, has been identified on the "VW Coccinelle Jeans" Facebook page. Belonging to Kevin Friquet, it was built shortly after Fabien Flis's Jeans, which remains the current oldest known (see October 2019 news). It has all its original paperwork, and for the first time, the U3 code associated with the L16M Tunis Gelb (Tunis Yellow) paint—specific to the very start of production—is visible on a factory document.

New Ad!

A lovely advertisement from November 1975 completes this update. It is a fold-out brochure featuring the South African Jeans based on the 1976 model. Regarding South African Jeans, I am still looking for a photo of the blue variant of the series... For years, this "Denim Blue" Jeans has been something of a Holy Grail. You can discover the advertisement on the South African Jeans page.

October 2019

Think you've found a Jeans?

You'll find all the information needed to identify it right here:
identifying a 1974 Jeans beetle
identifying a 1975 Jeans beetle

A new record holder!

The oldest recorded Jeans Beetle in the world is French! Here is the amazing story of Fabien Flis, from the Aisne region. He rescued a Jeans with a rather unpromising appearance, which turned out to be the oldest one recorded to date! According to its production plate, it was built on August 23, 1973. On this same plate, the color code U3 is present instead of the usual E9 for Tunis Gelb (Tunis Yellow). This code seems to have been used on the very first Jeans built. This new record holder beats the previous title holder—Koen Bracke's Beetle, built on August 24, 1973—by just one day.

Jeansbug

Seen at the Chateau d'Oex meeting in Switzerland, this 1982 Jeansbug with only 200 km on the clock. Magnificent!

May 2018

Jeans Meeting!

It's done! The very first Jeans Beetle gathering took place on May 19th, 20th, and 21st. Ten Jeans participated in this inaugural edition. Highly motivated participants from all corners of France, a beautiful region, and sun-drenched weather turned this meet-up into a great moment of conviviality. Great atmosphere and beautiful Jeans! Everyone agreed that it’s an experience that must be repeated!

1995 Jeans look Bus!

A nice Bus with a 1995 Jeans look. It suits it pretty well!

January 2018

Anniversary

The Jeans Beetle's 45th anniversary is this year! To celebrate, members of the "VW Coccinelle Jeans" Facebook page are organizing a gathering for enthusiasts of this model. The date is set for May 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2018.

Who's talking about Jeans?

Here are the Facebook pages where fans of our favorite Beetle hang out:

VW Coccinelle Jeans, the French-speaking page! A great atmosphere with plenty of mutual help.
Jeans Bug Kever, lots of photos. In English and Dutch.
Jeans Beetle & UK register, in English. The page for British-spec Jeans, hosted by Andy Gore.
Special Edition Beetles, in English. The Facebook page for the SE Beetles website, hosted by Colin E Shinkin and Stephen Paul Hardy. Covers all special edition Beetles.

Stickers

Andy Gore offers a whole range of decals to help you restore your Jeans Beetle to its best. The side stripes are, of course, available and are exact replicas in terms of dimensions, lettering, and appearance of the original stickers. Andy also offers "technical" stickers found on the Beetle. Essential for any restoration!

Jeans Beetle & UK register - jeans decal kit

T-shirts

Love Jeans Beetles and want to show it? These t-shirts are for you. Offered by Colin E Shinkin, you can find the S761 (Tunis Gelb) and S714/S716 (Phoenix Rot) Jeans designs. Other special editions are also available (GT Beetle, Formula Vee, etc.).

www.beetleness.com

Jeans Kit

Update to the "Jeans Kit" page, featuring a small dealer poster found last year.

Jeans Buggy!

I love all these different Jeans variations!

December 2015

Anniversary

Believe it or not, Jeansbeetles is 10 years old! If in 2005 only a handful of people were interested in this model, it’s a completely different story today with many Jeans Beetles either superbly restored or currently undergoing restoration. And given the surprising number of Jeans Beetles emerging from oblivion in recent months, it’s not going to stop anytime soon... and that’s a great thing! So, shall we meet again in 2025? It’s a date for me!

Jeans Meeting

Fancy a lineup of Jeans Beetles? Bruno is offering to host Jeans owners for a dedicated gathering during the Incox'ruptibles meeting on July 29th, 30th, and 31st, 2016, in TONNEINS (Lot-et-Garonne, 47). Save the date—we'll talk more about it next year.

New Addition!

A new page has been created dedicated to the Mexican Jeans Beetles from 1975-76-77.

Update

Updates to the pages for the 1974 Model, 1975 Model, and 1982 Model.

Jeans Kit

Update to the page dedicated to the "Jeans Kit." The photo below allowed me to confirm the existence of a cap and a sew-on patch that were provided with the kit. I had received a photo of these items back in 2008, but without any further information.

Speaking of the Jeans Kit, many New Old Stock (NOS) components from this kit were seen for sale this year. The prize for these discoveries definitely goes to the person who put two nearly complete kits up for sale!

December 2014

Update

Update to the 1976 Model page (South Africa). Added several new exterior and interior photos of a beautiful, freshly restored South African Jeans Beetle. An exotic Jeans that certainly doesn't lack charm!

Parisian traffic in 1975!

Florent Gaufreteau, author of a vintage car blog (www.elcamino137.fr), sent me a link to a video featuring French singer Renaud and his song "Amoureux de Paname," cycling through the streets of Paris. Among the many French cars from the 60s and 70s, you can spot a few VWs.... including a Jeans Beetle! Personally, I love it!

Florent might be a familiar name to some of you—he is the artist behind the "VW Beetle Evolution" posters, where the Jeans Beetle is featured.

The Dabelprod website

August 2014

Super VW Festival

Jeans Look: After Karine's magnificent '76 Jeans Bus featured in Super VW Mag #295, here is another Bus inspired by the special edition. This one is named "Camper Jeans." Once again, the work is wonderfully inspired! Bravo.

At the end of the meeting, I had the pleasure of meeting Martine from the Corrèze region. Her car is cherished and has been remarkably restored.

Facebook

Alain, owner of an S761 Jeans, has created a Facebook page to connect owners and enthusiasts of Jeans Beetles. The page already has 17 members. Join us!

VW Coccinelle Jeans on Facebook

January 2014

Happy New Year to all!

Several of you asked me which issue of Paris-Match magazine featured the French advertisement for the Jeans: "When you're an idol, you don't dress like everyone else." It is Paris-Match issue #1279, dated November 10, 1973. A true collector's item!

February 2013

September 1973 - September 2013

The Jeans is 40 years old! I'm taking the opportunity of this anniversary to dust off the website, which hadn't been updated for a few years. Enjoy the read, and Happy Birthday Jeans Beetle!

September 2008

Update

Hello everyone! Finally, an update for Jeansbeetles! No, I haven't given up on researching Jeans Beetles... but it's true that new and verifiable information is becoming rare! Here are the latest news:

VW Nat 2007

A rather "drenched" edition this year... but it allowed me to meet Aurélien Faquin and his brother, both Jeans enthusiasts. One drives a '95 Mexican model, and the other drives a model... straight out of his imagination! And the result is quite cool! Here is the "stone washed" Jeans with its "faded" interior matching the Beetle's exterior color. Well done, Aurélien!

Rallies!

Jeans Beetles aren't afraid of the road... and here’s the proof! This Jeans, driven by Kees and Josette Berger, participated in the Amsterdam-Beijing rally in 2006. 17,650 km of adventure!

Another enthusiast, Florent Gaufreteau, completed the "Rallye de l'Europe" in 1992 behind the wheel of an S716 Jeans.

September 2006

Update

A small update for the site at the end of 2006. I wish you all a very happy holiday season.

ÿ

Keyring

I have updated the "Collectors" page with a Jeans-branded keyring spotted on eBay and a new postcard.

Restoration

René, a Dutch enthusiast, sent me a link to a website showing the "heavy" restoration of his Jeans Beetle. Impressive work!

QSL Card

Here is a QSL card from a ham radio operator living in Wolfsburg. It shows a production line at the VW factory where two S716 Jeans are being assembled.

Mutation!

Discovered by my friend Geoffroy Lhoest, this Jeans Beetle is in the middle of a "genetic mutation"...

Jeans Kit

I am gradually completing my Jeans Kit. Four NOS (New Old Stock) hubcaps have just joined my small collection. I am currently looking for a set of seat covers, either NOS or in very good condition. Please feel free to contact me.

October 2006

Vacation is over!

I hope you all enjoyed your Jeans Beetles this summer. Two of them were caught "sunbathing" on Copacabana beach... ;-)

Heading North!

I stumbled upon the VW scene in Finland and wanted to find out if the Jeans had been imported there. The answer is yes, as I quickly found three examples in perfect condition.

I only saw S716 Jeans, and all were equipped with rear stone guards. Upon further research, it appears this accessory is very common on Finnish Beetles. In Nordic countries like Finland or Sweden, many roads are gravel, and rear fenders are often damaged by flying stones. However, it seems this was not a factory-fitted accessory.

The Jeans on the Silver Screen!

The Jeans is making its movie debut! Richard, a British user whose parents used to drive a Jeans, pointed out a 1974 English film where the hero’s friend drives a brand-new Jeans Beetle. Several sequences show the Jeans in its original 70s environment, complete with bell-bottoms, oversized collars, and sheepskin jackets... pure joy! The film is "Man About the House."

Vintage Classic Rambouillet

The Vintage Classic took place on Saturday, September 16th. As usual, the courtyard of the Bergerie Nationale was filled with our favorite VWs in their original configurations. Some beautiful post-67 specimens were present, including three 1970s special editions: Bruno’s 1303 "Big," Nico’s 1302 "World Champion," and my own Jeans Beetle. We took the opportunity to snap a little family photo.

June 2006

Super VW National 2006

A great weekend in the beautiful Loire Valley region where I had the chance to meet several Jeans owners, all very passionate about this model. I counted and admired 7 Jeans on-site, including a rare '95. Next year, we’ll try to gather all the Jeans present for a beautiful family photo.

Super VW Nat 2006 — 2 Jeans were gathered in the vintage section of the SuperVW Nat.

1303 City — The 1303 "City," the 3rd special edition from September 1973. This model has become very rare! Are there any left in France?

Jeans Kit

I dreamed of finding one (without much hope, I must admit), and the dream has come true! And New Old Stock, if you please! This lovely gear shift knob from the "Jeans Kit" has joined my personal collection.

Really?!

No comment...

May 2006

Ad

A new German advertisement for the '75 Jeans, discovered by Stefan Langer. Vielen Dank Stefan!

Sticker

Here is a cool little sticker, very typical of the 1970s, found at the Soumoulou swap meet near Pau. A seller had many vintage stickers from oil, spark plug, and tire brands... the expert eye of José, who has no equal when it comes to spotting rarities tossed in bulk in cardboard boxes, was immediately drawn to this one. It is now proudly displayed in the engine bay of my Jeans!

Ouch!

A sad but rare vintage photo of an S716 Jeans! I hope this brutal encounter with a French Post Office 2CV didn't end too badly for the drivers. Thanks to Geoffroy Lhoest for sending me this document.

The text on the Jeans translates to: "Hugo van praag lesdienst op naaimachines" (Hugo Van Praag, sewing machine service).

1303 Big

Finally, a quick nod to Geoffroy Lhoest's magnificent 1303 "Big." The "Big" is a special edition that appeared at the same time as the Jeans and, just like them, these "Bigs" now deserve a proper restoration! Well done, Geoffroy... see you at Thenay! ;-)

January 2006

Polo Jeans!

Stefan Langer sent me some documents regarding the Polo Jeans! Released in 1976, this Polo series featured the same characteristics that made the Jeans Beetle so successful: flashy paint and denim upholstery! This little Polo is quite cute, isn't it?

December 2005

Update

Update to the detail pages: 1974 Model Year, 1975 Model Year, 1976 Model Year, and 1982 Model Year.

L11C Jeans

I am in contact with two owners of yellow '74 Jeans Beetles. One comes from very far away... in fact, its owner, Pierre, brought it from mainland France all the way to Nouméa, New Caledonia! A great little journey for this Jeans, which will soon be restored to the highest standards.

Both owners pointed out that the paint code is L11C "Brilliant Gelb" and not L13M "Saturn Gelb" as I had previously stated. However, the upholstery on these Jeans is indeed green... on that point, my memory didn't fail me! :-)

Chromed!

Finally, to wrap up this update, check out this Jeans Beetle with a "retro" look spotted at a British meeting. Surprising, isn't it???

September 2005

10 Days of Vacation in a Beetle

The dream! A trip of nearly 2000 km to attend the brilliant gathering at Cap d'Agde, which took place on September 10th and 11th.

Aubergine Beetle — An "Aubergine" Beetle in beautiful condition. Post-67 Beetles are not yet recognized for their true value in France. It's a shame, as some models are just as rare as "splits" or "ovals"...

Jeans Beetle — On the way back, a gourmet stop at Tommy's Diner café near Toulouse. A guaranteed Fifties atmosphere! All that was missing were a few hot rods and other American cars to truly feel like we were there!

August 2005

Mexican Jeans

Here is a Mexican Jeans spotted on an auction site. Its metallic color ("metallic purple" according to the ad) really surprised me. I hope to get more information on this car.

Jeans (New) Beetle

Also seen on the web, the new Jeans (New) Beetle ;-) !!

July 11, 2005

Update

Yes, an update already! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who sent me words of encouragement. I received some mail providing info on the Jeans-branded hubcaps; you can find these details on the accessories page. A Jeans from the "64" department (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) has joined the registry, and a search notice for blue '74 Jeans models completes this update.

July 1st, 2005

Website Launch

I hope you enjoy this site, exclusively dedicated to "Jeans" Beetles. Welcome everyone!

News

The site gets a fresh new look!

2005-2025: Jeansbeetles turns 20!

The Jeans turns 50!

50th Anniversary Jeans Meeting: A Fabulous Weekend!

My Jeans is back on the road!

The Vochoneta!

A new "oldest" Jeans Beetle has been identified!

Update

An upcoming anniversary date!

Goes Electric!

Jeans Bug... Ster!

A new first-day production Jeans Beetle has been identified!

New Ad!

Think you've found a Jeans?

A new record holder!

Jeansbug

Jeans Meeting!

1995 Jeans look Bus!

Anniversary

Who's talking about Jeans?

Stickers

T-shirts

Jeans Kit

Jeans Buggy!

Anniversary

Jeans Meeting

New Addition!

Update

Jeans Kit

Update

Parisian traffic in 1975!

Super VW Festival

Facebook

Happy New Year to all!

September 1973 - September 2013

Update

VW Nat 2007

Rallies!

Update

Keyring

Restoration

QSL Card

Mutation!

Jeans Kit

Vacation is over!

Heading North!

The Jeans on the Silver Screen!

Vintage Classic Rambouillet

Super VW National 2006

Jeans Kit

Really?!

Ad

Sticker

Ouch!

1303 Big

Polo Jeans!

Update

L11C Jeans

Chromed!

10 Days of Vacation in a Beetle

Mexican Jeans

Jeans (New) Beetle

Update

Website Launch