Return of the People's car - this time with all mod cons

Yesterday saw the return to the public of the People's car. The VW Beetle, the world's most popular motor car ever, went on show at the North American Motor Show in Detroit - drawing gasps and praise.

Its new incarnation, however, is unlikely to replicate the sales success of the original. Devised by the Nazis and designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1930s, the first Beetle rolled off the production line with a 1.1- litre engine, a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, a crash gearbox and cable brakes. In 1949, the car sold in the US for a little less than $800 and more than 21 million have been produced.

The new model, to go on sale later this year, is more up-market than mass market. Retailing at pounds 14,000 - double the cost of the basic VW Polo - the new Beetle will offer air conditioning, a CD player, front and side airbags and - in a undisguised effort to appeal to young women - a flower vase. Described by VW as both "futuristic" and "for young people who remember the past", it is more likely to appeal to those motorists who fancy - and can afford - a trip down memory motorway.