The history of Volkswagen and Beetle dates back to the early 1930s. Adolf Hitler (Hitler), the Nazi dictator, commissioned an automobile engineer, Ferdinard Porsche (Porsche), to design a Volkswagen, (German for 'a people's car') in 1933. In 1934, Porsche submitted the design proposal for such a car to the German government and signed an agreement with Reichsverband der Automobilindusrie (RDA, the German Motor Industry Association) to manufacture the car once the prototype of it was ready. By the late 1970s, the Beetle's simple air-cooled engine ran afoul of American air-pollution regulations, and its chassis design was not amenable to crash safety standards. Competition also had become much tougher. By then, the car had been in production (with constant incremental improvements) for 30 years, and the basic design itself was over 40 years old. The car was a success by any standard, and a very tough act to follow. Although the replacement Golf, first known here as the Rabbit, was hardly a failure in the U. S., it never had the wide appeal of the Beetle. Volkswagen's market share dropped, and the company even considered abandoning the U.S. market in the early 1990s. The New Beetle has all of the character and charm of the old Beetle, and none of the old car's drawbacks. It is a fully modern automobile, as good as or better than anything in its class for comfort, power, and handling, and unlike anything on the road for style. Unlike its spiritual ancestor, it has a real heater. Air conditioning, power windows, leather upholstery and trim, and an automatic transmission are all available. Like the old Bug, front seat head and legroom are wonderful, and rear seat accommodations less so. Still, it is much roomier than the old Beetle, and its interior design is as fresh and unusual as the exterior.