After the war and right up to the present day, many hundreds of companies, hobbyists and designers around the world have built countless special vehicles based on a Volkswagen chassis, initially on the platform of the Wehrmacht K?belwagen. Some were adventurous, others breathtakingly beautiful, including coup?s, convertibles, pickups and buggies. After 1945, most cars were developed out of necessity, as the market had been bombed out of existence. Later, car manufacturers let their imaginations run wild. Most of these vehicles were created in Germany, America and Brazil. Special models from Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and, more recently, Greece are well documented. Volkswagen technology was also popular in the GDR, Australia, Argentina, China and South Africa.

Apal, Beck, Beutler, Colani, Custoca were among the most famous designers (including numerous buggy manufacturers) who used VW and often Porsche technology, Dannenhauer & Stauss, Denzel, Devin, Envemo, Enzmann, Gl?ckler, Gurgel, Hebm?ller, Karmann, Kellison, Kohlruss, Ledl, Lorena, Magnum, Meyers, Miura, MP Lafer, Nova, Papler, Puma, Replicar Hellas, Rometsch, Wittera. Ascort, Brubaker, Chamonix, Cintra, Espenlaub, Evex, Dingo, Fageol, Feix, Gator, H?bers, Lindner, Mahag, Majka, Memminger, Neumann, Maxwagen, Petermax M?ller, Rovomobil - to name but a few.

Austrian historian Thomas Braun has spent years researching and compiling everything that has been designed and produced in special vehicles based on the VW Beetle around the world. He has also unearthed modified rear-engined VW buses and numerous sports cars that looked like Porsche models or were powered by Porsche engines.