VW Beetle Museum Aarburg
On Saturday, 20 September 2025, Alexander and Michael visited as members of the K-UE e.V. the private VW Beetle museum in Aarburg, Canton Aargau, https://www.vw-kaefer-museum-aarburg.ch/. The town Aarburg itself is very beautiful and is located on the Aare river with a church and fortress; it is also easily accessible via the motorway junction A1/A2 or railway hub in Olten. The private museum is somewhat hidden away and you have to make an appointment in advance to visit. Elsbeth Märchy and Luca Milazzo gave us a very friendly welcome in the bright and lit up museum hall, where the Beetles await amazed visitors; water and coffee were also provided. Luca gave an impressive presentation on the history of the VW Beetle, including some interesting Swiss peculiarities. We then had plenty of time to look at the Beetles on display. This i collection belonged to the late journalist Hans Peter Nething, who bequeathed 15 of his own VW Beetles from the years 1950 (including a Hebmüller) to 1975 to the municipality, which, however, did not want to spend any money on the collection. So the private association VW Käfer Museum stepped in, which to this day shoulders all the costs for the building and vehicles privately and is particularly dependent on donations.
The VW Beetles on display provide an impressive cross-section of the history of the Beetle, from the Hebmüller to the VW 1303 LS Big. What makes the collection so special is that each Beetle has its own description explaining how Hans Peter Nething came to own the vehicle and what he experienced with it, e.g. a photo from June 1998 showing Hans Peter Nething being flashed while speeding with his 1952 split window Beetle. Some of the VW Beetles have a particularly appealing personal touch, represent the spirit of the times and are roadworthy. The exhibits are also regularly driven at events. The frequent inclusion of sunroofs is particularly striking. In addition to the Beetles, there are many other smaller exhibits, models, advertising material, press reports, a historic petrol pump and a cutaway engine. One highlight is the wall lovingly decorated with Beetle painted by children.
A Mexican Beetle is still missing as part of the collection, but that could still happen, especially since Mexican Beetles were officially imported into Switzerland as a VW 1200 L from Mexico from 1978 to 1982, a special series was even available as a ‘winter beetle’ with a differential lock, and there are even some 1600 i Beetles in Switzerland. Alexander and Michael had a great time at the VW Beetle Museum in Aarburg and strongly recommend it to all Beetle lovers!
