The Official Relook
In September 1973, the Jeans special edition (model S761) was a major commercial success across Europe. Volkswagen launched a second production run in late 1973 and early 1974 (models S714 and S716), which once again met with great enthusiasm. The "Jeans" had become a popular icon, leading Volkswagen to offer a dedicated kit by mid-1974. This package allowed owners of standard Beetles to give their cars the look of the genuine Jeans special edition. Sold through official dealerships, this accessory package was known as the "Jeans Kit".
This presentation brochure showcases the various components of the Jeans Kit. The package included denim seat covers, a gear shift knob featuring the "Jeans" logo, four black plastic hubcaps, rear mud flaps, and, of course, a complete set of decals identical to those on the original Jeans Beetle. Note the distinctive "stitching" decals designed to highlight the car's body contours.
A matching cap and an iron-on patch were also offered as part of the kit.
The Jeans Kit in detail:
Seat and Bench Covers
The set included covers for both the front seats and the rear bench seat. While the stitching pattern mimics the original Jeans Beetle seats, the backrest pockets and the chrome snap-button studs are absent here. These covers were secured to the seat frame using elastic straps and hooks.
The Decal Set
The kit includes side stripes, two "Jeans" logos for the front and rear hoods, and a series of "stitching" decals for the bodywork. In the first version of the kit (instructions dated July 1974), these stitching decals came in the form of continuous ribbons to be cut to size. The manual suggests making small notches in the ribbon to follow the curves of the hoods—a process that must have been particularly tedious to install!
In the second version of the kit, with instructions dated August 1974, the "stitching" decals are pre-cut and individually numbered. The provided diagram indicates the precise placement for each decal.
The Gear Shift Knob
The gear shift knob is made of soft-touch plastic, designed to mimic a padded leather finish. The Jeans logo is featured on the top insert. It simply screws on in place of the standard factory knob.
The Mud Flaps
The rear mud flaps, made of thick and flexible plastic, were manufactured by Wegu (a company that still produces mud flaps and floor mats today). The Jeans monogram and the stripes, mirroring the bodywork decals, are printed in white. These mud flaps are secured to the inner fender lip using metal clamps.
The Hubcaps
The hubcaps are made of high-impact rigid plastic and share the same dimensions and shape as a standard chrome hubcap. They are simply press-fitted onto the wheel rim. The Jeans monogram is featured in an embossed finish.
The Cap and Patch
The matching cap made of denim fabric and a Beetle-shaped iron-on patch.
A N.O.S Jeans Kit! (New Old Stock)
Promoting the Jeans Kit
Information brochure intended for Volkswagen dealerships. It lists all the available promotional materials for the kit (posters, banners, advertising templates for newspapers and magazines, etc.). Looking at advertisements 9 through 13, it's clear that VW was encouraging dealerships to sell used Beetles already retrofitted with the Jeans Kit.
Promotional Material Details & References
| No. | Item Description | Dimensions | Part Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large Poster (Großplakat) | 356 x 252 cm | 406/156.001.00 |
| 2 3 4 |
Horizontal Banners (Streifenplakat) | 240 x 40 cm |
406/156.005.00 406/156.006.00 406/156.007.00 |
| 5 | PVC Banner (Spannband) | 400 x 70 cm | 406/156.009.00 |
| 6 7 8 |
Showroom Display Boards | 120 x 80 cm |
406/156.002.00 406/156.003.00 406/156.004.00 |
| 9 10 |
Press Ads (Large Format) (HEW-Anzeige) |
275x130mm 311x147mm 342x162mm 275x130mm 311x147mm 342x162mm |
406/156.018.00 406/156.019.00 406/156.020.00 406/156.022.00 406/156.023.00 406/156.024.00 |
| 11 12 13 |
Single-column Press Ads (1-spaltig) |
Narrow Format |
406/156.015.00 406/156.017.00 406/156.016.00 |
| 14 | Iron-on Patch (Aufbügler) |
Width: 10.5 cm | 406/156.011.00 |
| 15 | Jeans Cap (Jeansmütze) |
One Size | 406/156.012.00 |
| 16 | Floor Display Stand (Display) |
50 x 120 cm | 406/156.008.00 |
| 17 18 |
Double-sided Flyer | A5 or A6 (Offer details with dealer stamp area) | 406/156.010.00 |
Campaign Launch
Two key dates are noted at the bottom of the previous document:
- - Arrival of initial stock: September 27, 1974
- - Arrival of promotional materials: October 4, 1974
From this, we can conclude that the Jeans Kit sales campaign officially launched during the last quarter of 1974.
Estimated European Distribution Volumes
By examining the printing marks found at the bottom of the installation manuals, we can form a solid hypothesis regarding the distribution of this kit. The documents in our collection reveal two distinct print runs:
- • July 1974: Manual marked for 10,000 copies (Kit Version 1).
- • August 1974: Manual marked for 7,500 copies (Version 2, with pre-cut stickers).
Combining these two print runs gives us a total volume of 17,500 kits produced by Votex for the European market. While this figure may seem high, it must be viewed in the context of the vast geographical area covered.
Eight languages have been identified across the manuals: German, English, French, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish. By dividing this total volume among the linguistic zones and countries represented (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, and Scandinavia), we can estimate an average allocation of 1,000 to 1,500 kits per country.
Advertisements and Press Articles
Dealership advertisement (Belgium. Size 60 x 40 cm)
Belgian Jeans Kit advertisement featured in d'Ieteren Magazine No. 2
Presentation of the Jeans Kit in a Dutch magazine; here is the translation:
"Following the massive success of the Jeans version, a second production run has been launched. This new campaign is not limited solely to the original Jeans models... Every Beetle can now be transformed into a 'Jeans' using a Kit!
As previously mentioned, this 1974 equipment package is not just reserved for Jeans models undergoing repair or for new cars, but also for pre-owned Beetles. This package — known as the 'Jeans Kit' — consists of front and rear denim seat covers, a Jeans gear knob, Jeans hubcaps, Jeans mud flaps, and decals for the sides and engine lid."
(Special thanks to Michiel Debu for the translation of this article)
Advertisement for the Jeans 75 and the Jeans Kit from the Dutch newspaper "De Scheldebode", published on December 4, 1974. It explicitly explains that VW offered used Beetles equipped with the Jeans Kit. Here is the translation:
"Used Beetles in Jeans, an attractive offer but... temporary"
"Used Beetles prove just how well a Beetle holds up over time. Temporarily, we have the opportunity to dress them up 'as new' at an attractive price. Because what do we do? We cover the bench and seats with genuine, hard-wearing denim seat covers. It is comfortable and stands out from the crowd. We replace the hubcaps with giant Jeans buttons. We apply the famous denim suit stitching all over the bodywork. On the sides, its name appears in bold letters: JEANS. There is even a Jeans gear shift knob. And it is equipped with special Jeans mud flaps. Come and see this unique used Jeans Beetle opportunity at our dealership."
The Jeans Kit in Photos
Photos of Beetles equipped with the Jeans Kit are extremely rare, mostly originating from press articles or promotional shoots.
Here is a Beetle 1303 featuring the Jeans Kit. This photo was taken in the factory parking lot; notice the internal factory-use license plate. (Photo by Paul Harris, published in BEETLING Magazine)
In this promotional photo, another 1303 is shown with a red side stripe... perhaps a Jeans Kit prototype?
A promotional photo that can now be found in postcard format.
A true relic of a period Jeans Kit! This is likely from a second-version kit, featuring the pre-cut stitching decals.
Final Remarks
Through discussions with Alain Fabre, another dedicated Jeans Kit enthusiast, we noticed several discrepancies between the early promotional photos/press articles and the actual kit sold at dealerships. The most obvious change is the "A" in JEANS, which became a "reversed E" in the final production version.
Original Logo
Kit Jeans Logo
Another notable difference emerged when comparing our respective kits. While I own a first-series version, Alain has a second-version kit with pre-cut pinstripes. On his decals, the "stitching" that follows the body's beltline (along the doors and under the rear quarter window) is missing. Furthermore, his installation manual makes no mention of them. Conversely, in the first version, these stitches are provided as a continuous roll that must be cut to size during application. I measured the total length of this roll: it contains no less than 11 meters (approx. 36 feet) of pinstriping! Alain measured his complete set of pre-cut strips and reached a total length of 10.7 meters.
It is highly likely that the beltline "stitching" was ultimately omitted from the final commercial version. This theory was supported by a recently discovered photograph (special thanks to Marco Marco!) showing a Beetle equipped with a Jeans Kit. The shot was taken in 1976 at an exhibition organized by the famous VW dealer Hoogenboom at the Margriethallen in Schiedam, near Rotterdam.
The beltline stitching is clearly absent from the displayed vehicle.
Same on this Beetle equipped with a Jeans kit. The stitching stripes along the beltline are missing.
(Illustration generated by Gemini AI)