Factory build sheet
2001 Volkswagen Beetle GLS
Build 3VWCD21C-1 · 1.8L 4cyl · Hatchback
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 3VWCD21C and position 10 reads 1. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every Beetle whose VIN starts 3VWCD21C and carries 1 in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 183 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 183 known VINs
- 2 listed for sale now
Factory specification
As filed by Volkswagen with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 1.8 L
- Cylinders
- 4
- Engine manufacturer
- Volkswagen
- Horsepower
- 150 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
- NHTSA body type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 2
- Manufacturer
- VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1
- GVWR
- 6,000 lb or less
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
Volkswagen used the VIN pattern 3VWCD21C for 6 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 3VW | VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | CD21C | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | 1 | Model year — 2001 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
183 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 3VWCD21C-1 shares the specification above.
- 183 Known VINs
- 2 Listed for sale now
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the Beetle, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.
- 2001 GLS 1.9L 4-cyl · Hatchback liftback notchback 235 vehicles
- 2001 GLS 2L 4-cyl · Hatchback liftback notchback 268 vehicles · $3,995 median
- 2001 GLS 2L 4-cyl · Hatchback liftback notchback 89 vehicles
- 2001 GLX 1.8L 4-cyl · Hatchback liftback notchback 364 vehicles
- 2002 GL 2L 4-cyl · Hatchback liftback notchback 119 vehicles
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 183 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.