Hurtan builds a one-off retro Beetle cabriolet for a German owner

Spanish coachbuilder Hurtan Automobiles has built a one-off retro-styled Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet for an unnamed owner in Germany, the company has shown on its official Facebook page. The commission is based on the A5 generation of the Beetle Cabriolet, which Volkswagen built between 2011 and 2019, but custom body panels cover most of its surfaces.

What Hurtan changed on the body

Little of the donor car's exterior survives. The greenhouse, mirrors, door cards, rear quarter panels and fabric retractable roof appear to be carried over, while everything else is new. The factory Beetle already had bulbous fenders, but Hurtan stretched them into the front doors and paired them with round halogen headlights, a bespoke front bumper and a Bentley-style grille with gold accents and the Hurtan emblem. Extra lights sit next to the licence plate, and the hood recess is purely cosmetic.

At the back, the rear overhang has been lengthened to make room for swooping rear fenders and a pronounced bumper inspired by 1940s classics. The car also gets a larger tailgate with an integrated third brake light, two-storey taillights and aftermarket five double-spoke alloy wheels.

Interior and running gear

Hurtan has not published interior photos, so the cabin has not been fully shown. What is visible in the released images suggests light-coloured upholstery and what looks like the stock infotainment display on the dashboard.

Underneath the vintage shell, the company says the build keeps the modern VW Group platform, safety systems and running gear of the donor vehicle. That points to one of the stock TSI or TDI engines offered in the last Beetle, though Hurtan has not confirmed which unit this car uses.

Price still under wraps

Hurtan has not revealed what the conversion cost. One-off commissions of this kind normally require a hefty investment, but no figure has been announced.

The Granada-based firm has form with retro-flavoured builds: it has reworked the Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible and the Jeep Wrangler, and its best-known project is the Miata-based Grand Albaycín. This Beetle is a private commission rather than a production model, so buyers hoping for one of their own would need to approach Hurtan directly.

Mercedes-Benz's plan to build the GLC in the United States has reportedly slipped by more than two years, with unnamed sources telling Automotive News that American production may not start until May 2030. The German automaker confirmed earlier this year that it would add the SUV to its US manufacturing footprint but never gave a firm start date.

The reported timing lands well beyond earlier forecasts that assembly could begin in late 2027. No explanation for the delay has been given.

Why the tariff maths may have changed

The GLC is currently built in Europe and imported to the US subject to a 15% tariff. One possible reason for the revised schedule is a report that the US Commerce Department could cut that rate to 10%, a change that would save Mercedes millions of dollars. If the lower rate arrives, the urgency behind fast-tracking North American GLC output eases considerably.

The stakes are not small. Mercedes sold almost 54,000 GLCs in the US through the first nine months of 2026, and more than 71,000 across 2025. A tariff bill on volumes that size is exactly the kind of cost that makes local assembly attractive, which is why a delay is a bottom-line decision as much as a manufacturing one.

Alabama expansion continues regardless

Mercedes already runs a major plant in Alabama, where it builds the GLE, GLE Coupe and GLS. The site built its 5 millionth vehicle earlier this year, and the company has committed to investing more than $7 billion in its US operations by 2030, with $4 billion of that directed specifically at the Alabama facility.

That commitment suggests the GLC delay is a scheduling question rather than a retreat from American production. The plant's existing large SUV lineup gives Mercedes a base to work from, even if the compact SUV arrives later than first expected.

The current GLC is unlikely to be built there

If the reported timing holds, the current-generation GLC probably will not be the one assembled in the US. Mercedes launched the second-generation GLC in 2022, and analysts doubt it would make sense to tool up for a model that will be eight years old by 2030.

That points to the next-generation GLC as the more likely candidate for North American assembly. Very little is known about that car, though it is expected to keep a broad selection of combustion and hybrid powertrains while continuing to offer an all-electric GLC variant.

For buyers, the practical effect of the reported delay is that the GLC stays a European import for longer, and its US pricing remains exposed to whatever tariff rate applies. Mercedes has not announced which model year or variant would be built in Alabama, and the 2030 date itself rests on unnamed sourcing rather than a company statement.