Volkswagen Beetle
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Volkswagen Beetle
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 REAL GERMANY License Plate NEW BEETLE VOLKSWAGEN + Frame - SC-AP55  US $12.99
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As a member of a car club I often wonder what inspires others like myself to join such an organization. Certainly the cameraderie, the sense of being part of a big family, is an important factor. The club I belong to is devoted to all Volkswagens, old and new. The question for others fascinated with these cars is, What got us interested in Volkswagens in the first place? There are probably as many stories of inspiration as there are dandelions in my front yard every Spring. With that said, here is mine.
I was born in 1959, and my memory goes as far back as 1962, when I was about two and a half years old. In those days generally only one parent was the breadwinner, as was the case with my father. We only had one car, and besides, my mother didn't know how to drive. The car we had was a 1957 Oval Window Beetle that was purchased "new" in Kansas City, Missouri. I say "new" because at that time there were waiting lists much like there would be forty-one years later when the New Beetle first hit showrooms. Back in 1957, my father's 1946 Chevy was worn out and he started his search for a new car. He became interested in Volkswagens after reading about them in the popular publications of the day.
A good ten years before hippies would exersise the concept of nonconformity, my father decided that he wanted a car that would stand out from the usual gigantic, tail-finned, gas-guzzling dinosaurs that roamed the streets during that period. It cost less,too. For a tad over $1700 he acquired a salesman's demonstrator with just a few kilometers showing on the odometer. Yes, kilometers (for those of you US readers). This was a European-spec model, complete with semaphore turn-signals (literally, for those not familiar with Volkswagens, an arm that flapped out of the side of both doors that flashed, indicating which direction the driver intended to turn)as well as one-piece bumpers. (US-spec models had overriders.) Thanks to my father, I knew the difference between miles and kilometers by the time I was just five years old. It was amusing to watch my friends gasp as we would cruise down the highway at 62 miles an hour while they thought we were going 100.
It would be many years before I would start driving, but I knew that I would be driving a Volkswagen someday. When I was in elementary school in the mid and late 1960's, the Muscle-Car Era, the boys in my classes would argue which cars were better, depending, of course, on what their fathers drove. Most of the time it was Mustang vs. Corvette vs. Charger vs. GTO. I got many laughs when I contributed Volkswagens to the debates, but I didn't care. I thought the "bug" was better-looking than any of those cars, and I still do. I didn't and still don't care about 0-60 times. It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and VW owners can all concur.
Sadly, in 1970, after 13 years of dependable service and about 257,000 kilometers (160,000 miles,)my father had decided that it was no longer cost-effective to keep the car. Many trips to Oklahoma and the perpetual road salt that covered highways during Midwest winters had taken their toll, and when the amateur patching of bodywork no longer helped it was time to say good-bye to our Beetle. A salvage yard offered a mere $25 for the VW, so my father gave it to a friend to use as a parts car. I vividly remember fighting back tears as the friend gave us a ride back to our home. It was as if we had lost a member of the family, and as far as I was concerned we had.
I got my Drivers' License in 1976, but I was in a hand-me-down Ford Maverick. Considering the manner in which I drove at 16, it's nothing short of a miracle that I am alive to tell this tale nearly thirty years later. Moving on to 1978, I at last had my own Volkswagen, a 1971 Super Beetle. In the early 1980's I had two more Beetles. In 2000, after trying various other makes I longed for a VW again and bought a 1996 Golf, followed by a 1969 Beetle three years later. Up to that time I was the only member of our VW club who did not own a classic air-cooled model from the early years. In nearly 46 years of life in this world, I have calculated that 22 of those have been with a Volkswagen.
I have reached the point of no return now. I will always own a VW of some sort. My 8-year-old daughter has already picked her first car; a New Beetle. Kids have a tendency to change their minds quite often as new interests are acquired, but in this case, I don't think she will. It runs in the family.
Pat Sills is an avid Volkswagen enthusiast and writes articles and feature stories for his club's Newsletter. His first novel, REUNIONS, was published in March, 2005. Check it out at: http://outskirtspress.com/reunions or at: authorsden.com/patricksills
Car Dealers - Buying a Volkswagen Beetle
Of my rich tapestry of friends, one of my favourites works as a salesman at our local Volkswagen car dealership. He's not my favourite because I went to school with him - because I didn't. I rarely nip out for a pint with him and he doesn't participate in football which is where I recruit the majority of my mates. He does however have a very large feather in his cap which demands attention - the fact he works at a car dealer that allows him to drive a string of the very latest German metal.
He's got a pretty good track record of what he's 'test driven' too. There was the turbo'd EOS which although is a convertible, is manly enough thanks to the riot going on under the bonnet that we looked heterosexual. There was the beach trip with some bikini clad lasses in a special edition Polo that masqueraded as a 4x4 and ended up beached on a sand dune and the fact he lovingly waxes his Corrado seemingly every day makes it impossible not to feel drawn towards the VW badge.
My trust in his judgement was severely dented this week however when two of us were recruited by him to witness his latest test drive. I've been in a VW Beetle in the past, all driven by women and all with a tall roof that not only provided ample headroom, but also hid who I was from the watching world. Imagine then, my face when Volkswagen-dealer-friend turns up in a convertible VW Beetle in off-white - with the roof down. Essentially it looked as though he was driving a giant pearl.
One feature that did take my fancy though was the roof. Despite it being electric, it didn't fold away in an overly extravagant manner, but merely rested on the boot. I doubt it does much for aerodynamics but it instantly made the Beetle reminiscent to a classic Porsche 911 Cabriolet and that's no bad thing. Of course unlike the old Beetle and the 911, the engine is now in the correct place under the bonnet.
Whilst I'm not an old-Beetle fanatic I don't frown upon those who worship them - of which there are many. Despite knowing the extent of this affection, it's the amount of looks the 'new' version still gets despite the design being nearly ten years old that astounds me. I've travelled around either testing or being the passenger in a multitude of cars and none have had the nods of approval the giant pearl had. Of course that's not to say that three men in any form of girly drop-top wouldn't get starred at.
So let's address the styling then. Unless you've been living in a dingy at sea for the last ten years, you'll know that the new Beetle is curvy, chunky and not a million miles away from the shape of the original. It's cuddly and cute and the most womanly of vehicles on the road today. The front looks like a happy, smiley face and the back looks like...well, a happy smiley face. The symmetry of the lines is simple but effective, with the identical front and rear wheel arches joined together by the curve of the roof. It's one of the most recognisable car silhouettes ever - along with once again, the Porsche 911.
Despite it being girly, the roof and simple lines made such an impression on me I had to book in for a proper test drive. Although I've seen countless Beetles, it took the convertible to make me see what I'd been missing all these years. The drive is good, despite the Beetle being a heavy car (even more so with the safety reinforcements in the convertible) and the 1.8T engine shifted me along at a decent rate. The Beetle is not the most practical of cars, however if you view it as a coupe (which it essentially is) rather than a hatchback you'll be more than happy.
After all, the new Beetle was basically a styling exercise that has turned out to be a roaring success. I mean what other car comes with a flower in a vase on the dashboard?! Your Volkswagen dealer can get you a new one relatively quickly, however the second-hand market tells you everything you need to know about owning a Beetle - you'll struggle to get hold of one. It really is the Marmite of the motoring world, those that hate it stay away, and those that buy one are so in love they'll never part.
As for me, I hate Marmite, but I love the Beetle.
About the Author
Pete J Ridgard is a writer and a car enthusiast. He currently writes for the automotive industry. Here he discusses
Car Dealers
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Im looking for a '63 Volkswagen Beetle that runs and is cheap?
I really want '63...'69...or a '72 Volkswagen Beetle that is legal, runs great, cheap, and is for sale in Fresno County, California. It would be my first car.
Being from the Bay Area and driving a VW myself, I would suggest that you will find your best shot in Craigslist. (www.craigslist.org). There are quite a few VW's there in various states and conditions.
You should be able to find one within a 200 mile radius of Fresno easily. If you want to go further, there are a ton of them in Oregon for some unknown reason.
You should look into the car models before you buy and consider your skills. THere are subtle and expensive differences between the cars you cite.
Prior to 66 the cars were 6volt systems.. This means you will have a problem with electrical things (adding radios, accessories,, etc..).
From 71 on there were Bugs and Super Bugs.. different suspensions.. one is easy to maintain (Bugs) and one is better to ride (Super Bugs).
They made an automatic (sort of) model.. avoid it like the plague unless you have a lot of money...
and so on..
Convertibles are expensive.. OLD bugs are expensive.. etc..
But the car is a classic and a lot of fun to drive.. If you have never had one be sure to get a maint. book to help you repair it.. (repairs are generally easy and simple).
good luck...and enjoy your bug..
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Second Half of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Underway
JOLIET, Ill., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup rookie, Kevin Gleason, earned his first career pole this afternoon after leading the field with a lap of 2:46.455 (75.696 mph) making him the fifth different polesitter in the first six races of the 2010 season. "This morning we h
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