25 years ago when I had one, we called them bugs, not beetles, although
either would do. The Beatles were still popular then so we didn't use beetle much.

I was two years older than my 1962 bug, which was my first car.
Day-glow green baja, 6v, 40 hp, 4 spd, 30+ mpg hwy, 55+mph with a tail wind.
I drove that car all over the USA, no air, no cruise, no nothing.
Between me and the rest of my family at least five bugs are accounted for.

Anyone who buys a cheap car that should last a long time is a bug person
in my book, Scion, Element, and maybe the new micro honda (and toyota)
coming out this year will also qualify.

But there is no modern equivalent to the bug phenomenon. We have never
again seen a strangely cute car that was dirt cheap and lasted forever.

It was so popular that 20-25 years ago there were *many* shops that
repaired exactly one car, the bug.

They are long gone now.

 

I look forward to the day when we are looked back on as the trend-setters and when a hybrid car is seen as retro... because hopefully someday in my lifetime we'll all be driving hydrogen vehicles-- or something even better!

Have you seen that magazine ad where there's a guy leaning out the window of a car looking down at the vehicle next to him and says: "That thing runs on gasoline? Man, I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid!"

--A

 

Air Cooled baby~

Ahh yes my 1973 Black & Yellow Racer edition Super Beetle, bought it in 2000 for $2500 and repaint $600, New 60hp motor another $1900. new empi 8 spokes $500, had a slight rake to the front due to ajust-a-struts, nice stereo & swamp cooler on the right side window, the ultamate chick magnet! I used to stop in gas stations Blasting tunes from my American Graffiti CD, get out go in get a coke and lean on the fender smoke and just hang out.. and the chicks would oogle at the car.. Ahh yes those were the days... in 2003 sold the car for $2500 (worth a ton more as it was a special edition) to my nephew who still has the car to this day..

You can still get them but as with everything else they cost more below is an example of a copany that still makes/sells parts...

http://www.800luvbugg.com/shop?store=2

 

I traded in my very cool 2003 New Beetle Convertible (Mellow Yellow), for my 2006 HCHII, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm staying on the cutting edge of Cool!

Aneil

 

For what it's worth, my second car was a 1970 Bug.

 

Ah, memory lane. I had a '71 Superbeetle. For some unknown reason, Volkswagen decided for a couple of years (maybe less) to put something called an "automatic stick" transmission in them. Mine had one. Absolute worst transmission ever built, bar none. Okay, I'm opening myself up here, but it was horrible. They apparently thought that having a vacuum operated clutch was a good idea, and maybe it was, but it's three speeds were geared for:
2. Highway speeds
1. Below 8 mph
L. Pulling tree stumps.

It was hard to get through an intersection with it. Blehh!!