Collectors who caught the error


Most of us don’t find bugs cute, but Volkswagen’s Bug might bring smiles. Unofficially called both the Beetle and the Bug, the original Volkswagen Type 1 is the happy little car that won the hearts of American drivers with its quirky personality, unique looks and brilliant advertising campaign.

Although beloved today, the car that made Volkswagen a major automaker was born infamously as the pet project of Adolf Hitler, who wanted an inexpensive vehicle for the average German. But in Hitler’s time the car never got off the ground. Ferdinand Porsche and his team completed their design by 1938, but wartime production took precedence and the Beetle was not mass-produced until the late 1940s.

Porsche is traditionally considered the creator of the Beetle, but its position in 1953 challenged In court, by Hungarian engineer Bela Barenyi, who claimed to have designed a very similar machine for Mercedes-Benz before Porsche made its first Beetle. Thus, Bug was born to two fathers who were fighting.

While 600 horsepower isn’t uncommon in high-performance cars today, it can be hard to imagine how one could fall in love with a car that only had 25 horsepower in its first iteration and took almost forever to reach a top speed of 62 mph. hour. But a growing number of classic car collectors and VW enthusiasts adore old Beetles, models from 1949 to 1965 with 40 horsepower or less and speeds of 60 to 72 mph. Once they achieve acceptable acceleration, pokey Beetles are loved.

How dear? Matthew Smith, a Ph.D. Dr., a candidate at the University of Manchester in England, bases her thesis on the special place the small car has in many people’s lives and how this relationship can promote positive mental health. Mr. Smith practices what he preaches: He owns countless Beetles, the oldest of which is 1954.

The fan base is large, and the barriers to entry into this corner of the collector’s market are relatively low – think $20,000 to $30,000 for a fine specimen and significantly less for a project car.

“I’m in love with Swoon,” said Lourdes Orive of Beaux Arts Village in Washington State. The Swoon is a 1960 Beetle manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany and sold by Hans Moosmaier, a dealer in Bamberg.

A German grocery cart semaphore turn signals opens from column B to indicate a change of direction. With just 36 horsepower, the Swoon isn’t in a rush to get anywhere, spending more than half a minute to reach her top speed of 68 mph (Yes, Swoon is a woman, mature and classy, ​​according to Miss Orive.)

“The woman is a feeling I get when I ride it,” said Ms Orive, who didn’t mind the pokey acceleration. “The beauty is, I don’t have to go anywhere fast,” she said. “It reminds me to take life at a more reasonable pace.”

Many people name their cars, but Beetle owners seem more inclined than most. get tips Herbie, the Love Bug? Female names are common in posts in Facebook Beetle groups.

Ohio-based Doug and Nancy Barber purchased their 1964 Beetle from the granddaughter of the second owner. The car, now known as the Bella, was driven for 85,150 meticulously documented miles before being mostly taken off the road and retiring to a pampering life in 1983. Bella underwent an extensive grooming and beautification procedure each fall until her owner died in 2018. Those 35 years added just 2,630 miles to the odometer.

The car now lives in a climate-controlled garage and is maintained and appearance renewed every fall. Since the barbers bought the car, they’ve driven about 3,000 miles a year: a maximum of 65 miles in the right lane.

“When we get to Bella, everything is 1964 again,” said Mr. Barber, a retired teacher and automotive historian who has owned six Volkswagens. This connection may be due to his mother chauffeuring him in a ’60s Beetle when he was younger. It’s no coincidence that Mommy Bug wears the same “teal” paint as Bella.

“All sensations are the same. It’s like I remember. It smells just as I remember it,” said Mr. Barber.

This scent is the classic VW aroma emanating from the coconut hair seat padding, something Beetle lovers embrace. Perhaps the fact that the smell of the upholstery is an important feature is testament to the simplicity of the car. But other practical features stand out.

“They were what they were: affordable, reliable, repairable and relatable,” Mr. Barber said.

Other Insects are given male names. Mike Betz of George, Iowa, bought his ’64 Beetle from a man named Roy and named the car Roy. Why not? The car is original, just repainted and subjected to a 12 volt conversion. (Early VWs relied on a somewhat unreliable six-volt electrical system.)

Mr. Betz drives his Beetle regularly and reports that the 40-horsepower machine’s first gear is slow, but the top gears of the four-speed manual transmission are slightly stronger.

But collectors don’t go for Beetles for speed. For many, the attraction lies in the very simple nature of the automobile. advertising campaign Created by Doyle Dane Bernbach for Volkswagen in 1959. The first ad featured a small photo of the Beetle and the caption “Think Small”.

Sherry Hendershot of Spencerport, New York has had Beetles for 40 years. One of their current cars is a practical late model, and the other is a 36-horsepower 1960 model. He named her Flo.

“Older Bugs are more utilitarian,” said Ms. Hendershot. “They are for the gullible. I love the old-fashioned look without a metal dashboard and lots of bells and whistles. Vinyl padded no lines. ”

Miss Hendershot fell in love with small cars at an early age. Science teacher Mr. Warren drove him home in his Beetle when he was a 15-year-old high school student. “I’ve been in love with them ever since,” she said.

As if to underline her dedication, Miss Hendershot recently purchased another Beetle, a largely original ’59. more love.

Although the unhurried nature of insects is usually a plus, there are also opponents. Jeff Spearn of Searcy, Ark. owns a ’56 Beetle, which he modified to make it as fast as most muscle cars. Equipped with a 2.3-liter VW engine and a host of speed gear, the tiny 200-horsepower Bug can hit a quarter mile in 13 seconds at 100 mph. And yes, the regular hot stick on the stick and the special car show circuit have a name: Dark Horse.

But Mr. Spearn also has a fully stocked, coral red 36 horsepower ’56 Beetle. A third ’56 Beetle is disassembled in preparation for reincarnation. When Mr. Spearn was 15, he used $45 of paper road money to buy a beaten Beetle. After rebuilding the carburetor and installing a new harness, he was able to drive it around the block and provided transportation during his high school years.

Mr Spearn said the bugs provide “relaxing entertainment”. “You can’t escape having a good time while driving a Volkswagen.”



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