The venerable Volkswagen Beetle is something Baby Boomers
associate with the ‘60s. Mass produced by the Germans after World War II, the “people’s
car” became a symbol for a generation, a symbol of peace, love, hippies and
surfing culture.
Possibly the world’s
most recognizable automobile, it was a favorite of Adolf Hitler who had a few
made for German elite. Designed by
Ferdinand Porsche (yeah, that Porsche), the original design called “Type I”
featured an air cooled rear engine and a trunk in the front.
The “Bug” also has a place in American pop culture:
“Herbie, the Love Bug” was a popular Disney movie starring
Dean Jones, Michelle Lee and Buddy Hackett and “Herbie,” the white Love Bug
himself.
Sue Grafton’s detective Kinsey Millhone sports a green VW
bug in many of Grafton’s “alphabet” books.
A green VW bug is pictured on the cover of “G is for Gumshoe.”
A “Rolls-Royce” adaptation kit was sold to make VW Beetles
look like the iconic British touring vehicle from the front.
Advertising for the “ugly” car ranged from showing how the
tightly sealed car could float to an outline of the iconic lines of the car.
When my husband and I became engaged, we decided to replace
his ’73 LeMans. On the way to the used
car lot to get the “new” car, he wired the tailpipe with a coat hanger to keep
it from dragging the ground. Yeah, it
was time for a new car.
I co-signed the loan.
He picked out the car and then we went together to see what he bought.
He chose a -73 red Volkswagen Beetle which cost $500.
Leaving the LeMans behind, we drove out from the lot onto
busy Florida highway 19 toward home. As he steered the little car across three
lanes for the turn, he said, “By the way, I’ve never drive a stick shift before.”
This was just the beginning of the love-hate relationship
with the car, which we named “Edna Boom-Boom Garrett” (for reasons I don’t remember.)
My grandmother lived in Clearwater and one night My Beloved picked her up at
the Ye Olde Double Wide Trailer Park and brought her over to our apartment for
dinner.
I asked her, “How did you like riding in a Bug?” (She owned an Oldsmobile 98, the last in a
series of very large Oldsmobiles.)
She said, “Well, it was great until he turned the corner and
we went on three wheels.”
Edna took My Beloved to work on heavily-travelled Pinellas
County streets. She was a magnet for old
drivers in large vehicles, who were aiming to ruin someone’s day. On two days – a week apart on Belcher Street –
Edna was smacked and dented by large American sedans with elderly drivers. Each of those repairs cost $500.
Anything that went wrong with that car cost $500. No
questions asked. Dents. $500.
New transmission. $500. Wash and set.
$500.
We moved to Tampa for My Beloved to go to graduate school
and Edna came with us along with our “good” car, a 1981 Chevette. That's right, the “good” car.
Our fortunes improved after we moved to Tampa and we sold
Edna to buy a Volvo. Wanna guess how
much we sold her for? That's right, $500.
Information for this article came from: http://thinkingouttabox.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/vintage-vw-beetle-ads/
