|
Post by Marc on Sept 14, 2018 7:04:40 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Toronado3800 on Sept 15, 2018 21:11:58 GMT -6
In that it was a different looking car, that sucks.
Volkswagon I'm not a fan of though.
|
|
|
Post by jeb on Sept 27, 2018 8:21:58 GMT -6
Second end of an era. I drove a '62 with a sunroof in the early 70's. I am tall enough I could stick my arm out the window and back in through the vent wing to drive it. Incredibly easy to work on.
|
|
tigger
Administrator
Posts: 2,844
Staff Member
|
Post by tigger on Sept 27, 2018 21:13:54 GMT -6
Haha, yeah, I learned to drive stick in a late 60's "Bug". I never owned, or more truthfully ever wanted one, but still kind of sad to see an icon go. Hey jeb, what do you mean by "Second end of an era.", the Beetle has been in continuous production (in some form, somewhere in the world) since 1938! 1938-2003 Type I (Beetle) 1998-2011 New Beetle 2011-Pres Beetle
|
|
|
Post by quixote on Oct 2, 2018 17:03:34 GMT -6
I don't think they are bad looking cars, but I remember reading an article that said the New Beetle was actually based on the Jetta platform (unless I forget, maybe it was the Passat), & they decreased the interior/cargo room, to get the Beetle shape.
Volkswagen seems to make some good cars, nice looking cars, but I buy American. I can't call a car "American," if I might have to wait for a part to come from Kyoto or Wolfsberg. I won't miss Beetles any more than I miss seeing their diesel cars.
I can never get over Jeremy Clarkson calling Porsches "Beetles." He was being comical, but he's right. I just watched a 70s/80s video on youtube, where he talked about the rise of the Japanese car makers and how much trouble they have making an attractive car, without it being a 'riff' on someone else's design. (I agree with that, too.) I don't know if that's still true of the Japanese, but you can argue that lots of the car makers are still, or have had that problem --certainly Volkswagen.
The Golf was their small car, but as many/more people don't like it, as dislike the Beetle. Volkswagen seems to be happy to build their brands on riffing a really small number of original looks: Beetle/Porsche or angular (Golf/Jetta/Passat). When Ford did it, it was a sloppy mess, in my opinion.
|
|
|
Post by human on Oct 8, 2018 20:58:16 GMT -6
Kind of sad. I had three Beetles when I was in high school and college. A '72, a Canadian spec. '68 that I rebuilt from salvage parts and a '73 Super Beetle. My main complaint about the new Beetles was they put the engine in the wrong end. Maybe they'll revive it again someday as an electric car. That would be cool.
Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora Coming Soon: 1964 Dynamic 88 Convertible
|
|
|
Post by jeb on Oct 16, 2018 12:57:51 GMT -6
Tigger, you are correct, we just didn't get those here. We could build dune buggies to die in, but not buy a new 1st gen bug. My brother in law has a new style bug, I don't care for it. Guess I'm just a GM guy.
|
|