The Volkswagen Beetle "cheap cars mostly failed"??

Tim

Tim

Creative Writer
Today I found a picture in a story about the birth of the Autobahn where the label says, "Since the simultaneous effort to provide cheap cars (mostly Volkswagen) mostly failed"

250px-VolkswagenBeetle-001.jpg


Did it really fail? This is the first I've heard about it. The Beetle was made for so long that it cannot feasibly be called a failure! A cheap car that potters along and doesn't break down that often really, with models lasting 3 times as long as modern cars if looked after carefully. We had one bought new in about 1975 whilst living in berlin and whilst it was noisy, slow and the back seats burnt your legs in summer, a car is a car!

8691249.stm
BBC News - In pictures: Hitler's autobahn dream Image 7 has the caption I quoted from.

have you ever owned a Beetle or wished you had? Do you consider it a mechanical, technological or economic failure to provide the people with an affordable, reliable automobile?

Volkswagen Beetle - Wikipedia
 
With a production run from 1938 to 2003, no way was "the Bug" a failure. They were all over the midwest, and are still on the road.

Of course, here's where the Volkswagen started! Yes, that's Schicklgruber himself seated in one of the first bugs!

99721_f520.jpg
 
The Volkswagen Super Beetle - My favorite model

I owned a 1973 SUPER BEETLE over two decades ago and I miss that awesome little car. It was bright glossy yellow, it had big thick treaded tires, crome hot rod rims, original black interior, a heater and air conditioner. I loved it, unfortunately it was totaled in an auto accident, my passenger and I were fine. But alas, poor Volks, I knew it well...rest in pieces. By the way, at the time, everyone wanted a BIG car, so all of those little gems were overlooked.
 
Ours was the standard red one. I think everything on the autobahn moved faster than us! Underpowered, not trendy, but it was an affordable car that meant we could get around and do things as a family, rather than being trapped on the estates.
 
Tim, since the quote is "mostly failed", I think the VW Beetle would fall into the category of those few that didn't. ;)
 
Back
Top