ALT-3 Automotive History Volkswagen Beetle
This is the story of Adolf's baby.The original Beetle, the real one and not the rebodied Golf, finally went out of production a few years ago. For quite a while before that, the Beetle had been built only in Mexico, though at one time it was churned out by factories all over the world.
The Beetle was Adolf Hitler's idea, as was the Autobahn system. He wanted to create a people's car, or Volkswagen, to permit mobility to all income groups. Our man Adolf specified the design parameters and price, then named it the KDF Wagen, which stands for Kraft Durch Freude Wagen, or strength through joy car. The nickname Beetle came from Mr. H. as well. He said the car should be shaped like a beetle, for good aerodynamics, have a top speed of 100 kph, seat two adults and three children, be powered by an air-cooled engine, and cost no more than the equivalent of ninety pounds sterling. Ferdinand Porsche, who was assigned to construct the car, didn't like the name but probably knew better than to argue with a murderous dictator.
The VW factory, which is now the largest automobile manufacturing plant in the world, was located near the castle of Wolfsburg. It's owner, the Earl of Schulenburg, had been thrown off his land. The first prototype was shown in 1939 and caused a sensation because of it's innovative design. Actually, the basic shape came from a Porsche design from a few years back called the Wanderer, and the independent suspension had also previously been patented by this talented designer.
Some of the best features of the Bug were that suspension, air-cooling, a sealed underbody with nothing to snag on rock and stumps, and a rear mounted engine for traction as well as passenger space. Rear engine placement works efficiently if the motor is light and has relatively low power. Oh yes, the Beetle was so well built and sealed that it could float. Slap an Evinrude on the back bumper and go fishing.
The Beetle was our family's first car. It was a green 1956, bought third hand from my uncle, who had driven it from Vancouver to Halifax for his honeymoon. Dad learned to drive in that car. Once he accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake, and bumped into the back of a bus. The obvious advantage of something with only about thirty horsepower is that it takes a while to generate speed, so the impact was minor.
That Beetle carried us to all kinds of adventures, churning it's way to remote lakes and campsites, bouncing over corduroy roads and logging trails, then transporting the entire family and all our possessions to Montreal from Halifax. My little private domain was the boot behind the back seat.
Years later I drove a Super Beetle during a cold Banff winter. The heater didn't work very well, but otherwise the car was bulletproof. Armed with warm clothes and an ice scraper, (for the inside of the windshield) we scrambled over slick roads and through some wild snowstorms. These Beetles were real cars, mercifully without the flower vases, which made the scene when the Bug became trendy in California. In common with other great entry level cars, from the Model T Ford to the Citroen Deux Chevaux, there was an essential honesty to the design. These vehicles were not created through committees and public forums; they came from a sound idea well executed.
The real Beetle will be around for a while. There are thousands of clubs dedicated to preserving and restoring these cars. The new Beetle, cute and trendy though it is, will never generate this kind of loyalty. For personal use I'd rather have a nice, utilitarian Golf than the Revlon version, though it is fun to drive and my blonde neighbour looks stunning in hers. I do wish she'd dump the flowerpot and bits of macram trim, but to each his or her own.
The Bug almost didn't survive the war, as the factory had been heavily bombed and was due to be demolished. At the last moment, the Brits changed their minds, and a group of dedicated former employees took on the task of re-starting production. At first they were building only a few cars, and these from pre-war leftovers, but within a few years improved versions were selling in the tens of thousands. As for Ferdinand Porsche, he was falsely accused of war crimes and imprisoned in France. He was declared innocent in 1947, and finally returned to Germany in 1949. It is said that he broke down in tears upon seeing so many Beetles on the road.
I'm sure many of you have your own VW memories. Forget CD players and pumped up stereos. To a family in their first car, there was no finer road music than the rasp of a thirty horsepower air-cooled engine.
