The Volkswagen Beetle, icon and car

The Volkswagen Beetle represents many things to many people. To some it is an example of German efficiency, to others it is a childhood companion. For everyone who has driven or ridden in one it represents something different, reminding them of different things. But whatever memories this car stirs up in its admirers, the universal view of the VW Beetle is as a symbol of an era. What would the hippie cult image look like were it not for the Beetle and its cousin the Volkswagen Type 1 a.k.a. the VW Hippie bus (a major counter cultural icon, and the spiritual ancestor to "art cars")? What about surfer culture? From its appearance in the 1968 film "The Love Bug" (and the subsequent four sequels), and Woody Allen's film "Sleeper", to its appearance on The Beatles' iconic record "Abbey Road", the Beetle seems almost inseparable from American culture (especially during the 60s and 70s).

Because of its success, it has sometimes been called Hitler's revenge, because it conquered the world, and because of its very poor performance. This brings us to an interesting part in the Beetle's history. In 1933, Adolf Hitler (yes, the Adolf Hitler), ordered Ferdinand Porsche (who would also found Porsche motors) to develop a "Volks-Wagen", which in German means "People's Car". In accordance to its name (which heralded its career as an "everyman's car"), the VW Beetle was first sold on the market with a greatly reduced price. For its time, the "people's car" was new and very practical. It could seat two adults and three children, and reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). These features are light years from being practical by today's standards (the modern appeal of the Beetle being rather sentimental), but in its day it was a cheap, reliable, and spacious alternative to many other much larger and more expensive automobiles.

Perhaps another reason for the Beetle's widespread fan base is the fact that it was also a symbol of the rebellion of the young. Their rebellion was against their middle-aged, Buick/Cadillac-driving parents and teachers, who (from their point of view) were living comfortably off the war economy (Vietnam and other conflicts), and off the general social unrest that pervaded that era. From the point of view of the "under 30" age group, the VW Beetle was the "it" car. Simply put, it was a cheap method of rebelling against the comfort that the counterculture movement thought America had unfairly created for itself.

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