The Mighty VW Beatle :0)
This morning I was sitting chatting to a bunch of vets when someone turned the conversation to the subject Of VW Bugs, every guy and his brother had a story. On my way home I realized I really did not know to much of the history of the the worlds once Favourite car. so After some research I came up with the following, enjoy :0)
In 1938 in Wolfsburg Germany the volks wagon Beatle was born, its father was no other than, Ferdinand Porsche and I do not have to tell you about his other Child that fly’s under the radar.
Back in 1934, “Uncle Adolf” supported Ferdinand in building the “GESELLSCHAFT ZUR VORBEREITUNG DES VOLKS WAGENS” which in American means “Company for the Development of Peoples Cars” try saying that in the above German after a few beers!
Ferdinand responded by designing the “VW Bug” and it was an instant hit. It was practical, versatile and economical the perfect car for a master race.
When Hitler went knocking on the doors of Europe, it spread like wild fire. Although the kind of fire Adolf was igniting did not burn much welcome rubber.
After the war in 1945, The British Gave the “Volks Wagon Company” back to the Germany and the “VW” went into full production quickly becoming a best seller and the world’s most popular Automobile.
In 1959, an advertising Company in New York “DOYLE DANE BERNBACH” came up with the Name “Beatle” because of its obvious bug like shape. The car roared into the sixties on a tidal wave of sales becoming an instant hit in the good old USA everyone, especially college students wanted a “VW BEATLE” besides it went with just about any hair-do and was very Sexy.
Nothing like it had been seen before, except of course when you’re great Grandfather stormed the beaches of Normandy and went Joy riding though the “Fatherland” in the “VW” spoils of war early edition drinking Schnapps and singing
“Yankee doodle went to Berlin driving in a beetle,
Kicked the Hun and had some fun
and bought himself a Beagle!”
Ok, just made that up on the spot, Interesting no idea what the beagle was doing ,but I guess it rhymed, OK, all in favor of the beagle staying, say I “I” alright motion carried, now on with the story!
I remember the first VW I owned and as was driving it home the fan belt went! you guessed it, I used a woman’s nylon stocking to get me Home. My sister had a red one, my dad had a Green one that he used for stock car racing, and we also had a Yellow BaHA Bug.
In Ireland, A farmer got his picture on the front page of the local paper when he hitched a plough to the back of his Bug and ploughed his field. He had to stop every so often to clean the dirt out of the air filter.
In the Seventy`s A man Drove his Bug into the English Channel from France and with the aid of rubber paddles on the tires drove across the sea to London England only to sink just inside the Thames estuary.
Bugs Take 30 minutes to sink once they hit the water as they are very water tight.
Today the bug is still around and pretty much the same shape and will always have a place in our hearts, it’s nice to think that something good came out of that Darkness that covered Europe Between 1939 and 1945..long live the Mighty Bug
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