As a member of a club devoted to all things VW, I often wonder what inspired others to become members. Certainly the camaraderie is an important factor, but the question that intrigues me is, What got us interested in Volkswagens in the first place? There are probably as many stories of inspiration as there are dandelions in my front yard, and with that said, here is mine. I was born in 1959, and I can remember about as far back as 1962 when I was about two and a half years old. In those days, generally only one parent was the breadwinner, and so it was with my father. We only had one car, and besides, my mother didn’t know how to drive. The one car we had was a 1957 Oval Window Beetle that was purchased „new“ in Kansas City. I say „new“ because at at that time, there were waiting lists much like there would be forty years later with the New Beetle. Back in 1957, my father’s 1946 Chevy was worn out, and he started his search for a new car. He became interested in Volkswagens after reading about them. A good ten years before hippies would exercise nonconformity, my father wanted a car that would stand out from the usual gigantic tail-finned, gas-guzzling dinosaurs that roamed the earth during that period. It cost less, too. For a little over $1700, he acquired a salesman’s demonstrator with a few kilometers showing on the odometer. Yes, kilometers. This was a European-spec model, complete with semaphores and one-piece bumpers. Thanks to my father, by the time I was five years old, I knew that 100 kilometers was 62 miles. It was fun to watch my friends gasp as we would cruise down the highway at 62 mph while they thought we were going 100. It would be many years before I would start driving, but I knew that I would be driving a Volkswagen someday. When I was in elementary school in the mid and late 1960’s, the Muscle-Car Era, the boys in my classes would argue about which cars were better, depending, of course, on what their fathers drove. Most of the time, it was Mustang vs. Corvette vs. Charger vs.GTO. I got many laughs when I contributed Volkswagen to the debates, but I didn’t care. I thought the „Bug“ was better-looking than any of those other cars, and I still do. I didn’t and still don’t care about 0-60 times. It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and as VW owners, we can all concur. Sadly, in 1970, after 13 years of loyal service and about 257,000 kilometers (160,000 miles), it was my father’s decision that it was no longer cost-effective to keep the car. Many trips to Oklahoma and road salt in the Midwest winters began to take its’ toll, and when the amateur patching of bodywork no longer helped, it was time to say good- bye to our Beetle. A salvage yard only offered $25 for the car, so my father gave it to a friend as a parts car. I fought back tears as the friend gave us a ride back home. I got my Driver’s license in 1976, but I was in a hand-me-down Ford Maverick. Considering the way I drove when I was 16, it’s nothing short of a miracle that I am alive to write this 28 years later. Moving on to 1978, at last I had my own VW, a 1971 Super Beetle. In the early 1980’s, I had two more Beetles. In 2000, after trying various other makes, I longed for a VW again and bought my 1996 Golf, followed by a 1969 Beetle three years later, since I believe I was the only CVVWC member to not have a classic air-cooled model. In my nearly 45 years of life in this world, I have calculated that 20 of those have been with a Volkswagen. I have reached the point of no return now. I will always own a VW of some sort. My 11-year-old daughter has already picked her first car, a New Beetle. Kids have a tendency to change their minds, but in this case, I don’t think she will. It runs in the family. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil
