VW Beetle: iconic, simple and easy to maintain

 

Classic car enthusiasts rolled out various models the Volkswagen Beetle in a car show held at Quezon City Hall over the weekend to commemorate the 78th World Volkswagen Day.

 

But not all of the classic cars displayed by members of the Volkswagen Club of the Philippines were the iconic Beetle. Some of the models included the 1970's VW Camper buses adorned with decals from the Rolling Stones.

 

Another VW Camper bus, adorned with decals of such icons as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, was converted into a rolling store of vinyl records and other memorabilia of the decade.

 

Also, not all of the Beetles shown were of the vintage type. While the oldest Beetle on the show was a 1951 model, there were also relaunched Beetles from the mid-2000s.

 

While the Beetle has evolved over the decades since it was first launched in 1937 as the people's car, it remains a classic icon, said VW Club president Doy Bondoc.

 

"The Beetle is something very simple, very economic, and the model has not changed in 50 years. It's the same shape that Ferdinand Porsche refused to alter. The alterations are very small, the headlights, the taillights, but the basic eggshell shape has remained from inception," Bondoc noted.

 

At a time when a car is measured by its horsepower and digital amenities, what place do classic cars have on the road today?

 

More than nostalgia, Bondoc said, classic cars reflect what modern motorists desire in this day and age – something inconic, simple and easy to maintain.

 

"They (classic car enthusiasts) go for the simplicity of the vintage cars like the Beetle, the Mini Cooper, the Mustang. Anything old, and reliable, and in good condition, commands a good price, sometimes even more than the modern Japanese or German cars," Bondoc said.

 

Bondoc said some classic cars are still valid as a great ride on the road today.

 

"Mechanically, it's so simple... No computers. If it goes through floods, shake it down. The day after, you run. If it's a terrible flood, change the oil, dry it out... The day after, it will run.

 

"It... is so simple to maintain, and it is inexpensive to maintain. That's what makes it beautiful: it's simple, it's iconic, it has character over time," Bondoc added. – VS, GMA News