The Volkswagen Beetle: A beloved Motor Bug’s life

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The Volkswagen Beetle: A beloved Motor Bug’s life

To understand the story of any car, we must learn about its creator. We know that during the Third Reich, Germany produced the Volkswagen, the vehicle for the masses. But how did this idea come about?

The Genius who designed the car of his dreams. Image source: Stuttcars

The story of the Volkswagen Beetle can be traced back to the young genius Ferdinand Porsche, a young engineer with no formal qualifications, whose unrelenting idea gave birth to one of the most beloved cars of all time. He began his career as a chief engineer at Lohner when he was just 23 years old.

A few years later, he joined a firm that would come to be known as the Austro-Daimler, where he looked after the design and production of a car popular amongst the royalty- the Maja. When he became the Managing Director in 1916, Porsche realised that there might be scope for cars that were compact, economical, and of good performance.

However, this idea was immediately discarded as Porche's superiors declared that a working man could never be a 'potential customer', not to mention that the production of the small cars would be a phenomenal risk. Thus, they stuck to building big fancy cars for the top one per cent.

In 1923, Porsche joined Daimler Benz and began working on his idea of making a small car. Yet again, the board thwarted his efforts, resulting in Porsche's resignation from the company.

It was only in 1931 that Porsche's idea was backed by the owner of Zundapp Motorcycle, Dr Fritz Neumeyer. He was a man with a vision of the 'Volksauto' and supported Porsche in his endeavours.

Although the Beetle was Porsche's brainchild, the idea would have never materialised had it not been for Adolf Hitler. Although Hitler was a controversial figure, he did spend much of his time reading other people's life stories. He recognised the repercussions of the crash of '29 yet tried to promote car ownership. It was only in 1933 that he actively worked on his vision of investing in a car for the masses.

While the 1960 Beetle holds a special place in car enthusiasts' lives and can be seen in the streets of Goa and Bombay, their world came crashing down when the final production of the Beetle happened in Mexico in 2003.

Owners of the 1960 Beetle say that the Beetle produced since 1998 had nothing in common with the original one except for its name and body design. In all other ways, it's a typical modern car.

A recurring interesting feature is when owners describe the car as a living entity that treats you as you treat it. They describe it as the best and most convenient car to drive and maintain, yet the trickiest and most capricious when neglected.

A noticeable change in the model produced after the 60s was described by the owner of an extremely rare 1956 Beetle. He said that the model that came out between '53 and '56 had a small "oval glass rear windscreen", replaced by a rectangular one in '57.

With plenty of stories everywhere, one becomes privy to the special bond shared by a person and their car. In this case, the Beetle saw proposals, magical moments that would only happen in moves, restorations, hope, and emotional partings.

As the world moves towards more sustainable forms of transportation, there was news of the vintage car going, a canary yellow 1948 Beetle going electric.

On 8th January 2022, the 1960 Volkswagen Beetle was auctioned by Big Boy Toyz (BBT). This model is said to have almost all elements of Porsche's original design.

Indians' affection for the motor bug was also depicted in Bollywood. Movies such as Aisha and Break Ke Baad featured the Beetle, and die-hard fans of the car were happy as ever.

Although the Beetle is not produced anymore, we can undoubtedly say that it represented an era of possibilities- the best of the human spirit through the most difficult and tremendous times.

So when Hitler and Porsche met in 1934, Hitler was delighted to see the motor design, especially the 'air cooled' concept that didn't allow the engine to heat up quickly. Of course, he added a few elements of his own and emphasised that the car had to be produced under 1000 marks because the people's savings had fallen below that price due to the economic depression.

Once this was settled, Porsche had the support of the state and unlimited funds at his disposal. However, there were many hurdles along the way. Despite the foundation of the Volkswagen plant being laid in 1938, the production of the Beetle began in full swing only by the end of the 1940s.

After the war, there was a boom in car production, and the Beetle adorned the streets around the world. Its unique bug-like design was adorable and chic for the time. However, in the 60s, the Beetle faced stiff competition in the west from other car makers such as Honda and Toyota.

The story of the Beetle in India has been nothing less than a wholesome love affair. For some people, it was their first car. It is said that the Portuguese brought their beetles when they came to Goa and perhaps that’s how it all began.

Although the Beetle was expensive and many had to let go of it initially, as soon as they could afford to buy a car, they bought the Beetle and took a drive around the city. Many even had their Beetles restored to give them a more 'vintage' look.