MALIBU, CA - Few vehicles enjoy such public affection as the 1953-'79 Volkswagen Beetle, particularly on the Pacific coast. Interwoven with California surf culture for decades, the iconic Beetle is as much a SoCal mainstay as palm trees, sand, and Ray-Bans.
We're here ostensibly to report on the 2013 Beetle Convertible. However, to the true car lovers amongst us, the new model was eclipsed by a handful of vintage cars that Volkswagen brought to the launch.
On display was the aptly named "Jolly" -- a one-off creation built by Karmann in 1960. A jaunty little turquoise four-seater, the Jolly features wicker seats and a fabric awning on top, complete with a tasseled fringe.
Much as I yearned to get behind the wheel and toodle down the road like Mr. Bean while singing "Down on Jollity Farm," the Jolly was, alas, strictly for looking only.
The disappointment was short-lived though -- and how. Available for short drive loops were three genuine air-cooled vintage drop-top Beetles. Although I'd been a passenger many times during my high school years in a '70s Beetle that was quite possibly the worst winter car I've ever encountered (with aerated floorboards: think Flintstone-mobile), I'd never actually driven one.
So, it was with great relish that I climbed behind the wheel of a 1979 model whose silver paint had acquired the soft burnished patina of old pewter.
Settling onto the broad expanse of cracked vinyl seating, featuring the flaccid bolstering of fossilized horsehair, I inhale the comforting funk of antique sofas, vintage books and unspent fuel. Pleated map pouches line the slab vinyl sides of the doors and faux-wood dash trim, reminiscent of '70s mobile home panelling, adds to the charm.
Turning the key produced the characteristic chug-chugging of 48 raging, arse-engined horsepower.
Notching the long, unwieldy shifter into gear is mostly a guessing game, but fortunately the 4-speed gearbox is pretty easygoing. Likewise for the clutch, whose long engagement is best described as nebulous.
Grinning like a half-wit, I putt-putted along the coastline and headed up into the hills. The Beetle requires a little advance notice of any upcoming stops since any abrupt braking takes it by surprise and tends to overwhelm the delicate drums at all four corners. Not to mention the rubber; this bug is still sporting the same tires it wore when it rolled off the assembly line all those years ago.
While the steep inclines exhausted most of the Beetle's 48 horses, it soldiers on cheerfully like the "Little Engine that Could." When I say "cheerfully," it's hard not to get all anthropomorphic about a car with this much character. That cute, bug-eyed face is such a familiar cultural icon, it's like an old friend.
Chugging through the winding, bougainvillaea lined roads high above the California coastline, I couldn't have been more content. The wind gently ruffling my hair, the tangy scent of the sea air and the companionship of this incredibly likeable car all combined to create one of those rare and perfect moments we all yearn to scratch off our bucket lists.
And just to further up the serendipity quotient, the bug's tubby little boot bears a sticker reading "Don Valley Motors" in Toronto, Ontario.
According to Thomas Tetzlaff, Manager of Media Relations for Volkswagen Canada, the car was imported by Volkswagen Canada in 1979 as one of the very last Beetle Convertibles, ever. Sold wholesale to Don Valley Volkswagen (who, by the way, are still found at their original location just east of the Don Valley Parkway), the Beetle was never sold, nor was it registered.
Somehow, the car ended up back in the care of Volkswagen Canada, where it has remained for decades, occasionally being taken out for display here and at Volkswagen's former headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
When the car left Canada for the California launch of the New Beetle Convertible, it had only 175 original kilometres on the odometer. Yes, you read that correctly -- 175 -- not 175,000 km. Roughly another 125 km were added during the event by the media that jumped at a chance to drive it.
I'd flown over 4,000 kilometres to drive a vehicle that had originally been sold 45 minutes away from my home.
We're here ostensibly to report on the 2013 Beetle Convertible. However, to the true car lovers amongst us, the new model was eclipsed by a handful of vintage cars that Volkswagen brought to the launch.
On display was the aptly named "Jolly" -- a one-off creation built by Karmann in 1960. A jaunty little turquoise four-seater, the Jolly features wicker seats and a fabric awning on top, complete with a tasseled fringe.
Much as I yearned to get behind the wheel and toodle down the road like Mr. Bean while singing "Down on Jollity Farm," the Jolly was, alas, strictly for looking only.
The disappointment was short-lived though -- and how. Available for short drive loops were three genuine air-cooled vintage drop-top Beetles. Although I'd been a passenger many times during my high school years in a '70s Beetle that was quite possibly the worst winter car I've ever encountered (with aerated floorboards: think Flintstone-mobile), I'd never actually driven one.
So, it was with great relish that I climbed behind the wheel of a 1979 model whose silver paint had acquired the soft burnished patina of old pewter.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush |
Settling onto the broad expanse of cracked vinyl seating, featuring the flaccid bolstering of fossilized horsehair, I inhale the comforting funk of antique sofas, vintage books and unspent fuel. Pleated map pouches line the slab vinyl sides of the doors and faux-wood dash trim, reminiscent of '70s mobile home panelling, adds to the charm.
Turning the key produced the characteristic chug-chugging of 48 raging, arse-engined horsepower.
Notching the long, unwieldy shifter into gear is mostly a guessing game, but fortunately the 4-speed gearbox is pretty easygoing. Likewise for the clutch, whose long engagement is best described as nebulous.
Grinning like a half-wit, I putt-putted along the coastline and headed up into the hills. The Beetle requires a little advance notice of any upcoming stops since any abrupt braking takes it by surprise and tends to overwhelm the delicate drums at all four corners. Not to mention the rubber; this bug is still sporting the same tires it wore when it rolled off the assembly line all those years ago.
While the steep inclines exhausted most of the Beetle's 48 horses, it soldiers on cheerfully like the "Little Engine that Could." When I say "cheerfully," it's hard not to get all anthropomorphic about a car with this much character. That cute, bug-eyed face is such a familiar cultural icon, it's like an old friend.
Chugging through the winding, bougainvillaea lined roads high above the California coastline, I couldn't have been more content. The wind gently ruffling my hair, the tangy scent of the sea air and the companionship of this incredibly likeable car all combined to create one of those rare and perfect moments we all yearn to scratch off our bucket lists.
And just to further up the serendipity quotient, the bug's tubby little boot bears a sticker reading "Don Valley Motors" in Toronto, Ontario.
According to Thomas Tetzlaff, Manager of Media Relations for Volkswagen Canada, the car was imported by Volkswagen Canada in 1979 as one of the very last Beetle Convertibles, ever. Sold wholesale to Don Valley Volkswagen (who, by the way, are still found at their original location just east of the Don Valley Parkway), the Beetle was never sold, nor was it registered.
Somehow, the car ended up back in the care of Volkswagen Canada, where it has remained for decades, occasionally being taken out for display here and at Volkswagen's former headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
When the car left Canada for the California launch of the New Beetle Convertible, it had only 175 original kilometres on the odometer. Yes, you read that correctly -- 175 -- not 175,000 km. Roughly another 125 km were added during the event by the media that jumped at a chance to drive it.
I'd flown over 4,000 kilometres to drive a vehicle that had originally been sold 45 minutes away from my home.