Herbie Rides Again

My first car was a bright yellow 1975 fuel-injected VW Beetle. I worshipped that car as it was my ticket to freedom from the suffocating suburbs.

It had personality, quirks and no heat but I adored it just the same. On really hot days I had to park it on an incline so that I could pop start it with the clutch after getting it rolling. Dad and I replaced the injectors a number of times though the most memorable time I had to drive up to the bank to get some money before they closed and on the way home I saw what looked like my father driving behind me. When I parked in the driveway, sure enough, it was Dad behind me leaping out of his car yelling "Shut it off! Shut it off!" Apparently, in the rush to get the injectors replaced we didn't get the seal on one of the gas lines tightly enough and it was spewing gas all over the magnesium block. :)

The floorboards on Bugs were notorious for rusting away and mine was no exception. Driving back from a college prank with a friend we were soaked when I drove through a rather large puddle on the highway which spewed water up into the car and she squeaked, "It's fucking Orca!". There were 2 inches of water on the floor of the car and we were drenched but I still giggle whenever I remember it.

In the winter I would freeze since the heat never really worked but years later I would find the hose that was supposed to carry heat into the interior of the car was never connected to the vents. I had vanity plates to express my love for my bright yellow love bug; amo id.

I am ruthlessly unsentimental about personal possessions but still I think of that car fondly and wish I could drive it again. You could see the bright yellow a mile away and hear the engine nearly as far. Even now I can tell the sound of an old VW Beetle before I lay eyes on the car itself. Perhaps it's because the car came of age with me or maybe it's because few cars have the sort of charm the VW Beetle has but the new Beetles just aren't the same.

The book Bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile prompted my waxing nostalgia for my old bug. It explores the history of the Bug and delves into the cultural phenomenon it became. The SUV will be forgotten eventually but the Bug's charm and place in our memories will remain.