by Gill Cave
That’s it. Enough is enough. No more. I’m not listening to the sob story of the car that is going to be crushed unless we rescue it, the car that would be great for spares, the car that doesn’t come up for sale every day and is just around the corner, the car that would be so much fun to drive round in, the car that you’ve been drooling over for years and never thought you’d have the chance to own…etc. etc. etc.
There are some people that have room for just one Volkswagen model in their heart. They find their perfect car and love and cherish it with a passion that excludes all else. They may not drive it every day, preferring to let a “modern” car put up with the humdrum of everyday commutes, school runs and trips to the supermarket. But when they do get behind the wheel, the joy is tangible and the bond is deepened further with every shared journey.
I have to admit to finding this a fascinating quality; mainly because it is one that I do not and never expect to possess. From the age of 18, when I took possession of my full driver’s licence, until my early-twenties I was largely uninterested in cars. They were a means to an end, giving me the freedom every young adult yearns for, getting me from A to B – hopefully without breaking down. But that was pretty much it as far as emotional attachment went.
Then something happened. I met a certain unique individual by the name of Paul, and became drawn into his world of classic Volkswagens, with shows to attend almost every weekend through the summer months and cars that had personalities and quirks that appealed to my inner hippie. And as I began to see more and more of the variety that aircooled Volkswagens offered I found there were so many things to fall in love with in so many of them. You see I adore the shape of a Sixties Bug and was thrilled when I first discovered that the driving position was made just perfectly for a girl of my limited stature (as long as the seat squabs haven’t completely collapsed). I also became quickly beguiled by the striking styling of the Type 3 Karmann Ghia, those tactile “razor edge” lines along each side and mean looking eyebrows. For fun in the sun a beach buggy was the perfect choice – no question about it, and for weekends away and easy-going holidays a Camper was a dream to own. Of course, it all started with just one VW Beetle. But within a few years we had not been able to restrict ourselves to just one model and housed a happy family of aircooled Volksies that included a Squareback, beach buggy, Razor Edge and Bay Window Camper as well. Each with their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses to appreciate and to berate in almost equal measure.
So for us it could never just be one. We both love too many things about too many models. Our family is made up of different cars now, but it is equally varied. I still have a Sixties Beetle, though sadly not the same one which I have to admit was the love of my life and I wish I still owned. FAB 65 was a gift from Paul because he knew how much I missed my old Bug. And right now I’m appreciating the humor and elegance of the slowest sportscar of them all, a 1962 Type 1 Karmann Ghia. Humor? Well yes, because you have to assume VW had a sense of humor when they decided that a 1200cc engine was quite sufficient for their “sportscar” for racing along the autobahns. But then if it went any faster no-one would have enough time to take in those gorgeous curves would they! A Fastback fulfils the Type 3 spot in the garage and is a work in slow progress, and there is still a Bay Window Camper in the fold, though not quite on the road yet, but tantalisingly full of promise for relaxing weekends away from it all. Can’t wait. But of course that’s not quite the whole VW story. There’s a couple of other Buses that need full on rebuilds, one from the Fifties that we’ve owned for over 14 years and which will one day get the restoration it was promised, and one from the Sixties that is a project Paul’s dad has had plans to complete for even longer, and which we’ve now added to our collection. But I’m absolutely certain there will be no more…although now I come to think about it a Karmann Cabriolet Super Beetle does have a certain appeal, or a Thing maybe, and since we’ve never had a convertible before perhaps I could be persuaded…
And what about you – VW monogamist or polygamist?
Leave a Reply