The Beetle: A German icon
The fourth edition of Wheels of the West Rand brings one of Germany's icons … the Volkswagen Beetle.
One of the most produced cars in history remains one of the most iconic and never fails to draw people’s attention.
Yes, the Volkswagen Beetle. Almost everyone has a not-so-fond memory of a buddy yelling, ‘punch buggy’, followed by a punch on the shoulder.
Joshua Nieuwenhuizen is showing off his nearly 100% original, 1974 Beetle in the fourth edition of Wheels of the West Rand, powered by the Krugersdorp News. Joshua said that the car stole his heart when he first saw it a year and a half ago when he bought and drove it back from Mossel Bay.
“I’ve always been a VW guy since my first car, a VW Golf MK 1, and when I saw my Beetle, I just had to have it! I wanted something where VW started, and the Beetle is a perfect example of the VW’s history,” Joshua said.
He said that his example of the 21.5 million produced cars (the 1974 Beetle had 791 053 examples produced), is unique due to its beautiful two-tone paint of blue and white, with a roof rack and even a sound system he had installed.
“The car always draws attention. I also go to car shows, where I won some awards. Its originality speaks for itself,” he added.
“It has a 1600cc, carbureted, air-cooled engine at the rear, just like a Porsche,” he jokingly said.
He said, as a petrolhead, the Beetle is one of the easiest cars you can work on, and that you can remove the entire engine by just unscrewing a few bolts.
News journalist Heinrich Greyling went for a drive in this German icon.
“For a 50-year-old car, it has surprising comfort, considering the ancient suspension. Unsurprisingly, it is not the fastest car, but it is made up by the fact that you feel like a total hippie while driving.
“The interior of the car transports you back to a more simplistic time … manual windows, no aircon, and a humongous steering wheel for turning it, due to no power steering. The VW Beetle, although there were so many produced, remains one of the most iconic, and will go down in history as such,” Heirich said.
