"Hmm, can I see the Beetle?" was my reply. I just wanted to see if it was punch buggy yellow or orange. It was an industrial silver.
"Okay, I'll take the Beetle."
In a few moments, I was behind the wheel of a Beetle for the first time in, well, 40 years. But, this was not a vintage '60s or '70s Beetle. It was a New Beetle, a 2013 model to be precise.
I first drove a Beetle as a delivery boy while a senior in high school. The pharmacy I worked at had two of them, one light blue and the other orange. They were fun to motor around town in, but I guess any car is when you first get your driver's license.
One of the pharmacists, a young guy with long dark hair and a beard, had a red convertible Beetle. Boy, did he look cool when he pulled in or out of the parking lot with his roof down.
A college friend of mine also had a light blue Beetle. While I poured loads of money into a different used car and repairs every year, he drove his Beetle with few expenses for repairs or gas the whole time we were undergraduates. The only issue the little Bug had was a permanent stain on the passenger door after someone threw up on it.
Over 20 million Beetles have been manufactured by Volkswagen since 1938 in factories across the world, including in Europe, Mexico, Brazil, Asia and Africa. Yet, it seems each Bug has its own personality -- and owners that are fond of them for years afterwards.
I remember when the New Beetle was first introduced in 1997, 17 years after the original Beetle was no longer available in the US. My six-year-old son was so excited to see a red one in a neighbor's driveway, he went over and got a ride in it. Shortly afterwards, he and I made a blue Beetle for a Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby race. (Alas, we were reminded that the Beetle was never a speed demon.)
My Beetle rental car and I did well together for the 50 hours I had its keys this week. Unlike the '70s models I first drove, this one had power windows -- and cruise control. Whoooo, take it easy there, little Bug.
It only snarled at me once, after I parked it overnight behind a huge Ford pickup truck. "Don't you ever leave me behind one of those again!" I think I heard it say.
Oh, and one morning it wouldn't open its trunk, despite my repeated attempts to unlock it. I can't imagine what the Beetle thought I was going to do back there, especially since it no longer has an engine in the rear.
After fueling it up, I returned it to the rental car lot, took a picture and said goodbye, and hoped it would delight another customer with a trip down memory lane.
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