| As a member of a car club I often wonder
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| | my classes would argue which cars were
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| what inspires others like myself to join
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| | better, depending, of course, on what
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| such an organization. Certainly the
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| | their fathers drove. Most of the time it
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| cameraderie, the sense of being part of a
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| | was Mustang vs. Corvette vs. Charger vs.
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| big family, is an important factor. The
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| | GTO. I got many laughs when I contributed
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| club I belong to is devoted to all
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| | Volkswagens to the debates, but I didn't
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| Volkswagens, old and new. The question
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| | care. I thought the "bug" was
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| for others fascinated with these cars is,
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| | better-looking than any of those cars,
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| What got us interested in Volkswagens in
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| | and I still do. I didn't and still don't
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| the first place? There are probably as
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| | care about 0-60 times. It has been said
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| many stories of inspiration as there are
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| | that beauty is in the eye of the
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| dandelions in my front yard every Spring.
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| | beholder, and VW owners can all
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| With that said, here is mine.I was born
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| | concur.Sadly, in 1970, after 13 years of
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| in 1959, and my memory goes as far back
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| | dependable service and about 257,000
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| as 1962, when I was about two and a half
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| | kilometers (160,000 miles,)my father had
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| years old. In those days generally only
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| | decided that it was no longer
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| one parent was the breadwinner, as was
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| | cost-effective to keep the car. Many
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| the case with my father. We only had one
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| | trips to Oklahoma and the perpetual road
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| car, and besides, my mother didn't know
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| | salt that covered highways during Midwest
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| how to drive. The car we had was a 1957
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| | winters had taken their toll, and when
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| Oval Window Beetle that was purchased
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| | the amateur patching of bodywork no
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| "new" in Kansas City, Missouri. I say
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| | longer helped it was time to say good-bye
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| "new" because at that time there were
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| | to our Beetle. A salvage yard offered a
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| waiting lists much like there would be
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| | mere $25 for the VW, so my father gave it
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| forty-one years later when the New Beetle
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| | to a friend to use as a parts car. I
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| first hit showrooms. Back in 1957, my
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| | vividly remember fighting back tears as
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| father's 1946 Chevy was worn out and he
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| | the friend gave us a ride back to our
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| started his search for a new car. He
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| | home. It was as if we had lost a member
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| became interested in Volkswagens after
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| | of the family, and as far as I was
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| reading about them in the popular
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| | concerned we had.I got my Drivers'
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| publications of the day.A good ten years
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| | License in 1976, but I was in a
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| before hippies would exersise the concept
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| | hand-me-down Ford Maverick. Considering
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| of nonconformity, my father decided that
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| | the manner in which I drove at 16, it's
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| he wanted a car that would stand out from
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| | nothing short of a miracle that I am
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| the usual gigantic, tail-finned,
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| | alive to tell this tale nearly thirty
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| gas-guzzling dinosaurs that roamed the
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| | years later. Moving on to 1978, I at last
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| streets during that period. It cost
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| | had my own Volkswagen, a 1971 Super
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| less,too. For a tad over $1700 he
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| | Beetle. In the early 1980's I had two
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| acquired a salesman's demonstrator with
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| | more Beetles. In 2000, after trying
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| just a few kilometers showing on the
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| | various other makes I longed for a VW
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| odometer. Yes, kilometers (for those of
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| | again and bought a 1996 Golf, followed by
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| you US readers). This was a European-spec
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| | a 1969 Beetle three years later. Up to
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| model, complete with semaphore
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| | that time I was the only member of our VW
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| turn-signals (literally, for those not
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| | club who did not own a classic air-cooled
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| familiar with Volkswagens, an arm that
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| | model from the early years. In nearly 46
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| flapped out of the side of both doors
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| | years of life in this world, I have
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| that flashed, indicating which direction
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| | calculated that 22 of those have been
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| the driver intended to turn)as well as
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| | with a Volkswagen.I have reached the
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| one-piece bumpers. (US-spec models had
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| | point of no return now. I will always own
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| overriders.) Thanks to my father, I knew
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| | a VW of some sort. My 8-year-old daughter
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| the difference between miles and
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| | has already picked her first car; a New
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| kilometers by the time I was just five
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| | Beetle. Kids have a tendency to change
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| years old. It was amusing to watch my
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| | their minds quite often as new interests
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| friends gasp as we would cruise down the
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| | are acquired, but in this case, I don't
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| highway at 62 miles an hour while they
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| | think she will. It runs in the family.Pat
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| thought we were going 100.It would be
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| | Sills is an avid Volkswagen enthusiast
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| many years before I would start driving,
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| | and writes articles and feature stories
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| but I knew that I would be driving a
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| | for his club's Newsletter. His first
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| Volkswagen someday. When I was in
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| | novel, REUNIONS, was published in March,
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| elementary school in the mid and late
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| | 2005. Check it out at:
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| 1960's, the Muscle-Car Era, the boys in
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| | or at: authorsden.
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