if I think it looks quite good and has a
remarkably low drag for a large vehicle –
due, I was told, to the shape of the front
part of the doors which curve inwards
signi cantly. Our version became rather
cold in winter when the heater pipes
were disconnected following signi cant
surgery to remove the rust underneath.
I remember scraping the ice from the
inside of the screen.
LOSING THAT EDGE
This was replaced early in 1969 with the
later version of the Caravette, which, in my
the Netherlands for Christmas.
then proceeded to drive rather long
Geneva on one occasion.
control. I managed to roll it on one
occasion, but it did little harm to it
or to me.
I sold the car for a pro t and
bought a Saab, which had more
predictable handling, much more
space inside and much better fuel
leak. It always worked. It didn’t overheat.
One cannot be too critical about the
handling and space utilisation – that was
typical of its design date; car designers
were working out how to do independent
suspensions.
RIDING HIGH
But Maurice Olley did his work on car
ride and handling in the 1930s, and
changed the face of car design from then
onwards, not just in suspension design.
Alec Issigonis designed the Minor and the
Mini in the 1940s and 1950s, and their
fundamental layout and design philosophy
changed the nature of car design, even if
the details needed a bit more work.
By 2003, the old Beetle was
outclassed in so many areas. But it lasted
so long and sold so many that it deserves
its position in the top ve cars of the
century. It’s also found a place in so
many people’s hearts and we forgive its
shortcomings.
The new version? That depends on
whether you like retrospective styling
exercises. The rst version of these
works quite well, but, for me, the second
seems to have lost its air. And the
space inside a Golf seems to have been
lost in the process, too. I’m told they are
fun to drive… and there’s a ower vase.
economy. Later, I was to learn the theory
behind vehicle handling and realise that
terminal oversteer needs to be avoided
at all costs – having an in nite output to
a nite control input (on the steering, in
this case) is never a good idea.
In 1978 or thereabouts, I borrowed
a Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf from work for
a weekend – front wheel drive, transverse
engine, much more space. A thoroughly
competent car and a worthy ‘People’s Car’.
So, my verdict? The Beetle was
excellent in its time and felt advanced
for the late 1930s. It had good ride. The
build quality was excellent. The detail
design was good. Things tted. It didn’t
UNDER THE BONNET
opinion, didn’t look so good and had lost
the aerodynamic advantage of the earlier
version. In the early 1970s, I bought a
1966 Beetle from a university friend who
wanted to sell it before heading home to
So, I got it for a bargain price and
distances in it, including to and from
I was never very comfortable with
its handling, which could become what
some people called ‘fun’, if pushed to
the limit. I called it unpredictable, as
it would suddenly switch to terminal
oversteer and leave the driver out of
Volkswagen Kombi
camper 1966.
(Photo: Chris Dowlen)
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