Volkswagen Beetle News

It was a singular talent at picking some of the most perverse, impractical and thoroughly loveable cars driven mostly by a lack of budget and an immediate need for wheels which set Kevin Hepworth on a path that would ultimately lead to a role in motoring journalism.Learn on an EH station wagon, buy a 1962 Beetle, progress to an Austin 1800 and then fall madly in love with a 1968 MGB. Add a Triumph 2000 Mk I before a Mazda Capella, a Nissan Stanza (still ashamed of that one), another MGB (1972 this time) then a 404 Wagon, a Holden Sunbird (even more ashamed), EL Falcon and Pajero.

More than eight years after the German people’s car was reborn with a beetle body bolted over a Golf mechanical package, work is being finalised on a 21st century take on the classic shape.The new-new Beetle should be in showrooms within 18 months, following the latest Golf 6 and the Polo which will be revealed by Volkswagen next year.“We have a fun plan to renew the Beetle. And we don’t just have a plan, we have done it,” says the executive vice-president of Volkswagen, Detlef Wittig.There is an outside chance the Beetle will be shown as a concept next week at the Paris Motor Show, as Volkswagen says it will have three show cars in the French capital. One is confirmed as the Golf GTi, which goes into production next year, but the other two are being kept a closely-guarded secret.But Wittig hints that the car is even closer, at least to production.“This will take a couple more months,” he says.Although the timing for the Beetle’s renewal is uncertain, all the work has been done — including the styling.“We in design are ready,” says Frank Bruese of the Volkswagen design department.He says VW has a tough job with the Beetle because, like the Porsche 911, its basic design is a classic form. Still, he says there have been significant changes which will not affect the appeal of the car.“It’s is more of a man’s car. A bit stronger, a bit tougher,” Bruese says.“The current one is more architectural, this one is more emotional and sporty. It’s sharpened.”The born-again Beetle was one of the earliest retro cars from the 1990s, although it has since been followed by — and overtaken by — everything from the Mini to the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro.The Mini was updated well ahead of the Beetle — and is also being stretched with the Clubman, a second-generation Cabrio and the upcoming 4x4 wagon—but VW has taken its time with the Beetle.Bruese says the timing has allowed the design team to do more work on the car, not just in detailing but even in the way the classic beetle body is updated.“This circle is something to play with,” he says. 

It's the marque that can start World War III in the back of family cars around Australia as children jump at the chance of being able to “punch-buggy” their siblings when seeing a Beetle go past. It's a car that spans different generations of fans, all attracted to the cult-like status of the uniquely designed “Vee-Dub” Beetle. And for Leanne Brkovec, it's a passion that started more than two decades ago when she married a Volkswagen mechanic. “I married into it,” she says. “The marriage didn't last, but the fanaticism did.” Brkovec originally owned a Mini van, but as her husband at the time was only interested in Volkswagens, she decided to sell the Mini and convert to the Beetle craze. “I explain it to people as being like getting malaria; you get infected and then it might go away for a while, but it always comes back. It's just like getting a bug,” she says, pun intended. And they had such a bad case of this “bug,” that along with her ex-husband, they decided to open up a Volkswagen business 26 years ago. She now runs Volksbahn at Pendle Hill, a shop dedicated to selling Volkswagen parts and paraphernalia and servicing the cars as well. And it was through her business that she was introduced to her 1972 Beetle. “We've been servicing this car for the past 15 years for the same little old lady, “ she says. “She decided to go into a retirement home, so we bought it off her.” Brkovec bought the car 18 months ago for $5500, a lot less than what it's really worth. “They really gave it to us because we'd been looking after it for so long,” she says. “This sort of car goes for about $10,000 on the open market, (with) low mileage, one owner, and never been in an accident.” The Beetle only has 62,000km on the clock and had been well looked after by the previous owner. “She was an elderly lady who used to live around the corner. She'd go out with her girlfriends shopping and always garaged it." “Her husband had even made her home-made cardboard sun shields for it.” However, Brkovec's passion doesn't stop with the Beetle. She's a fan of all Volkswagens. She says she's owned too many over the years to keep an accurate count but her current collection includes the 1972 model, a 1954 Beetle, a 1964 Type 3, a Kombi and her everyday drive,a 2004 VW Golf. Her two sons have also been infected by their mother's enthusiasm. “I think both have been indoctrinated,” she says. “They grew up with all our friends having Volkswagens. They just grew up around it, so they didn't really have much choice.” Both boys have their own Volkswagen collections, with modified, stunning Bugs among them. And her eldest is a Volkswagen mechanic. The German company began selling the Beetle in Australia in 1953. In 1977, it stopped producing them in Europe after the introduction of the Golf in 1974, and because they felt people were tired of the slow and noisy car. While some were still being made in Mexico and Brazil, they didn't meet Australian emission standards. Brkovec's was technically a 1972 model made in Germany, but it was road registered in 1973. Brand new it was worth about $2500. The history of the Beetle dates back to Nazi Germany — an idea formulated by Adolf Hitler. The Beetle was to be a model for the masses, a car most ordinary Germans could afford. It featured an air-cooled, flat-four rear-mounted engine and ultimately proved to be a real success, with more than 21 million sales worldwide. Brkovec says the Beetle was particularly popular with women. That still seems the case, and for Brkovec, the best thing about the 1972 model is the smell. “It doesn't smell like its been used — it still smells like vinyl, that rubbery smell inside,” she says. It's something she says that can be found in a lot of other Beetles as well. “It's just a good feeling to drive one and you don't realise you're going as fast as you are. You don't expect it to do that sort of speed.” And while her model is standard, as it came out of the factory, Brkovec says many other Beetle owners can be really fanatical about their cars, with modified versions with more than $50,000 worth of work being taken to car shows. Brkovec is a member of the Volkswagen Classic Car Club and mainly uses this model for club runs and car shows, such as a Beetle display at Darling Harbour on May 24. While many people may see the Beetle as just another cute car, for most owners it's so much more. “Most people buy Beetles because they want a Beetle, not because they want a car,” she says.   Snapshot 1972 VW Beetle Value when new: about $2500 Value now: $6000-$10,000 for a model in good condition; average condition $3500-$5000 Verdict: The car with the bug-like looks, made famous in the Herbie movies, was originally produced as an affordable “people's car.” But over the years, it has become more than just a car — it's an obsession.  

Just a week after US President George W. Bush told a Sydney media conference about how battery cars that didn't look like golf carts were being developed, the real things were displayed at the world's largest motoring show.General Motors showed off its Flextreme from its European subsidiary Opel. It's a small commuter car with an electric-diesel hybrid that can travel 55km on a single charge before switching to fuel. It is a concept car, meaning it may or may not go into production.Volvo will also unveil its plug-in hybrid concept at the show. Called the Recharge and based on its C30 hatchback, it uses four separate electric motors to power each wheel, augmenting a 1.6-litre four-cylinder Flexifuel engine.Meanwhile, Volvo said a fully charged model can travel about 100km before it needs to be recharged. And it is not a slug. It can reach 0-100km/h in nine seconds on the way to a top speed of 160km/h.VW is claiming fuel consumption of as little as three litres per 100km for its spiritual successor to the original people's car, the Beetle.The Up concept is a miniature four-seat city car powered by a rear-mounted two or three cylinder engine,  the first rear-engined car VW has made since the original Beetle. VW said the car would be low-priced and a fuel miser. It has claimed 3.5litres/100km with a target of reducing that to less than 3litres/100 km.That's better than Australia's current best the Toyota Prius hybrid at 4.4litres/100km, the Citroen C4 diesel at 4.5litres/100km and the Honda Civic Hybrid at 4.6litres/100km.It is also better than the new-age Fiat 500, which will have a diesel model with a claimed consumption of 4.2litres/100km and the next generation Smart car.VW boss Dr Martin Winterkorn said: “This is VW reinventing the Volkswagen. It is what the brand stands for — mobility for everyone.”Dr Winterkorn said show visitors' reaction to the car would decide whether the Up goes into full production.Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks said: “If the philosophy stays the same as it was for the original Beetle, to be a car affordable to everyone, then it will certainly be a good fit into our market.” Volkswagen Up2 or 3-cylinder engine Fuel economy of 3.5l per 100km.Available in 2011.GM FiextremeElectric-diesel hybrid.Can travel 55km on battery power before switching over to diesel fuel. Volvo RechargeFour electric motors plus a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.Can travel 100km on battery power before re-charge needed.Top speed of 160km/h. 

The world's biggest motor show is weeks away, yet the car companies are already scrambling over each other to release clues about their exhibits.Among the highlights of the 62nd Frankfurt International Motor Show are cars made out of bamboo, a boxer diesel engine and yet more “urban crossover SUVs.”Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will unveil its Concept-cX compact SUV at the show.Concept-cX uses interior trim materials made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8 litre diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst with diesel particulate filter, and Mitsubishi's new twin clutch sport shift transmission.Dodge will also launch a crossover wagon, called Crew, which hits Australia late next year.The seven-seater is based on the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring sedan platform but with all-wheel drive and powered by 2.4-litre petrol and 2-litre turbo-diesel engines.The Crew looks like a shrunken Chrysler Voyager people mover, but with a longer nose and higher ground clearance.It will be built at Chrysler's Toluca plant in Mexico with production due to start in December.Subaru will use the show for its biggest new model blitz yet.Leading the line-up will be the new Impreza five-door hatchback in its 1.5 and 2 litre naturally aspirated formats, which arrives in Australia the same month.Other Subarus on show include an Impreza-based World Rally Car Concept, facelifted Tribeca luxury SUV with more efficient 3.6-litre boxer engine and five-speed auto, new Justy one-litre supermini and the world's first horizontally opposed boxer turbo-diesel engine, due to be progressively installed in models from early in 2008.Mazda will debut its Mazda6, the second Mazda new generation product to evolve to the next stage following the new Mazda2.Although Australia is yet to see the Kia cee'd five-door, the Korean company will debut its new sporty three-door Pro-cee'd, the third model in the family of cars designed for Europe and made in Slovakia.Only the bonnet and the front wing panels are carried over from the five-door model.Volkswagen will revive the 'people's car' with a concept Beetle.It is called the City Expert because The Beetle name has been taken by the more expensive new-generation car.The City Expert goes back to Beetle roots with a rear-mounted, flat-four boxer engine and a cheap price tag.VW will also reveal six new models with BlueMotion diesel technology, including the new Golf BlueMotion claiming economy of 4.5 litres/100km down 0.6-litres from the previous model, and CO2 emissions down 16g/km to 119g/km.Range on a 55-litre tank is now more than 1200km.Peugeot's 308RCZ concept will give a big hint towards a future body style for the 308 family.The ultra-light 2+2 coupe uses aluminium, polycarbonate windows and carbon fibre body parts and is powered by a 160kW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and BMW.Renault will show a wagon version of its Clio mini.The Clio Sport Tourer will go on sale in Europe early next year.Mini is also on the bandwagon with the return of the Clubman van.The five-door model has double rear doors and a suicide door on the driver's side.The suicide door, which opens the opposite way, is designed to allow passengers easier access to the back.It would make more sense on the other side, but clearly the former British car now owned by BMW is designed for left-hand-drive markets with the blinkers also on the left.Ford will show its Kuga crossover all-wheel-drive probably powered by a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines, including the 2-litre 100kW/320Nm TDCi that has just appeared in the Focus.The Kuga is based on the Iosis X concept unveiled at last year's Paris Motor Show.In a surprise move, Suzuki will show it's expanding from small cars and SUVs into the family market.Their Kizashi family car looks mean with a massive black grille, sloping lamp clusters and low-level fog lamps.Also looking mean is Saab's 9-3 Turbo X which will rekindle the spirit of the 1980s Saab 900 Black Turbo.It will feature Cross-Wheel Drive allowing torque to be split to either side of the rear axle via an electronically limited slip differential, based on information from the stability and traction control systems.However, the show-stealer is likely to be seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher when he unveils the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, a lighter and faster development of the existing 430 coupe and convertible.Power is up to 380kW, weight is down 100kg and the F1 transmission has new software that cuts shift times to 60 milliseconds. 

Two contenders have been erased from the list of price-driven starter cars for Volkswagen in Australia.The German brand is desperate to get a value champion to sit below the $16,990 Polo, but has just eliminated the European Fox and a new concept car that will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor show next month.Volkswagen Group Australia says it also has no plan to use a car from Skoda, its new Czech value line, to run the role.“What we need in this area is a normal car that is not expensive. Basic transport,” Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks says.Dierks says the Fox, which is priced right in Europe, will not work for Australia.“We are not after a small Fox. It does not have an automatic transmission and it's too small,” she says.“We would like a nice car that's value for money, with five doors. That's probably what we are missing from the whole Asia-Pacific region. I hope we are moving in that direction, but it's not confirmed.”Dierks is already ruling out the Volkswagen concept, called the City Expert, even though it looks ideal.VW says “the heart . . . will beat where the flat-four `boxer' engine once did in the Beetle.”That points to a compact urban runabout with a rear engine, but no other details will be available until the Frankfurt show, though VW does say the car is its response to the motto for this year's show: “See what's driving tomorrow”.And what is the potential for the City Expert in Australia?“It would be pure speculation. We have discussed it for years and it does not exist so far, not to my knowledge. Hopefully someone is working on this,” Dierks says.Which brings the starter-car plan back to Skoda, which is working on a deal to bring the new Fabia hatch to Australia later next year. But Dierks says it cannot fill the sub-Polo place.“The car we are talking about is something really different. But basic transportation in this country does not mean two people,” she says. 

When we think of Volkswagen history two vehicles come to mind: the enduring Beetle and of course the ubiquitous Kombi.At the recent Klubfest held at Parklands on the the Gold Coast, it was fascinating to see how many incarnations VW has had over the years Beetles, Karman Ghias, Kombis as campers, utes, twin cab utes, people movers, vans, beach or dune buggies, sedans, three wheeled bikes.VW engines have been fitted to just about everything from two wheels to four.Tucked away on its own at the show organised by the VW Club and the Kombi Club, was one Australian-designed and built VW that was rare when it was produced, let alone more than 40 years on.It was the Australian Country Buggy, just 887 units were built and sold in Australia.Put politely, the buggy was not the most handsome car produced here, or anywhere else.It was designed and built at VW's Clayton plant in suburban Melbourne with the first prototype hitting the testing phase in 1965 ahead of a release in 1967.As its name indicates, the buggy was intended for rural use but not the extreme stuff where a 4WD would still be required.In that sense it was probably the equivalent of the current day `soft roader' style vehicles.But, anyone who has had anything to do with light-bodied VWs knows they are highly competent off-roaders, with all the engine weight over the rear wheels, good ground clearance and excellent entry and departure angles.It's worth mentioning that in the 1950s VW Beetles won the Redex Trial, three Mobilgas trials and and Ampol trial, and also took out most of the top places.That was in an era when Highway Number One was little more than a goat track with more than 100 river crossings.There's little doubt the Australian Country Buggy had its roots in this success, and also as a flow-on from the Volkswagen Kubelwagen, a military-style Beetle used by both the Wehrmacht and the SS.The Aussie buggy was a much smaller vehicle having just two doors while the above mentioned vehicles had four doors. It was powered by VW's proven 1285cc (1300) four-cylinder, air-cooled engine, although a 1192cc (1200) engine was also available.The car was, by any measure, spartan when it came to instruments or comfort.Options included the smaller engine, a soft top and side curtains and winter tread tyres. There was no standard or optional heater.The first commercial buggy made its public appearance at the 1967 Melbourne Motor Show.At the time the little buggy was described as a cross between a Jeep and a Moke the unkind described it as a Joke.The little vehicle was far from a joke, but its demise just eight months after release was cruel.VW sales were on the decline and in 1968 VW was in turmoil.The buggy's timing could not have been worse. As the company looked for answers, one easy target was the Country Buggy.Newspaper ads from that time provide an insight into VW's marketing: “If you think the Beetle is ugly ... take a look at this one. VW Country Buggy. The uglier Volkswagen built for rugged dirty work.”Couldn't have said it better myself. 

Throughout the years, many fans have been inspired by screen star Herbie the Love Bug and spent plenty of time and money restoring old models to their shiny best. It's people such as Murray Fleming, whose efforts restoring an “Oval” VW Beetle, so called because of it's distinctive rear windscreen, means children can continue giving siblings a dead arm and yelling “punch bug” when one zooms past. It was no easy task for Fleming to get his beloved Beetle back on the road. The Ingleburn resident spent thousands of hours restoring the 1956 “love bug” to its now-pristine condition, after rescuing the car in 1992 as it sat rusting away in a shed in Mittagong. He paid $700 for it after spotting an ad in a magazine. “I had to get a truck to pull it out of the mud, the owner had started to do it up. He had pulled it apart and left it there and it started to rot,” Fleming says. It was at that moment, Fleming began his love affair with the Volkswagen brand. With a brother-in-law who was already a keen VW enthusiast, Fleming got to work transforming his new toy from the wreck it was into the beauty it is today. “I've done a complete rebuild, rust cut-out, resprayed, re-upholstered, the engine, the gearbox, wheels, the whole thing,” he says. Fleming, who has been the president of the Sydney Flat Fours Vee Dub club for the past seven years, wasn't new to car restoration. Past experience fixing up a Torana, Kingswood and Commodore helped in his Volkswagen endeavours. But Fleming says it wasn't an easy job and there were times when he found it hard to love the bug. “From start to finish, it took six years,” he says. “Many times I thought I was going to sell it and give up, my wife said, `No, you'll just buy something else and start again', so she kept me going. She loves it.” After all his hard work, the Beetle is now worth about $20,000, although Fleming says he would probably only get $16,000 if he was to sell it. But he's not too concerned about recovering his losses. “I wouldn't sell it, I've had it for too long, it means too much to me,” he says. While he still drives it, the 50-year-old says as his two daughters, now 24 and 16, got older they had to find something bigger to fit everyone in when going on holidays. So he purchased a 1989 twin-cab Kombi eight years ago and now keeps his Beetle mainly for club runs. “(It's) the simplicity of them, they're easy to work on and the history of them, they've been around for 50 years and they're still surviving,” he says. “It's a good reliable car, cheap to run, good on fuel and the parts are relatively available. It's good for a younger person who wants to learn to drive and learn the mechanical side as well. It's a top car, really fun to drive.” And in his bubblegum green, aqua-blue bug, Fleming finds people like to reminisce about their own VW experiences. “A lot of old people come up and say, `I used to have one when I was a kid' and young kids like it as well.” While Fleming's Beetle is a fully imported German model, he says many of those assembled in Melbourne are keenly sought after by US and British enthusiasts. The origins of the Beetle date back to 1925 and they were further developed by the commissioning of a “peoples' car” by Adolf Hitler. But the Bug didn't come into production until after the war. And they didn't officially acquire the name Beetle or Bug until 1967. Fleming doesn't have any more plans for improving his Bug. But he now has another project under way. “I've been working on another one, a 1958 model, I'm turning it into a roadster,” he says.

Nine stars of the Melbourne International Motor Show took a quick spin from City Hall to Federation Square to rev the city up for tomorrow evening's big opening at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.Led by a beefy Chrysler 300C police car, about $2 million worth of auto exotica cruised down Swanston St.Lord Mayor John So rode James Bond-style in a $360,000 Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible.Immediately behind him was a Bentley Continental GTC convertible worth $400,000, but even that was trumped moments later by a Ferrari 599 GTB, costing $600,000.Others in the column included a Maserati Quattroporte, the new convertibles from Volkswagen and Volvo, and a top-of-the-range Lexus LS460.Most unusual was the Bonning B3 three-wheeler, the personal project of designer and artist Brad Bonning.But there would be plenty more to see at the show itself, said the extravaganza's director, Russ Tyrie."That's just to give people a taste of what they will see on Friday," Mr Tyrie said."The parade is a great way to bring the show to Melbourne and to give people an idea of what an exciting and dynamic thing the car industry is."The covers will come off quite a few new cars at the show."With some of them it's going to be as much a surprise to us as it will to everyone else."

Well, there is a new category coming to the fore: the mid-30s motorhome fan. I am one of them and companies like Winnebago are out to cater for our enthusiasm.With traditional motorhomes costing $100,000 and upwards, the price has always been prohibitive.But Emu Plains-based Winnebago is busy at the drawing board designing a new model for younger fans which should retail around $69,000. However, younger buyers are notoriously fickle and the devil is in the detail.But if Winnebago's best-selling Free Spirit model is anything to go by, it is on the right track. Although the Free Spirit is still in the $100,000 region, it represents stage one of the evolution. Built on a Fiat Ducato chassis with a 2.8-litre turbo diesel, 6.7m long and almost 3m tall, it is about as large a vehicle as can be driven on a car licence.Inside, the attention to detail makes it very modern indeed.A stainless-steel gas hob and grill, extractor hood, and spacious fridge are state-of-the-art.The cupboards are stylish and modern, featuring Italian wood. A flat-screen LCD TV brings it bang up to date.Long stints on the road require comfort and the first thing that jumps out at you is the space. The bathroom, often one to suffer in the space-race, is surprisingly large with a separate curtained-off shower.There is the usual bed over the driver's cabin and a table that folds flat for another.The Free Spirit can also have two bunks at the back for the kids.Underfloor storage accessed via exterior panels gave more than enough space. We stowed several suitcases and a surfboard without touching the sides.The challenge for Winnebago will be to convert the lessons learned from its winning fleet of cruisers into a cool cachet for a new market. If it wins the hearts then the dollars will follow.The mid-30s market has shown its willingness to pay premium prices for the right look and feel, as proved by the pricey new retro Mini and VW's revamped Beetle.So far, the omens look good. The Free Spirit had a positive reaction from campers we showed it off to in Byron Bay."All the wood in here makes it feel like a yacht," said one.Others were stunned by the comfort and the flat-screen TV but wanted more modern-looking cloth on the seats.But everyone agreed on one thing: they all wanted one. So the traditional hurdle that might have put younger people off the idea in the past is gone. Now the race is on to put the right new kid on the block for the motorhomers of the future.Fully laden, the Free Spirit carries 91 litres of water, more than enough for several days' free camping.It also packs enough power from its batteries to enable you to stay comfortable in the wild without worrying about flickering lights. Staying warm off the beaten track is taken care of with a diesel heater which runs off the fuel tank. In campsites, the hook-ups are all simple and painless.Once mains water is connected, all water appliances, including the shower, run with mains pressure — a godsend if you want to avoid those communal shower blocks. The power cable is simple to slot in, meaning as much TV as you can handle.The picture is pin-sharp thanks to a roof-mounted electric aerial.Fuel economy can be an issue. Filling the tank costs $70 and it took 2 1/2 tanks for the 800km trip from Sydney to Byron Bay. Fast factsWinnebagoWinnebago Industries has been operating since 1965 and is the largest manufacturer of motorhomes in AustraliaIt has no links to the American company of the same nameIt makes no less than 70 models, the largest being the Classic, which can cost $500,000 and moreThere are 170 people working at Winnebago's Emu Plains plant, making about 600 RVs a year