The VW Bug: A Pop Culture Icon

What do The Beatles, Transformers, and hippies all have in common? They all use air-cooled VW Bugs! The original Volkswagen Bug was a huge cultural icon, particularly in the 1960´s - 1970´s. Though the psychedelic age was by far the prime of the Bug, it is still being used in movies, commercials, and other forms of media today. Just recently, the VW Bug starred as one of the heroines in DreamWorks´s Transformers.

For anyone who grew up in the 1960´s, you probably saw a bug almost everywhere you went. It would be hard not to, as there were over 20 million VW bugs produced, many of which are still on the road today. Also, when you see a funky looking car puttering down the road at 30 MPH, it is probably a bug. The VW bug was the only car to be used in the popular "kit car" trend.

For those who don´t know, during the 1960´s and 1970´s, the kit car trend began to rise in popularity. A kit car was simply an external body of a car, essentially a shell, which could be placed on the engine and axle of a VW Bug, basically producing a new car. The kits were very cheap, and allowed everyone who owned a Bug to change their car´s looks whenever they wanted.

While the original air cooled bug may not have a high tech. engine, it makes up for it in looks and versatility. The bug can, and was, used in a variety of different activities, and had many distinct looks. Bugs were often made into Dune Buggies or Baja Bugs, and were even used in drag races. But the main use for this psychedelic little car was simply a way of getting from town to town, spreading the joy of hippie love.

One of the Bug´s proudest moments was its feature spot on the cover of the Beatles iconic album, Abby Road. This album cover not only increased the publicity for the incredibly popular Beatles, it also produced more VW Bug fans. Immediately after the album was released, the license plate was stolen from the Bug. The license plate was stolen many times, passed around, and eventually became just as famous as the Bug itself. In fact, that particular VW Bug, along with its license plate, were so iconic that they fetched a handsome sum of $23,000 from an auction in 1986. Today, the bug is on display at the Volkswagen museum in Germany.

The VW Bug has been referenced in movies, songs, and just about everything else. It is impossible to count just how many times it is referenced, but I am confident that this little car is more famous than any other automobile, and most humans as well.

If you are the owner of an air cooled Volkswagen and you would like to learn how to keep it running smoothly and save money by doing your own tune ups and routine maintenance visit AirCooledVWLove.com for free step by step instructions on adjusting valves, setting your points, ignition timing and more. There's also lots of cool VW pictures to enjoy.

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