Shannon Kelly
Staff Writer
The new VW Beetle
It’s the Battle of the Bugs. And at Pepperdine University the old and the new meet face to face. Will the old survive in the modern world of cars? Can the new ever live up to the legacy of classic VW Beetles? There is only one way know. Find the Bugs and the people who drive them.
On July 30, 2003 the last original Volkswagen Beetle rolled off a Mexico City assembly line. After more than 70 years of production, the last “Love Bug” meant the end of this cultural icon. Or did it? In 1998 Volkswagen brought the Bug back in a more modern version of the classic car. But could the new Beetle possibly replace the old VW in the hearts of devoted Love Bug owners?
The new Bug turned out to be an immediate hit and the cars began to pop up on every street and in thousands of driveways. In the midst of the new Beetle’s popularity, the classic VW Bug seemed to be getting lost in the spotlight of its new modern-day counterpart.
Even at Pepperdine, it looks like the new Bug might be taking over. Many of the trendy, new, shiny Beetles line Seaver Drive and fill the spots in RHO parking lot. But where are the classic VW bugs?
Enter Junior Ryan Rush and his “girlfriend,” a beautiful bright blue 1971 Volkswagen Beetle. He proudly parks “Stella” in the Towers parking lot every day. She survived the journey all the way from Pennsylvania, on the top of a shipping truck, in order to be here today.
“I’m pretty sure she would have blown up if I had tried to drive her all the way here,” Rush said.
Rush said he feels like he and Stella were meant to be together.
“I always wanted a Bug from the time I was a little kid,” he said. “I lucked out and was able to buy this car from a man who was fixing it up for his wife. She decided that she wanted a brand-new convertible Beetle instead.”
Like in any relationship, Stella and Rush have their occasional disagreements.
“Sometimes Stella gets a little fussy, and I have to yell at her,” he said. “She broke down in the middle of the 10 Freeway one time.”
But even with occasional breakdowns, Rush said he could never leave Stella for a new Bug.
“I don’t really like the new Bugs,” he said. “They are too futuristic and spacey looking.”
Freshman Danielle Taylor begs to differ. She says she loves her new dark blue 1999 Volkswagen Beetle.
“I love it because it’s cute and really safe,” she said. “It is also super fuel efficient.”
Taylor’s feelings about her car show that, while the new Bug might lack the history or funny breakdown stories that come with the classic Beetle’s like Stella, they are more safe and reliable.
Pepperdine Senior Callen Sheller stands on the side of the new Beetle. She drives a white 1999 Volkswagen.
“It was inexpensive, cute and safe,” Sheller said.
Another Pepperdine student, Noelle Nasser, has a new Bug, too. She cruises in an orange turbo Beetle that her parents picked out for her.
“I’m glad they made that choice,” she said.
Even though she’s a new Bug owner, Nasser appreciates the old Beetle.
“I love old Bugs too, because they are classics,” she said. “But I would never trade my turbo for a slower car.”
Madelaine Behr, however, would never trade her classic for a new Bug even if it was faster. In the Battle of the Bugs, said she’s rooting for the old Beetle wholeheartedly. Behr said she is attached to her 1973 yellow Bug that she got at a car auction.
“I love it so much, I do,” Behr said.
Behr said she has had her heart set on owning a Beetle for as long as she can remember.
“My dad used to say I had big eyes like a beetle, so I decided I wanted to drive one when I grew up,” she said.
Her dreams were fulfilled when she turned 16 and her dad bought her the yellow Bug.
At first, Behr’s Beetle needed some fixing up.
“It was so bad that my friends and I called it ‘Pimp My Ride’ material,” she said. “Everything from the seat upholstery to the windows had to be replaced.”
Finally, after months of work, her dream car was complete. “I used to wash it every Sunday,” Behr said. “That car is my baby.”
The Battle of the Bugs is not just for student-owned VWs. Pepperdine faculty members are also in on the action. French professor Dr. Michelle Langford is more than willing to raise her voice for her cherished 1965 classic Beetle. After all, the red Love Bug is the only car she has ever owned.
It’s been forty years and counting for Langford and her Bug.
“We’re supposed to grow old together,” she said. And throughout their years spent as a pair, Langford said there has never been a dull moment.
“I remember one time my brakes went out when I was driving down the hill from the Pepperdine apartments,” said Langford. “All I could think about was trying not to kill anyone, so I decided to head for a tree. I figured I’d die before I hurt anyone else.
“But right before I hit the tree I changed my mind and swerved. So I hit the curb instead,” she continued.
Langford said it takes a certain kind of person to drive an old Beetle.
“We take our chances with the bug,” she said. “We are willing to live dangerously.”
For Langford, it is worth living life on the edge to be able to drive her Beetle everyday. She says her car is priceless.
“One time these two men in an expensive SUV pulled up next to me and asked me how much I wanted for my Beetle,” Langford said. “I told them they could never afford it.”
What does Langford think about the new VW Beetle?
“It does not qualify as a Bug,” she said. “The engine is in the front in the new ones — it’s supposed to be in back. It’s just a regular car disguised in the real Bug’s body.”
But while Langford tags the new Bug a phony, Professor Richard Hughes defends his 2003 blue turbo Beetle.
“It is the most fun car I’ve ever driven,” he said.
If numbers and safety ratings decide the winner, maybe the new Beetle takes the trophy. Making the decision based on fond memories and a timeless legacy? Then give the gold to the classic Bug. Either way, in the case of the Volkswagen Beetle, it will never be out with the old and in with the new. This time, the old Bug and the new Bug can drive off the battle field side by side.
In the end, there is something to appreciate about both the classic and the modern version of the enduring cultural icon that is the Volkswagen Beetle.
02-24-2005
