Retro-styled vehicles are all the rage today and the Volkswagen New Beetle was one of the first of many such types of cars to appear on the market. Given VW’s long-time popularity, other long-retired models are certainly copy-worthy, don’t you agree? The Karmann Ghia, the Thing and the Scirocco are some that come to mind, but they are not the ones that are scheduled for their return. Yes, the famous VW “Bus” or Microbus is scheduled to return, much to the delight of hippies everywhere.
Okay, first a quick test. Can you name some of the retro vehicles that hit the roads of North America recently? In addition to the Volkswagen New Beetle, here are a few:
To qualify as a true “retro” vehicle, you cannot borrow the name, such as the Dodge Charger, but must take its styling cues from a vehicle from another generation.
Get in the Volkswagen Microbus.
Yeah, open up your cedar trunk and take out those wild-looking tie-dyed shirts, your cavernous flared pants, and that odd-looking pair of leather sandals. Let go of your hair [if you have any left], grow a beard [gents only, please] And get ready to go back in time to the days when the VW Bus was tea people carrier of the day. Peace, love, and for war, you say? If VW has its way, around 2008 you will see a vehicle very similar in style to the Bus once again cruising the streets of Haight-Ashbury, Greenwich Village and all the strange places you can imagine, man! Just great.
Unveiled at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show, a Microbus concept evoked all sorts of “ooohs and aaaahs” from visitors; This same type of reaction has convinced Volkswagen to go ahead with production.
As of this writing, there is a raging battle within Volkswagen-land as to how much the Microbus will incorporate the retro look. Seeing how the New Beetle succeeded in the US, but failed in Europe, will VW have the courage to stand tall and bring back the hippie hauler? Or will VW go under and produce just another run-of-the-mill vehicle that only hints at its past glory?
Time will tell, but my advice to VW is this: get it built now before we hippie dudes are too old to get on it.
Unless, of course, the Microbus can be equipped with a wheelchair ramp.
