The Last of the Beetles?

VW Beetle Car Terms Of Endearment

I'm not sure what it is about classic Beetles that makes them so endearing; is it their uniqueness in a world of CAD shaped clones with near perfect aerodynamics, or the distinctive sound of the engine, or the gleam of chrome glinting in the sun on a cheerful summer's day? Or maybe it's just the smell of petrol as you massage the old car into juddering life with a turn of a vintage VW logo-shaped key..

To me it's all of these things. It's also the direct feel of the driving experience unaided by a computer, where the smell of petrol as you start the car up doesn't make you panic & fling the door open to dive behind the nearest bomb-proof BMW for safety.

And where your purchase decision isn't based on whether it has a heated steering wheel, air conditioning or  the cheapest classic car insurance around - although the latter is always nice!

We search our panel of leading underwriters to find you the best policy

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The Last Classic VW Beetles And Campervans

I once visited a company in Bristol that imported brand new classic Beetles and Campers and sold them in the UK.

The sight of a car-park full of shiny new Beetles and camper vans was quite something.. So it was with sadness that I recall reading that the last original Beetle Type 1 had rolled off the production line in Puebla, Mexico in 2003.

You see, it's not just an end of an era that dates back to the 1930's, Ferdinand Porsche and the first workable idea of an affordable car for the people, it's also potentially the creeping end to the availability of new parts to keep the current crop of existing vintage Volkswagen's on the road.

It seems to me also that there has been a significant drop in sightings on the roads of Britain since four star petrol ceased to be commonly available, although many later Beetle engines can chug along quite happily on lower quality unleaded with no major loss in performance.

Maybe though, this has been a four star straw to break the back of some owners.

But hey, this isn't just about hurdles, summer's nearly here, and Run to the Sun is going as strong as ever (27-30 May this year), and a chat with my local VW classic and vintage specialist garage revealed an interesting insight into the public's mood that I'd not considered.

It seems that the recession has meant that many family holiday's abroad have been curtailed in favour of staying in the UK, and along with globally warmed summers, destinations like Cornwall, Devon and the Lake District are now even more attractive – especially if you make it a family adventure in your new Westfalia camper van..

Yes, he's selling more of these vehicles than ever before as people see holidaying as an exciting adventure once again. And that, my friends, has got to be a good thing.