this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2026
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[–] Janx@piefed.social 19 points 1 week ago

Of course you did. You got eyes and a heart, don't you!? It's absolutely beautiful...

[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Beetles look iconic but as cars they were complete shit. Heating and blowing the windows dry was nonexistent, the car had no acceleration at all, the back seats were only meant for dwarves and kindergarteners, driving it was loud and unsafe and shaky...

We loved that car.

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

True. In the 1980s friends and I drove a lot of high class cars from the 1960s - those formerly expensive cars, big boxes with big engines, were shit compared even to middle class cars from the 1980s regarding comfort and safety.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

I'm 6'4", the one time I rode in one, I felt like the windshield was two inches from my face.

The fifteen-minute engine change was a nice selling feature, though.

World record engine change, one minute, four seconds:

https://youtu.be/gKF6dcKjLJo?t=117

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 4 points 1 week ago

Took me a little more than fifteen minutes when I had to do one years ago after an engine seize. But I did it myself slowly with a few jacks.

I developed a love/hate relationship with them after four different ones. Three of them were auto stick shift. Such a fascinating concept, if you could keep it maintained.

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 week ago

I’m 6’3” and fit no problem. Lots of headroom too, but yeah the windshield and dash are closer than modern cars in these things.

The plus side is that it’s easier to scrape the inside of the windshield in the winter, since the defroster doesn’t start working until you’re moving pretty fast.

[–] shiroininja@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yeah that’s one of the things I love about the old beetles, is the ease of repairs. I love a simple design.

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago

I also love the simplicity of older cars but also recognize that while newer cars are more complicated, you also don't need to regularly pull the engines out because it needs its 30k mile rebuild.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

https://youtu.be/BQhfcdQf1QA

Plus, you can change the belt on one while it's running.

[–] tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 16 points 1 week ago

It’s beautiful!

It’s in such great shape too. They must really be caring for it.

My sister and I each had one in HS. She took the purple one and I got the black. My favorite part was something went wrong with the horn and it sounded like an old man screaming. Refused to fix it bc it was hilarious.

[–] ObtuseDoorFrame@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oof, don't show their license plate...

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Can you find someone's identity from their plates or something?

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

you can track their routes thanks to license plate readers and deduce where they live

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well only if you're a cop or something right?

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

assuming cops are not selling access to it, or not themselves malicious, and that the authentication method to access it is magically perfectly secure sure

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

Ok. I can see how it's at least theoretically possible but considering this is just a post about a classic car it doesn't seem too problematic in this instance. It's not much different than just seeing a car on the road. I don't think anyone is hacking into ALPR systems to track down owners of random cars they see whether in person or online.

[–] deHaga@feddit.uk 9 points 1 week ago

I had a 1991 Mexican import to the UK. Was great, apart from the heating, mild carbon monoxide poisoning with every commute.

[–] skooma_king@piefed.social 7 points 1 week ago

I can smell this car

[–] stevles@aussie.zone 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yep, love the classic Beetle’s. Back when Volkswagen was run by people with souls.

[–] fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's a beautiful car, but German automotive manufacturing between the late 1930s (when the beetle was introduced) and mid 1940s was not necessarily the most... umm... soulful.

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago

kübewaggen

[–] stevles@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I believe everyone is aware that Hitler’s demand for cars shaped their beginnings. A company's history during World War II isn't particularly relevant 60 years later though 💁

[–] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Back when Volkswagen was run by people with souls.

okay but you have to admit this is a wild statement to anyone who knows the origins of the brand.

[–] stevles@aussie.zone 2 points 1 week ago

What's social media without wild statements? 😀

[–] Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

What did it play?

Beep beep?

Or maybe beep beep beep?