“If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Iconic Bug Makes a Comeback

Volkswagen

It looks like the VW Beetle is making a comeback. It is said to be the face of VW’s new campaign that will start some time next week. But then again, this move only precedes the introduction of the automaker’s newest line-up of vehicles which is composed of the Tiguan crossover SUV, Passat CC, Routan minivan, clean diesel Jetta TDi, and the Jetta SportWagen among others. On the other hand, it’s expected to bolster the clamor of people who love old-school cars for a new version of the “Bug”.

I definitely won’t say no to that. I haven’t been an owner of a classic Beetle, but my brother had one when I was young, and he was a proud owner. The Beetle at that time was sort of iconic, and he used to teach me how to drive using his beat-up Beetle instead of my dad’s car. And, trust me; it was very easy to drive. And you don’t even have to worry about wrecking the engine if you bump into anything because it is at the back. One sad thing though (and I remembered this because my son snuck up to me while I was writing this post): In the recent Transformers movie, Bumblebee was shown as a Chevy Camaro, instead of a Beetle because of some misunderstanding between VW and the producers, or so they say. That might have turned up well for the movie, but for people, like my son, who adores the Transformers franchise ever since he was a kid, it was a bit disappointing. But that’s already water under the bridge.

Lastly, VW is worried because their marketing strategy comes off as being silly at the outset, but if you think about it, one look at the restored 1964 black Bug, which is named “Max” by the way, people will immediately think of Volkswagen. And when they do they’ll wonder what’s new with the company. That’s when the new line-up is introduced. It’s a great move, if you ask me. I just hope that the new models live up to the hype generated by the iconic Bug.

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