Bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile

Author Phil Patton has done an excellent job describing how the VW mirrored the various time periods of it's existence. From Adolph Hitler's intent to create a car for the German Volk; the heir apparent to Henry Ford's Model T, to it's "status" as a fashion statement by Leftist college educated Americans in the 1950s and early 1960s who were making a statement against Detroit's agenda of "bigger is better", to the Bug's becoming the icon of the nihilistic drug fueled hippies of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and finally to it's demise because it was product that had been obsolete for decades. In reality, it very much was a pathetic excuse of a car, and that Volkwagen survived so long building this one vehicle defies logic. The irony now is the the Volkwagen company of 2008 has adopted the Alfred Sloan philosophy of a "car for every purse and purpose", ie witness the wide range of models marketed via the VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Bugatti marques. History, though, is cyclical. If the Democrats under Obama win the White House, maybe that will be an indication that Americans once again will snap up a joke of a vehicle, one that symbolizes an age of diminished expections. Maybe India's Ta Ta Motors will step up the plate !!

I disagree with other reviewers who seemed most appalled with Patton's willingness to connect the Beetle with Hitler. Patton does acknowledge that the idea of a "people's car" had roots that preceded Hitler. But Hitler pushed the concept as part of his plan for economic power in Germany. This fact does not give Hitler "credit" for something wonderful and magical. It's just a car, folks. To suggest (or, as Beetle fans often do, insist) that Hilter had nothing to do with it is simply naive. Yes, Hitler was a madman and yes, ironically, he had something to do with creating the most beloved automobile of the century.That said, most of the book concerns itself with more interesting ideas about the connections between technology and human culture. This is not your standard "VW history," but rather a wide-reaching history of the importance of automobiles and the way people connect and fail to connect with certain models. The author is not afraid to try to find connections between ideas and words in interesting ways. If you're looking for straightforward technical prose, look elsewhere. Patton is an intelligent writer who knows how to turn a phrase.