The artifact I have been thinking of using is the classic Volkswagen beetle. I want to choose it because I think it has made an impact on American culture, but whether the impact is significant I am not sure. I don’t think they have been made by Volkswagen since the late 70s but you can still find them all over the country. I do know that they were making them in Mexico until the late 90s but those models were never really brought to the US. I am guessing that there wasn’t any real need to bring the later models here. They are incredibly fuel inefficient for such a low horse power. In addition they have bad emissions and are just generally inefficient as a family car. The ones you can find around these days are original 60s and early 70s beetles that have been continuously rebuilt over the years, for what reason I don’t know.
The beetle was made from the late 50s up to the late 70s (I think). It was originally manufactured as a family car. Although I don’t know how you would fit a family in one. I think the beetle reached its most popular time during the 70s when there was a gas shortage. But I don’t really know the details of that or if I am correct. They are just a small uniquely shaped vehicle. They have very low horse power. The fastest model I know of is the super beetles made in the early 70s and I am pretty sure they didn’t have more than 80 hp. One of the most interesting things about the beetle is that it never really changed over the 30 years it was made. Slight improvements were made for things like suspension, but no major changes were ever done. In fact, most parts that fit a 50s model will fit the early 70s model also.
I think the classic beetle is worth studying because of its lasting popularity. I would put the classic beetle in the same category as a black tuxedo or Rayban wafareres, they just never go out of style. I think it is worth knowing why. Why do people continue to rebuild them over and over? Why do people drive such a slow vehicle in today’s fast paced society? I also think it will be interesting to find out other facts of how the classic beetle has influenced pop culture that I can’t even think of.
I bought a 1971 beetle myself last semester and rebuilt it as a recreational project. After purchasing it I felt I had been sucked into a car culture I never really had any interest in. I just wanted an old car that was easy to work on. As I would sit outside staring at the engine for hours I was approached by so many people with questions about their cars. Some questions were general powering steering, but some were more difficult engine transmission rebuilding questions. Either way I can’t answer anything. I only learned what I needed to get the beetle up and running and feel like I have forgotten that already. I had a hard time convincing people I knew nothing about power steering, because the beetle has no power steering. As I would search the internet for tips or procedures I found a huge culture of beetle owners. It was amazing the things I discovered. No question I had had less than 3 answers which I could compare and contrast. Which led me to wonder, how has this car made it so long?
