Quote:
Originally Posted by Xenophon
In 1978, I learned to drive in a 1957 VW Beetle, with all flat glass, running boards, and the split rear window.
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VW Beetles were interesting cars. They were originally Hitler's idea for a people's car, that any German worker could afford to own and drive. They were designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (who also designed the high-end Porsche sports cars.)
I heard about a chap who replaced the engine in his with a Porsche engine, which was apparently a drop in conversion.
He got stopped doing 90 on a GA turnpike. The GA State Trooper didn't bust him or write a ticket. It was "Hey, boy! Pop that hood! I wanna see how you make that Beetle
go that fast!"
Along those lines, an outfit in CA called Turbonique sold a turbine assisted rear axle with a separate fuel supply and dashboard mounted on switch that could add up to 1,024 horsepower in a short burst. Beetles with the 1,024 HP model Turbonique were popular items on drag strips for a while.
A woman I heard about back when was going to Germany for an extended period, and had her US built Beetle shipped over for use there. The US models had a higher top speed than German built versions. She'd be on the autobahn, with all the Beetles in one lane with the accelerator floored. The other Beetle drivers were nonplussed when she pulled out and started passing them...
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Dennis