DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

I was the very first UK journalist to drive one of the New Beetles - a pre-production car in the USA.

I remember. I had a go in the early LHD yellow one that was knocking around the scene before they were released here, I think it would have been at Bug Jam in 98. It was quite exciting at the time. Though that seems a bit daft now.

That was Brian Burrows' one, which he leant me for a week after he got it. I then ran over some scrap metal and tore a hole in the sump...

His and Luke Theochari's white one were the first two to be registered in the UK.

KS wrote:I was the very first UK journalist to drive one of the New Beetles - a pre-production car in the USA.

Thats cool!!! Did it pass muster? Which one was it?

Ollie wrote:

KS wrote:I was the very first UK journalist to drive one of the New Beetles - a pre-production car in the USA.

Thats cool!!! Did it pass muster? Which one was it?

It was just a basic 1600 petrol at a 'customer clinic' in San Diego which I managed to wangle my way into. Not long before that, while with friends in Phoenix, Arizona, I came across a whole line of prototypes on road test (VW has a testing ground near Maricopa). Did a quick U-turn and caught up with them at a traffic signal. Leapt out and started photographing the crap out of them. The drivers went into panic mode and tried to drive off, but couldn't because of the lights stuck on red. Soon after I was told that if drivers allowed their cars to be photographed, they lost their job. I hope that was just a tale, as the photos were published in a few magazines...

KS wrote:That was Brian Burrows' one, which he leant me for a week after he got it. I then ran over some scrap metal and tore a hole in the sump...

His and Luke Theochari's white one were the first two to be registered in the UK.

I did think it belonged to ‘someone’. Feels like an awfully long time ago now.

What a great photo! I hope he applied some left lock and kept going!

JW

KS wrote:

Ollie wrote:

KS wrote:I was the very first UK journalist to drive one of the New Beetles - a pre-production car in the USA.

Thats cool!!! Did it pass muster? Which one was it?

It was just a basic 1600 petrol at a 'customer clinic' in San Diego which I managed to wangle my way into. Not long before that, while with friends in Phoenix, Arizona, I came across a whole line of prototypes on road test (VW has a testing ground near Maricopa). Did a quick U-turn and caught up with them at a traffic signal. Leapt out and started photographing the crap out of them. The drivers went into panic mode and tried to drive off, but couldn't because of the lights stuck on red. Soon after I was told that if drivers allowed their cars to be photographed, they lost their job. I hope that was just a tale, as the photos were published in a few magazines...

I went to a couple of reviews at that Maricopa proving ground. Bentley do corrosion testing and sunshine weathering there.
The ‘sunshine’ review is peak summer, outside with all the (black) cars lined up whilst the super senior VW scary man walks the line and points out all the bits of trim that have shrunk, moved etc and woe betide anyone that doesn’t have a delivery plan for the solution!
I remember pushing the rear bumper back in line on the old GTC just before he walked past

Strangely, my youngest daughter wants a ‘new beetle’ cab for her first car … seems they might at last becoming a trendy car

hot66 wrote:Strangely, my youngest daughter wants a ‘new beetle’ cab for her first car … seems they might at last becoming a trendy car

Juliet’s had a couple. Decent fun for what they are. No boot though!

KS wrote:That was Brian Burrows' one, which he leant me for a week after he got it. I then ran over some scrap metal and tore a hole in the sump...

His and Luke Theochari's white one were the first two to be registered in the UK.

Bri had the last air cooled Beetle made and the first water cooled one

Last air cooled Beetle made belongs to VW and is in the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. BB’s and Luke Theochari’s New Beetles were imported on same order and arrived together at the same time. Neither of them were the first ones made.

KS wrote:Last air cooled Beetle made belongs to VW and is in the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. BB’s and Luke Theochari’s New Beetles were imported on same order and arrived together at the same time. Neither of them were the first ones made.

Maybe not then !