Top Gear, Proper car vs Beetle n posh fiat

[merc85]

Heads up TOP GEAR BBC three Proper car vs beetle and a posh fiat lol

 

[219]

Why would someone suggest a Beetle is anything but a 'proper car' ( whatever that might mean ) ; after all it was first built by Mercedes-Benz , designed by Ferdinand Porsche when he was an engineer in the employ of Mercedes , and evolved into the Porsche 356 and then the 911

 

[geraldrobins]

Or a Fiat for that matter!
Then again making outrageous or opinionated comments is what people like about Top Gear.

 

[John]

I'm not sure how you could classify an original Beetle as a proper car...

Dreadful in all in respects. Would leave you cold to drive it.

Sounds like someone is mowing your lawn when one passes by.

And for those who like Fiats - you are welcome to them - especially the 126 which also sounds like a lawn mower.

 

[merc85]

Woa lol tongue in cheek jeeeeez lol

 

[219]

Air cooled Beetles are excellent cars ( I've had six ) : the car that gave Volkswagen ( one of the world's most successful and respected manufacturers ) it's start ; legendary build quality ( better than Mercedes of recent years ) ; ditto reliability ; very pleasant to drive ( my family had them alongside Fintails - very similar 'drive almost by themselves' driving characteristics , requiring little effort from the driver ) ; possibly the best selling car of all time ( 20+ million made IIRC ) ; totally classless in a way rivalled by only the original Mini and the Land Rover ; fabulous noise on full throttle ; what other car could possibly have been cast as 'Herbie' ?

 

[Peter T]

My only beetle experience was in the 70s when a guy I worked with was besotted with them, and insisted and driving a black, oval back window beetle.

What a total shed that was! Rust/rot everywhere, nothing worked properly, exhaust fumes coming through the heater vents, etc, etc.

And the performance was a total joke, even by 70s standards. I could walk faster than that thing.

 

[John Jones Jr]

I had '73 Bertle back in 1987'ish....sold it after few weeks. Enough said.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Air cooled Beetles are excellent cars ( I've had six ) : the car that gave Volkswagen ( one of the world's most successful and respected manufacturers ) it's start ; legendary build quality ( better than Mercedes of recent years ) ; ditto reliability ; very pleasant to drive ( my family had them alongside Fintails - very similar 'drive almost by themselves' driving characteristics , requiring little effort from the driver ) ; possibly the best selling car of all time ( 20+ million made IIRC ) ; totally classless in a way rivalled by only the original Mini and the Land Rover ; fabulous noise on full throttle ; what other car could possibly have been cast as 'Herbie' ?

Well, all I can say is they were not fit for purpose after 1980, simply because there was so many better small cars available, even one's that were a few years old.

As for current VW products, honestly there's not a single one that would interest me bar the Up! if I wanted a city runabout.
If I was ever to buy another VW it would only be a MkII Golf Gti or a Corrado.

Each to their own I suppose at the end of the day.

 

[grober]

Mmmm

And who would want a FIAT

Or be seen dead in a VW

 

[markjay]

Perhaps we have different standards

I learnt to drive and passed my test on a Beetle. And I drove my friend's 127 after getting my license. Lovely cars!

 

[geraldrobins]

I think some people like the original Beetles due to the simple mechanics. Couldn't you change the pistons and barrels etc without a rebore. Similarly Morris Minors appeal to those that like to do their own repair and maintenance.
But now most of us want more and in my opinion better but then they come with complications.

 

[Scott_F]

The current edition of Classic Car Weekly has its own version of this MG-Fiat-VW feature.

 

[John]

Mmmm

I understand why you would want positive camber on the front wheels on a non-PAS car but not sure why you'd want it on the rear wheels?

 

[E55BOF]

My friend had a Beetle in about 1970, and I drove it - once, and only once. I thought it was vile; no brakes, no performance, cack 6v lights, lousy steering, gearchange like stirring a knitting needle in a bowl of custard. He seemed to like it, though.

I drove another - once - in about 1980, and it seemed much the same, though the electrics were 12v; the lights were still cack.

They may of course both have been poor examples, but I've never felt the urge to try another to find out.

 

[219]

I understand why you would want positive camber on the front wheels on a non-PAS car but not sure why you'd want it on the rear wheels?

A lot of swing axle cars look like that .

 

[Halcyon Days]

That Mercedes people-car again.