Welcome to a brand new month and the first Friday Funny of May.
This post is about a little yellow bug that I saw this week in the mill apartments parking lot.
It's one that is instantly recognized by most people.
Did you know?
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| Béla Barényi & Ferdinand Porsche |
In the early 1930s, German engineer Ferdinand Porsche and his design team started design and development of the car. The fundamental design has been attributed to a Hungarian engineer Béla Barényi as early as 1925, predating Porsche and his 1927 design was created 10 years before the car went into production.
Volkswagen initially slated production for the late 1930s. The 1939 outbreak of WW II delayed that until the war's end. Originally the Volkswagen Type 1, it was marketed as Volkswagen. In 1955, Volkswagen recognized Barényi as the intellectual father of the Beetle. The car became known as the Beetle in 1968.
Today, May 1 is celebrated as International Workers' Day honoring labor movements and worker solidarity globally. In many countries, i's a national public holiday, also celebrated as May Day, a traditional spring festival with maypole dancing and flowers. In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated it as a Catholic feast day for St. Joseph the Worker, patron saint of workers and craftsmen. Some countries, U.S. and Canada, celebrate Labor Day on other dates.
Now, you and I know the rest of the story.
Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
We're leaving on a 3-state road trip to visit family & friends
26 comments:
...it's iconic!!!
Oh gosh! I used to see bugs everywhere I drove. Not so much anymore. I see these tiny cars that look like wanna be bugs, but they will never be able to reproduce the classic. Have a great road trip and be safe !!
You don't see many of those old style bugs like you used too. I remember as a kid there were so many on the road. My first grade teacher had a light blue one. (Why do I ever remember that?) Happy new month to you both. Let's hope we have lots of spring weather this month. hugs-Erika
I had a beetle in the early '70s. I loved it! Mine was light blue.
It let me comment!
Yeah, Sandra, my lucky day and yours too !
Great info on this lovely car. Next to a Mini Cooper, I would dearly love to have this one, especially in that cheerful color. Happy weekend to you both.
I had one just like that one, only mine was orange. They were so much fun to drive and you never passed another one on the highway without a wave or a hand shooting up a peace sign :)
it's such a cute car and i love that shade of yellow!! have fun on your trip, this is a good time to travel, weatherwise!!
The yellow bug is so adorable. How on earth did you get those last shots?
The cutest Volkswagen I ever saw was completely covered with gray fake fur. It had one of those long CB antennas also covered with gray fake fur. It had mouse ears and a mouse face. It looked for all the world like a giant mouse.
Which dots did you mean, Ginny? The mini VW & surfboard were on top of the actual car.
Such a cute looking car.
Happy May wishes and have a safe and enjoyable road trip.
All the best Jan
That's a good looking car!
How I love the Beetle. They had a series of funny commercials in the Sixties. I visited Mexico City in the 1990s and most of the cabs were Volkswagen bugs.
As I recall, these models couldn't be sold in the US as they did not pass Clean Air standards.
Thanks for the history lesson and enjoy your trip.
Interesting history-thank you these were cute cars
I have driven VWs for almost twenty- five years, but my only experience with Beetles is a rental vehicle on Vancouver Island - and I loved it! This yellow beauty makes a statement!
DeAnne at the farm here has an old bug. They are so fun!
Oh, this was interesting. I remember my friend had a VW Beetle when we were in high school, and we have some fun memories of driving around in it. Oh, I also wrote about May Day, but only the sweet memories I have from childhood of the May Day pole that we sang and danced around with ribbons in elementary school. Thanks for all the info. Always so informative visiting here!! I hope you have a lovely road trip!
Yes, it's amazing how long the Volkswagen has been in production, I can remember it from my childhood many decades ago. Also amazing that at the time of its inception hardly any Germans could afford a car. So not much car noise but a lot of motorbike noise!
Thanks for the history of the Bug! They are cute little cars and I always equate them with the 1960s for some reason -- not in terms of design but for seeing them!
My first car was a Käfer (that's what it's called in German). It's actually a great car for driving in the snow because it had the engine in the back, therefore was heavier - I remember passing by all those Mercedes and BMWs that were stuck on hilly winterroads.
They were rather fabulous to look at!
Wow... The VW Beetle, what a beautiful car... but not for the people in East Germany. There, for example, the Trabant was produced, with a waiting list of 10-15 years. I myself bought a nearly 10-year-old Trabant from a private seller at the original price, just to have a car... after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989/90, I bought a used Ford Fiesta for considerably less money. We can laugh about it now :-))
Happy May!
That cheerful yellow bug is such a classic sight!
Love how it’s instantly recognizable and tied to so many memories for people. Wishing you a wonderful start to May and a safe, happy road trip!
Great report! I don’t covet cars very much but I would dearly love a little yellow bug.
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