Is this - or isn't it - a genuine Volkswagen, the Type 1 from Hitler's Germany, also known as "The Beetle" or is it "Herbie" from the American movies about what's also known as "The Love Bug"? It must be either - or both??? - and although I've never had a Volkswagen I or even thought of buying one I too find it charming, with or without "briefs". However, there are details about the history of the Volkswagen that makes it somewhat less charming. First of all it was born as Hitler's dream car.
One of the very special details about this Nazi-dream car was that the engine wasn't set in the front, but in the back of it. As it is, the reason for this seems to be that the design had a double function: The front was built to be strong enough to carry heavy weapons of some kind. In a way that figures as this dream car of the Nazi regime was introduced as "The car of the people", and as we know, WWII needed weapons to give Hitler, as well as the population of Germany, "Lebensraum". The family car he dreamt of may also - from the very beginning - have been part of his scheme to secure that "Lebensraum".
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) is generally seen as the orignal designer of Hitler's dream car, but there may have been more engineers in on the project. No matter what, the Volkswagen may boast a total production of more than 21.5 million since it first was seen on Hitler's double-faced "Reichsautobahn": Both for the people and for his armies.
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