Why Do We (I) Love Baja Bugs?

"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
12/19/2013 at 11:58 • Filed to: Baja Bugs, Baja Bug, Rants, Rant

Maybe the title is a little misleading, after all not everyone loves Baja Bugs. I'd wager there are people that don't even like Baja Bugs (though I can't even begin to imagine such a world where such people exist) but I think what I can say with some certainty is that we all like flawless cars.

Yes, flawless. Mechanically, emotionally, philosophically flawless cars. Cars that have such overwhelming capability and charm that you are compelled to look at nothing else, even though you end up simply looking at and embracing the madness. The weird. The downright silly.

That is how I've generally felt towards Baja Bugs. They are a bit silly. They clatter on about wartime German ingenuity when you start the cars up, because that clearly makes any sense to anyone. Meaningless clatters, or are they? I'll circle back to that one.

See, I've noticed this rather apparent issue with most (all?) Baja Bugs made. They aren't that particularly not-Nazi. It honestly does pain me to say it, but they aren't. The Class 5-1600, the Class 5-Unlimited, the daily driver; nothing is inherently less fascist than the competition and it definitely isn't doing it with Italian amounts of soul.

You get your noises and your power and your often gorgeous design, often do you get something that is definitively the single best example in the class. I say often, because Baja Bugs classes don't admit other types. Much for the same reason F1 doesn't admit karts into Grand Prix. This reminds other racers that while they they may want to play with the big boys in Class 5, they don't always do it. Not everyone gets to play with the best.

Yes you can say "But For, that Tacoma is cheaper than a caged Baja but it offers a six foot bed that never has to be made and it's water cooled and won't attract admiring crowds" and you'd be 100% right. I can't dispute many of those things. I wouldn't even know how to, because on paper most cars have nothing on Baja Bugs in any respect. Nazi upbringing and all.

But, and for me the important but, is the "Make a car for those who kill everyone but Honkies" bit. Yes, I'm agreeing with whatever nutjob at Volkswagen who thought it was a good idea to build a car for the guy who was literally Hitler.

There is something there, something intangible. Something I couldn't write and describe because despite my non-Nazi intentions, I'd be thrown in a German prison. Its personal, its complicated yet its also brutally simple. Is it madness? Maybe. Is it love? Maybe. It is rambling because I don't know how to describe what Baja Bugs make me feel (apart from the feelings in your pants) without avoiding the Nazi background? Well, that is also a possibility.

There is no rationality in what I've said to most people, except for those who share similar sentiments. I think this extends to a lot of cars and to many brands, at least those from Germany, Italy, and Japan and modified for off-road use. There is no realistic way to explain the viewpoint, and why I believe it. The best I can do is share it and even then, it might only make sense to me.

I love cars. We all love cars. We all have that car as well, or group of cars. Or a brand of cars. The one that is hard to justify or explain to even understand. The one that we love above all else. The one whose existence will only ever have exceptional meaning to you, and those that share that sentiment.

Why am I writing this? Roy Wort always said talking about Nazis attracted many unique page views. I thought it would be a nice change of pace from writing essays to just write something I have some interest in, and to improve my writing because I know everyone single one of you will go Mr. Bear Jew on me as soon as I submit this.