| Retro styled vehicles are all the rage | | | | please] and be prepared to step back in |
| today and Volkswagen's New Beetle was | | | | time to the days when the VW Bus was the |
| one of the first of many of these types | | | | people hauler of the day. Peace, love, |
| of cars to show up on the market. Given | | | | and stop the war you say? If VW has its |
| VW's long running popularity, other long | | | | way then around 2008 a vehicle very |
| since retired models are certainly | | | | similar in style to the Bus will once |
| worthy of being copied, don't you agree? | | | | again be seen cruising the streets of |
| The Karmann Ghia, the Thing, and the | | | | Haight-Ashbury, Greenwich Village, and |
| Scirocco are a few that come to mind, | | | | every freaky place you can think of, |
| however they aren't the ones slated for | | | | man! Just, groovy. |
| a comeback. Yes, VW's famous "Bus" or | | | | Featured at the 2001 Detroit Auto Show, |
| Microbus is scheduled to return, to the | | | | a concept Microbus evoked all sorts of |
| delight of aging hippies everywhere. | | | | "ooohs and aaaahs" from visitors; it was |
| Okay, first a quick test. Can you name | | | | this same type of reaction that has |
| some of the recent retro vehicles to hit | | | | convinced Volkswagen to go forward with |
| North American highways lately? Besides | | | | production. |
| the Volkswagen's New Beetle, here are a | | | | As of this writing, there is a battle |
| few: | | | | raging within Volkswagen-land as to how |
| Ford: Thunderbird, Mustang | | | | much the Microbus will incorporate the |
| Chrysler: PT Cruiser | | | | retro look. Seeing how the New Beetle |
| Chevrolet: SSR and HHR | | | | succeeded in the US, but flopped in |
| To qualify as a true "retro" vehicle it | | | | Europe will VW have the courage to stand |
| cannot just borrow the name - like the | | | | tall and bring back the hippie hauler? |
| Dodge Charger - instead, it must take | | | | Or, will VW cave in and produce just |
| its styling cues from a vehicle from | | | | another run-of-the-mill vehicle that |
| another generation. | | | | only hints at its past glory? |
| Enter the Volkswagen Microbus. | | | | Time will tell, but my advice to VW is |
| Yes, open up your cedar trunk and take | | | | this: get it built now before us hippie |
| out those wild looking tie dyed shirts, | | | | dippy types are too old to climb into |
| your cavernous bell bottom pants, and | | | | it. |
| that pair of odd looking leather | | | | Unless, of course, the Microbus can be |
| sandals. Let down your hair [if you have | | | | outfitted with a wheelchair ramp. |
| any left], grow a beard [gents only, | | | | |