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Beetles on the road

Driving in style

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By Larry Chan

Antique cars should not be merely collected. They belong on the roads. The Beetle is no exception.

According to Mr. Jimson Szeto, chairman of the Volks Club of Hong Kong, the Beetle became popular in Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Mr. Szeto began to love Beetles because of a Walt Disney movie, The Love Bug.

However, this is not what made Beetles become Mr. Szeto’s dream car.

“I went to visit a friend in Sham Shui Po when I was 19. Suddenly I saw a brown and almond Beetle driving by. I was deeply impressed by it,” said Mr. Szeto.

He owned his first Beetle when he was 22. He spent $3,000 on it.

Mr. Szeto listed numerous reasons that make the Beetle his favourite car.

“The design of Beetle is charming and attractive. A Benz in pink will make you feel disgusted. However, a Beetle in pink will make you feel cute,” said Mr. Szeto.

“The mechanical parts of the Beetle are simple. If you like, you can transform a Beetle into different styles,” said Mr. Szeto.

“A Beetle is entirely different from other types of cars. Driving a Beetle makes you feel comfortable.

“The sound of the engine resembles the sound of a beetle. This is very special,” continued Mr. Szeto.

Accidentally, Mr. Szeto discovered a thing that he finds interesting.

“If you look carefully at the back of a Beetle, you can see the face of Hitler,” said Mr. Szeto.

He said that the back of a Beetle looks like Hitler because Hitler has high cheek bones. The back of a Beetle has cheek-bone-like shapes.

Although driving a Beetle is not difficult, Mr. Szeto has encountered problems.

“You have to prepare yourself to deal with problems like a sudden breakdown on the highway, running out of petrol or batteries,” said Mr. Szeto.

Maintenance of a Beetle is not as difficult and time-consuming as most people think.

“A Beetle is simple and thus only a few mechanical parts need to be replaced in most cases,” said Mr. Szeto.

Mr. Szeto admitted that many people bought Beetles merely for the sake of collection.

“I think this is wrong. A Beetle belongs to the roads, too.

“No matter if it is sunny or rainy, I drive my Beetle,” said Mr. Szeto.

Mr. Szeto said that Beetles are still very popular.

“Many celebrities own Beetles. For example, the president of the Open University of Hong Kong, Prof. Tam Sheung Wai, is a member of the Volks Club and he owns an orange Beetle with spots,” said Mr. Szeto.

Mr. Szeto said that Andy Lau Tak Wah, the popular male singer, also owned a Beetle.

Mr. Szeto believed that the low price of Beetles lures people into buying one.

“A Beetle normally costs $20,000 to $30,000. This is a very low price when compared to other types of cars,” said Mr. Szeto.

Mr. Szeto has another new plan on his mind.

“In 1967, Walt Disney produced a movie called The Love Bug. The main character was a Beetle called Herbie. Herbie is a white Beetle with blue stripes and the number 53 painted on the hood, doors and decklid,” said Mr. Szeto.

Mr. Szeto bought a Beetle of the same model and year as Herbie.

“As Hong Kong will soon have a Disneyland, if we can make a Beetle which is exactly the same as Herbie, it will show the support of Hong Kong people for the Disneyland project,” said Mr. Szeto.

(Courtesy of Mr. Jimson Szeto)

Internet Links:
Volks Club of Hong Kong
The Open University of Hong Kong

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