Hall of Shame: June 1992 VW Trends features this ugly beast

The world's largest ash tray? Or a toy model that someone sat on? If I were driving this, Van Halen's 1984 cassette would be turned up to 9.

Bus Brrr in Angola, Indiana - Feb 27th and 28th, 2010

VW bug as... Denis Johnson's first car

I mentioned before that in a previous existence I was an editor/publisher of a small "cultural review" magazine called, Midnight Mind Magazine. Somewhere around early 2002, we put out our third issue, which was subtitled, "On the Road in America".

In that issue, we asked certain well-known authors to share memories of their first car. Sue Grafton, a VW bug owner, shared her memories, which I shared in a previous post.

Denis Johnson, one of my favorite authors, shared his memories with us. And it turns out that he was a bug owner as well. So, as printed in the third issue of Midnight Mind, here are Denis Johnson's first car memories:

The first car I owned was a Volkswagen Bug. This was around 1968 or 1969. It was a unit from the 50s. I remember you cranked up the heat by turning some kind of faucet handle that jutted from the floor. The car started out green, but I painted it blue one day with a couple cans of spray paint. It deteriiorated steadily until it had no brakes and both the steering wheel and hand brake could be removed with a flick of a wrist. Finally this guy, Marshall, one of my housemates, took it out and blew the engine. I was back in that town just last month and ran into Marshall, and we talked about the little VW, and he claimed he wasn't the one who blew the engine. It sat out in front of our house for a few weeks and then one day while I was taking a bath I looked out the window and saw the police hooking it up to a tow truck, and then they stole it.

-Denis Johnson, author of Jesus' Son, Seek and much more incredible writing.

The Storefront Classroom - a Utopian Newspaper

I found this at an antique store in Ashland, OR, but it was published San Francisco in 1975. I think it's pretty awesome but can't find any info anywhere on the web. if anyone knows anything, drop me an email. I'd love to get some other copies.

The thing that I love about it is that it's almost all hand drawn. Of course, the VW ads - FREAK VW MECHANICS! - are awesome. I put a few more of the ads up since they are really cool.

Small Wonder Car Co.

Freak VW Mechanics

The photography of Arnold Odermatt

Arnold Odermatt was a police photographer in Germany. I guess those 2 things led to him having many pictures of VWs - wrecked VWs. This photography is haunting and shocking, and I really love it. There are books you can buy of his photos, but these were all gleaned from the internet:

Vintage Tuesday! - The ladies of the rally (with a 356).

The ladies of the rally (with a 356).

1955 Popular Mechanics featuring the "Volkswagen Camp Car"

Finally scanned this in so you can read the insides. Click on the images to make them bigger.

Hall of Shame: Jbugs "Jump for jBugs" ad

Where to start? The girl? The door panels? The fact this ads was even made? The fact that people probably bought these door panels? J Bugs, you're the newest member of the VW Hall of Shame.

Do you guys read Bring A Trailer? It's pretty awesome

A swirling conversation around rare and oddball cars that are for sale? Count me in! These guys rock. I sent a link to a car friend of mine and he has checked it daily ever since. I suggest you car nuts do the same.

From time to time they feature VWs - usually really rare or interesting ones like the one below. It was in the Vintage Volkswagen Challenge (road trip anyone?) last year. I didn't even know there was such a thing, but by looking at this car, I feel like I missed something really cool!


More pics here: http://bringatrailer.com/2010/01/13/pan-asian-oval-1953-volkswagen-beetle/

Drive-by Shootings #7

Little Blue with Rich's '65 in Sausalito.

Vintage SURFari bus.

In someone's front lawn in Sebastopol, CA...

Other VW books...

Some of the various books I have picked up at garage sales and library sales...