[Article written just prior to reintroduction of the Beetle in the U.S. market]

        Let's face it, the VW "Bug" was a tough act to follow. And when that affectionate little car made its final bow as a participant in the U.S. new car market in 1978, many a heart was broken.

        Yet the curtain never really closed. Due to the combined factors of its durable, simple engineering along with its incredibly popular character -- the VW Bug continues to be a pervasive sight on our streets to this day.

        So, why not bring it back to the market and sell new models here again? Well, first we need to look at why it left. You know, it didn't really want to go, either!

        For that matter, with the other enduring legendary successes such as the first Packard, Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Corvette Stingray why can't the car companies just pull out the blueprints and fire up the assembly lines of these vehicles again? Wouldn't we buy them?

        Of course we would welcome the opportunity to purchase a fresh production model of any of these time-tested classics. But let's again park that bug-eyed little VW in the forefront of this memorable stream of "symphonies in agitated metal."

        There are important obstacles to simply starting up those classic assembly lines: stringent exhaust emission requirements, safety standards that include minimum crash test requirements, impact bumpers and other design and U.S.-market specific conditions that vehicle manufacturers must meet.

The Last Shipment

        By 1978, the VW Bug was still able to get its poodle-nose exhaust pipes to emit acceptable levels of fumes for Environmental Protection Agency Standards. But back at the VW headquarters in Europe, the company recognized that in order to continue to sell the VW Bug in the United States it would ultimately have to redesign the vehicle (safety requirements) and engine configuration (exhaust emissions levels) -- just for the American market.

        Instead, VW opted to continue to sell the VW Bug to the rest of the world markets that still buy that little Bug today. And for a moment you might ponder the idea of trying to buy a Bug from outside the U.S. border and shipping it home. Nice thought, but save yourself the grief. By the time you'd done your own custom reconfigurations to make the VW meet current vehicle safety and emission requirements, if it can be done, you'd have clipped its wings.

        So, here's this icon ... this car that took the world by storm, or perhaps more suitably, by smirks. After all, the VW bug has that unique character that, were it human, would probably be described simply as affable, cuddly and reliable. Many other car manufacturers have hoped to come close to what the VW Bug captured.

        Chevrolet built the Corvair in the early 1960s -- duplicating many of the features that were offered in the Bug: rear-engined, air-cooled powerplant and even a similar suspension system. The Corvair was a popular car but a young attorney named Ralph Nader concluded this car was unsafe ... at any speed. Do you think that maybe what really happened was that Ralph was simply a VW Bug fan?

        Then there were others. Quickly coming to mind are the U.S.-built Ford Pinto and the Chevrolet Vega. Naturally, there are many other examples of models that could only hope to achieve the stellar sales performance of the humble bug. You may have your own thoughts about which models arrived to the market with hopes of capturing would-be Bug sales.

The Next Shipment

        While attending the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the early 1990s I saw a glimpse of the future. It was the VW "Concept 1." Unveiled for the first time in Detroit, the VW Concept 1 was a prototype of how that original little Bug could evolve to actually meet U.S. market requirements.

        After all, now that VW has sold more than 21 million Bugs globally, there's reason to rethink this American market idea. We'd probably buy a few of these Concept 1 models, wouldn't we?

        With assistance from local Santa Barbara VW historian and author of "The People's Car," Joe Crockett, I was able to learn a little more about this prototype. It turns out that the Concept 1 was such a hit with the public that VW has announced plans to build it. Hmmm. Do you think that they intended to build it all along? Probably, but that's the classic marketing tease -- it gets our attention.

        It also turns out that the Concept 1 was conceived just a few dozen miles from Santa Barbara in VW's Simi Valley, Calif., facility titled appropriately the "American Design Studio."

        "Consumers are fast approaching the crossroads of alternative powerplant options which can feel intimidating or unusual," said J.C. Mays, who headed the concept car design team. "They have grown accustomed to gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. Our project was to design a car that brought together the past and the future. A car that people could relate to and trust while offering them advanced technology.

        "Consider Volkswagen's original car. When the Beetle reached American shores in 1949 it too offered innovative technology -- an air cooled motor, unusual shape, no grille, motor in back," Mays added.

        The design team proceeded to blend that heritage with the demands of contemporary cars and viola: Concept 1. In profile it is three cylindrical shapes -- two where the wheels are positioned and one forming the passenger cabin. The motor is up front for package reasons and the car has been designed to allow dual air bags, side impact protection beams and ABS brakes -- with seating for four adults.

        Lighting for the instrument panel is electro-luminescent, like those "Indiglo" (glow-in-the-dark) wristwatches, to lessen eye strain. And just like the original Bug, driver information comes from a single round gauge that encompasses the speedometer, engine temperature gauge (which as VW fans might recall, used to be only a warning light) and also incorporates the headlight switch. Throughout, the Concept 1 echoes the simple shapes of the Bug of yesteryear.

        Perhaps it was Napoleon or Alexander The Great, or one of those conquestors who said this: "A legend has to be renewed every now and then."

        That humble little Bug has renewed its own legend.  And even Napoleon would be proud.