Is Classic VW popularity dying?

[ButchW]

Back into Beetles after about a 10 year side trip doing Classic American Land Yachts.. Question.. Back into it and I'm seeing only 1 us magazine.. hardly any on the road anymore.. the big shows they used to have in the Seattle area are no more.. Is the popularity of the Classic Bug diminishing with the popularity of the tuners, etc.. younger generation not in to it as much? Or is my perception off? Thoughts?

If this is the wrong forum to do this in my apologies.

[doc]

I think your on it. Classic/Originals are less popular than used to be, but maybe only because of rising popularity of off road and customs. There are still big shows - SoCal, Texas. Even my little local Arkansas shows sees 300 cars each summer.

Look around. I'm under the impression WA is still a hot spot.

doc

[ButchW]

I think your on it. Classic/Originals are less popular than used to be, but maybe only because of rising popularity of off road and customs. There are still big shows - SoCal, Texas. Even my little local Arkansas shows sees 300 cars each summer.

Look around. I'm under the impression WA is still a hot spot.

doc

Oh I agree that Washington still has a huge following.. I've just noticed that over that there's a bit of difference between now and 10 years ago. I do hope that the up and comers will get into them too. Used to be I'd be constantly waiving and seeing other classic Beetles on the road.. just doesn't seem to be the case as much anymore. Maybe everybody is busy restoring them?! Yeah.. I'll go ahead and believe that....

[Piledriver]

It's kind of a mixed bag, a reasonably clean T1 or esp Bus can go for stupid $$$ these days.

[ButchW]

It's kind of a mixed bag, a reasonably clean T1 or esp Bus can go for stupid $$$ these days.

I agree.. if a kid wants to get into one he'll either have to buy one for $$$ or he'll have to take a beater and transform it. I would hope he'd do the later. The last Bug I sold for pretty good money was to a kid.. he brought his Dad along who bought the Beetle for him (first car). While I was happy to make the sale.. I was a little disappointed that Dad was basically just handing him the car. How's he going to learn? Well I'm getting off track. I do believe there are plenty of cars still out there.. just don't know how many are getting bought up anymore (judging by the ones I continue to see for sale week after week on CL). Sure would like to see more on the road.

[FJCamper]

Gentlemen,

General automotive interest in the US itself is diminishing, and that includes racing with the exception of the NASCAR spectacle. Cars are now SPAM.

The hotrodders and VW people (where tools and personal participation are required) are a dying breed. It was corporate marketing decisions that killed off VW magazines long before the time was actually due.

Todays teen is more concerned with his iPhone than a sports car, and todays "sports cars" are mainly bling meant to look good taking a date out, or trolling for dates.

The US hot rod craze (which incorporates the VW) started after WWII, peaked in the late 1960's, and has been on the slow decline ever since.

Such is life. We've lived an era.

FJC

[ButchW]

The US hot rod craze (which incorporates the VW) started after WWII, peaked in the late 1960's, and has been on the slow decline ever since.

Such is life. We've lived an era.

FJC

Well that was depressing. Probably true.. but very depressing.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

There was an article on either the web or on a local news show that said teenagers are waiting longer to get their drivers licenses than when most of us were teenagers. With the restrictions on teenage licenses why bother when you can get someone to take you where you want to go. Insurance is another problem as well as fuel prices. You can get a lot of gaming done or electronics for the price of a tank of fuel!

With the factory made hot rods (I use the term lightly), push button tuning/power changing and bolt on speed parts the number of kids interested in being creative in the car area is declining. I think it is the same with engineers (for instance); on a regular basis there has been a drought of new engineers so companies bring in engineers from outside the US. I think I even read that the space program may be having similar problems. Shortly after I started working a 4 year engineering degree changed to 5 years and the cost of a 4 or 5 year degree well... The cost of books may run up into the couple hundreds and last years books you started with may be outdated already and you have to get new books (written by your same professor who wrote last years books).

Don't forget about rust in the older cars and the replacement parts not being up to snuff.

Lee

[ButchW]

On the flip side... love 'em or hate 'em.. there seems to be more and more hot rod and car shows on TV than ever before.. so who knows.. maybe that is an avenue.. I'm not giving up on them yet. AND one of the biggest video games out there is Grand Theft Auto.. where you can build up your own kind of hot rod/car/whatever. Now it may be a stretch, but I'm hoping at some point they want to experience a little of the "real thing" and maybe that could be a catalyst to get them going.. I know it's a stretch.. but ya gotta look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Make sure it isn't a flash light or a RR train!

It isn't instant gratification and that seems to be the watchword now days.

I hope you are right and things will turn. There was a program on one of the Discovery or history channels about this same thing. They showed a couple of younger guys but us'n older guys were croaking faster than the tadpoles were coming of age.

[Chris V]

It used to be hotrodding was necessity to get impressive performance, but now so many cars hit the showroom floor with better performance than even those older hotrods.

$10K today buys a fairly nice early Cal-looker with maybe 200K on the chassis, and maybe 150HP 2-liter...Or a 2001 Audi S4 with nearly half the miles and 300HP...fuel economy almost being a toss-up...and safety & refinement being a no-brainer.

[Piledriver]

It used to be hotrodding was necessity to get impressive performance, but now so many cars hit the showroom floor with better performance than even those older hotrods.

$10K today buys a fairly nice early Cal-looker with maybe 200K on the chassis, and maybe 150HP 2-liter...Or a 2001 Audi S4 with nearly half the miles and 300HP...fuel economy almost being a toss-up...and safety & refinement being a no-brainer.

True, that ... part of the problem as you can actually walk in to a store and buy a car that doesn't suck these days...
there is even a choice... (although having driven a new Camaro, my 914 has MUCH more interior room and better ergonomics, and that's ugly)

Although the Audis/VAG hardware still has... personality, like "10K" ignition coils and wiring that needs constant replacement, but they are really nice cars when they work...

(I personally suspect Bosch hired all the engineers from Lucas at some point in the early 80s)

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Long before that; GM also hired a bunch along with Mopar (Ford wasn't much behind either). AMC used those who worked for all the big three while they were being supported.

Many years ago there was a T-shirt that was available that had the saying on the back: "The British drink warm beer because Lucas make refrigerators".

[landrocket]

Denver still has a couple of good shows. I still get a kick out of dragging my old, pink, beat up '67 out and it takes 20 minutes to get gas, because of all the people coming up to ask questions and tell me about how their Dad, brother, aunt etc. had one and how they learned to drive a stick back then. I have had muscle cars and a couple of exotics over the years and nothing, I mean nothing gets more attention, thumbs up and smiles than my bug. Only car I have kept and will never get rid of.

[gearheadgreg]

I would say that the market isn't declining as much as it is changing and maturing. Everything changes - the VW market has gone from a huge boom in the 80s, where lots of cheap crap was made, to now, where there seems to be a resurgence of some cottage industry stuff (which I love and am a proponent of) and a refocus on quality and value vs. just price.

I think this is also reflected in the prices people are getting for VWs, specifically, Buses and Vans, and some of the less common models (Oval sunroofs, etc). People appreciate a good car and classic VWs are no longer seen as a cheap run-around car, because they really aren't. Unless you are an experienced wrench with them and have 5 more in the back yard for spares.

landrocket - I agree. I'm in Col Sprgs, and the 73 Panel van that was my daily diver for a few years - NOTHING would draw people to come over and chat, anywhere we went like simply pulling up in that thing. I miss that a little bit.