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Cootchie-cootchie coo! Cheeky, cheeky, cheeky! Aagh, we can’t handle all this cuteness in one frame! Okay, maybe not that red Renault, even then we are down with a saccharine overload.The idea was to bring together five bug cars for our fifth anniversary special. Some of the cars were obvious, like the VW Beetle, the Morris Minor and the 2CV. As for the other two cars, we could have done with a Fiat 500 or a 600 instead of the 1100-103 E and an Austin/Rover Mini in place of the Renault 5. But what the hell, even then, a line-up of these five machines is no less beautiful a sight.
The Morris Minor was the creation of Alec Issigonis, yes, the same legend who would go on to pen the mighty Mini. In fact, he penned it at a time when the British Motor Corporation was the fourth-largest car maker in the world, behind GM, Ford and Chrysler and Morris was the top brand in BMC’s portfolio. Devised as a people’s car, the Minor was available in several body styles, including two- and four-door sedan, a two-door convertible, a wagon (the one you see here), a van and even a pick-up. The Minor boasted unibody construction and an independent front suspension. And the 1100cc engine was the biggest powerplant it would get. What was special about this endearing car was its ability to give some astounding miles to the gallon, a ride that rivalled the best from Detroit at that time and handling like a sports car. The only thing we noticed while driving this wagon version was that with the curtains drawn, you can’t reverse to save your life!
Everybody knows the Bug. The dream of Adolf Hitler to make his people mobile, the Beetle was created to some exacting specifications. At that time, no one knew it would become one of the longest running cars on planet earth, with a record 21 million units being produced (production of the Bug ended this year, when a teary-eyed worker in VW’s Mexico plant drove the last one out). The classic Beetle feature is the air-cooled boxer engine placed aft the rear axle. While the engine grew in displacement, it was one of the most simple and reliable units around. No wonder then that the Beetle could be seen from the frigid areas close to the North Pole to the heated extremes of the Sahara. But we are sure that its immense popularity was not merely because of its legendary reliability but because it doesn’t give anybody in the world a reason to dislike it.
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