Punch Buggy! Yes! Punch Dub? Hell No.

Flickr photo by Martin Pettitt

I love VW Beetles. Old. New. All colors. Love them. I've had my silver New Beetle for ten years now. There's a flickr gallery with pictures of only VW Beetles that I really enjoy looking at. I've saved a ton of them in my flickr favorites.

When I first got my Bug, my little cousin K was the one who told me about the Punch Buggy thing. I must have forgotten about that part. So K was the first person to give me my Buggy punch.

I remember driving past two guys emptying trash and one with great fervor and glee punching the other in the arm. I was shocked at the sudden violence and wondered what had brought that on. Then I realized it was my Bug! It was me. Hee hee hee. I kind of liked it. My car sparked action!

And there are actual Punch Buggy Rules. This is serious stuff after all. Now let me share some of those rules with you. Under the definition of what constitutes a Punch Buggy, the New Beetle does count. Yes!

And to you Volkswagen marketing people who have sullied the fun and spirit of the game, VWs that are not Beetles do NOT count. This Punch Dub thing is way off and annoys me to no end. And I'm not the only one. Read this article by another person who respects the tradition of the game.

Further, Volkswagen is diluting the value and appeal of their brand. Those of us who buy Beetles really love them. Why would they want to take the fun that is directly related to our beloved Beetles and spread it to their whole line of cars? The whole thing about the Beetle is that it's unique. It's not like any other car.

When I see those Punch Dub Days commercials, it seems that Volkswagen forgot who their Beetle customers are. Which makes me think that maybe I place too much importance on my Beetlemania and nostalgia. The next time I buy a car, maybe I should just focus on buying American. Even if I don't love the car so much.

*Updated 4/27/10* Looks like Ford might have the answer to my dilemma. I just learned about the Ford Start. That's one good looking car! The Ford Start might be a car that I could love. But it's just a concept car and not set for production according to Ford's director of strategic design, Freeman Thomas. He was a chief designer for VW and worked on the New Beetle. Now I see. I like his style. It looks like a Freeman Thomas design might be my next car.

*Updated 5/29/10* Here's another blogger who agrees that the new VW commercials are just awful.

*Updated 7/3/10* For those of you who love Beetles, you might like this flickr gallery that I've curated called Beautiful Beetles.

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Comments

Nance said…
I griped about the very same thing. Who punches anyone for any old VW? NOBODY. Dumb ads.
starry said…
I think the old beetles earned the punch.lets not dilute it.
Tracy said…
I love old VW Beetles too... I saw one was that was all colors, almost like a rainbow...LOL! I'm off to see that Flickr gallery! :o) Happy Week, Anali ((HUGS))
Suldog said…
This is so right on! MY WIFE saw one of those commercials and immediately started ranting about how it just wasn't right at all. I agree. I mean, it's not like you can tell those damn cars apart from a hundred others. The Bug was (is) unique. That's why the game works.
Lisa Johnson said…
nance - Agreed. It's just wrong.

starry - Well, technically that would leave out my New Beetle. Noooo! ; ) But even so, it was the old ones that earned it.

tracy - Oh that sounds so pretty! If I ever get rich, I'll buy an old Beetle and fix it up. : )

suldog - I'm so glad that I'm not the only one griping about those commercials. I appreciate the camaraderie! ; )
Unknown said…
Thanks for including a link to my posting. Glad you agree with me.

It annoys me when I see those ads.

I also think the new Beetle should be included in the game because it still has the unique look you would expect from a Punch Buggy. It's not like you'll mistake a new bettle for a Honda Civic hatchback.

It still has the bug-eyed headlights and the dome we're used to on the old one, so I say include.

But all other VWs should stay out of the game.
Lisa Johnson said…
michael - Thanks for stopping by! Love your post! We are in complete agreement. : )
I played punch buggy as a kid sitting on the Brooklyn sidewalks!
Jester Queen said…
I love the humor in all the addendums!
http://jesterqueen.com
Joanne said…
I thought the punch buggy thing was new. I never heard it until my 7 year old daughter said it to me. Now she does it all the time in the car. We never did this as kids when the old beetles were out.
Lisa said…
We call them Slug Bugs but Punch Buggy works, too....I drive a 2010 Red Rocks Red aka orange pre body change. What do you think of the body change. I'm not so crazy about the flatter roof.

Happy SITS Day.
sheri said…
Loved this! Your blog is just so lovely and "happy" - glad to have found you via SITS!! :)
jennice said…
I love thebeeird lookof the beetle. I wouldn't actually buy it.because it isn't practical for my life. The beetleand and pt cruiser are my dream cars.

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