The Worst Bestseller

[henk4]

You couldn't really say the Trabant was a best seller, considering their really was no other choice, and when their was, the Trabant was utterly disowned.

There also was the Wartburg which sold less.

[taz_rocks_miami]

As you're in Mexico, the reason for most of the above is the lack of a decent (ANY?) service since it left the factory !!!!!

Actually, it's a friends car, she keeps it very well maintained. Service is not a problem for the Beattle in Mexico. As you might remember when you came to Mexico City, they are EVERYWARE!!! And not only do the deales know how to service them. Any car mechanic here can. It's just a bad car dude, let's face it.

I'm talking about a 1994 "classic" Beatle Matra, not the "New" one BTW

[Matra et Alpine]

Actually, it's a friends car, she keeps it very well maintained. Service is not a problem for the Beattle in Mexico. As you might remember when you came to Mexico City, they are EVERYWARE!!! And not only do the deales know how to service them. Any car mechanic here can.

Different experiences - maybe things have improved

It's just a bad car dude, let's face it.

I'm talking about a 1994 "classic" Beatle Matra, not the "New" one BTW

Yep, just like their is only one Mini, I consider the 'new' Beetle just to be a Golf with curves
BTW, Beetle competed in rallying and did well in classes for a while. So it's not all bad !!!

[taz_rocks_miami]

Yep, just like their is only one Mini, I consider the 'new' Beetle just to be a Golf with curves

I agree on both counts, even though I kinda like the "new" mini.

BTW, Beetle competed in rallying and did well in classes for a while. So it's not all bad !!!

What did it compete against?? Other insecs??

[Matra et Alpine]

I agree on both counts, even though I kinda like the "new" mini.

Saw my foirst Mini convertiable yesterday and it is ugly. The hinges for the rear boot are just UGLY. Somebody wanted to recreate the origanl Mini hinges as it hinges from the bottm. Instead they just created 2 ugle carbucles that make the rear look BLECH

What did it compete against?? Other insecs??

Remember that prior to the 911, the beetle was proving the rear engine RWD.
Great grip - the reason why Skoda's were class winners for years as well.

1st in 1953/4/5/7/62 Safari Rally <- pretty impressive huh ????
2nd 1961 Swedish against the best world rally cars of the day - Saab 96.
2nd 1963 British Rally
and a lot more


Lots of info on their competition on road and track at http://www.rallybugs.com/

[henk4]

I think you also could squeeze in a Carrera Fuhrmann engine.

[GrimaH]

Wait a min... seems like we're going out of point here...

[crisis]

dont take this the rong way, but the betlle is one of the symbols of the car industry and i think almost everyone of us would like to have one in our car collection.

No they wouldnt. I am proud to say I dont get it. Aesthetics aside, I fail to see what a 20hp, ill handling, awful sounding, gutless box like this inspires in people. I know its classic but how about some substance. And my mate who owns a supercharged 100 series LAndcruiser, a 500hp 350 Torana race car and another 350 V8 Torana road car with nitrous also has a vw powered ( I use that term loosely) beach buggy and a venerable beetle. Then my next door neighbour who owns a Ford Explorer (ok thats suspicious) and a 76 Corvette show car also has a beetle which he persists to drive instead of the others. The beetle is evil hear me, evil! It casts it spell on the unwary. Resist I emplore you, resesist!

[Matra et Alpine]

Wait a min... seems like we're going out of point here...

the Rover diversion has been pulled into it's own thread

[Matra et Alpine]

No they wouldnt. I am proud to say I dont get it. Aesthetics aside, I fail to see what a 20hp, ill handling, awful sounding, gutless box like this inspires in people.

so how many cars have you driven that have won world rallies ??

The compeition point about beetles is the engien was real easy to tune and maintain. For a rear engined car (BIG caveat) it's actually got quite nice handling and didn't have any huge vice ( even it's rear-exits were more controllable than the first 911s !!! )

[crisis]

so how many cars have you driven that have won world rallies ?

None,much like anyone else who has driven a VW. Im sure the rally winner was either heavily modified or the product of some set of fortunate (for the VW) circumstances. A Min won one of our Bathurst races once against big V8 sedans. That they had all retired for some reason or other possibly helped.

The compeition point about beetles is the engien was real easy to tune and maintain. For a rear engined car (BIG caveat) it's actually got quite nice handling and didn't have any huge vice ( even it's rear-exits were more controllable than the first 911s !!! )

It has good handling because it has no power. The firstPorsche 911 would have undoubtably been a quite similar base?

[Matra et Alpine]

None,much like anyone else who has driven a VW. Im sure the rally winner was either heavily modified or the product of some set of fortunate (for the VW) circumstances.

and so was EVERY other car that ever won a rally
Did you check out the link I gave, that would have to be LOTS of "fortunate circumstances" !!!

A Min won one of our Bathurst races once against big V8 sedans. That they had all retired for some reason or other possibly helped.

and the Mini used to win LOTS of saloon races in the UK against the big Ford Galaxies. That the Mini was in a position to win is creditable and seems to be getting ignored That the Mini didnt' blow an engine on that long straight down from the Mt is pretty impressive !!!

It has good handling because it has no power. The firstPorsche 911 would have undoubtably been a quite similar base?

It has 'reasonable' ( I'd never call it great ) handling becuse of it's weight distribution and the realtively light weight of the engine and tranny. Just like the old Imps. As for 911s, as their power increased ( initially thorugh enthusiasts tuning ) they were a nightmare on loose stuff. THAT was the point I was making, the Beetle was a bit better behaved on loose than the early 911s. It took Porsche a LONG TIME to sort out the 911 handling and folks often forget or never realised that.
But, yes, the VW was a small engine and wasn't going to set the heather alight with it's power. But, do I really need to repeat myself (?), on rallies especailly and on twisty tracks power is NOT everything

[fpv_gtho]

That the Mini didnt' blow an engine on that long straight down from the Mt is pretty impressive !!!

i wonder if it al being downhill had anything to do with it

[Matra et Alpine]

i wonder if it al being downhill had anything to do with it

The B-series engines could count the time at max revs in a couple of minutes.
The wear rate on the cams and followers on a tuned head with race springs was huge !!

That was OK for most racing/rallying as you seldom were that flat out.
I reckon you'd use it all up in 2 laps of Mt Panorama
Never really thought about it before, but wonder what head and cams they ran for the Bathurst......

[fpv_gtho]

i suppose that gearing modifications wouldve been out of the question, but in an overdrive so the car can be brought up to speed then just kept at speed whilst ticking around at 4000rpm. you would think it could work on Conrod Straight as its downhill, but the car's wouldve run into trouble going up the mountain, up Mountain Straight