Hope For Nostalgic Car Lovers, and Hippies, Looking For Something New
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Volkswagen appears to be testing the waters, with a 21st-century version of its iconic VW Bus, that first debuted back in 1950 -- truly the world's first minivan. At the current Geneva Auto Show (the show's a big deal internationally: I've never been, but always have wanted to go), VW has just debuted a concept version of its famous hippie mobile. And this time around, the now-retiring hippies should love it even more: the newly unveiled concept is electric.
The old version was a piece of work: every time my brother turned a corner in his -- if he had less than a half a tank of gas -- the fuel flow would cut out to the engine, resulting in a temporary shutdown. Still, hippies loved the VW Bus in the '60s, because it was big enough to stash a guitar, surfboard, marijuana plant, Cheetos and your old lady plus your love child in the back, then live out of the thing until the man came along and made you move.
No firm decision on whether to produce the new VW Bus. Its design isn't as quirky as the original. But going around corners with less than half a tank, that may not be a bad thing. If I had to, I'd bet you'll see the VW bus at dealerships by late 2013.
