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BEETLE

CRAWLS \ in today's paper INTO

MADISON
Business 1C

MIKE DEVRIESfTHE CAPITAL TIMES

Mary Wick and her husband, Raymond Zit, (right) get a sneak preview of the new Volkswagen Beetle from Steve Paschkewitz, new car manager at Zimbrick Volkswagen-East on N. Stoughton Road.

Beetle crawls into town

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By Todd R. Svanoe
Correspondent for The Capital Times

'Endearing' VW bug finally gets public unveiling

Reviewers have called it a "cartoonish," "endearing," "happy," "funky," "people's car." Finally, the new VW Beetle is in Madison, where locals can judge for themselves .. Mary Wick, 49, knows the public unveiling is Thursday. But the return of the refabbed legend was too tantalizing, her tie to this cultural icon too strong. So Tuesday after hours, Wick slipped into the Zimbrick showroom on Stoughton Road and claimed the privileges of a 19-year customer. Wick, one of more than 60 MadIson- buyers who have put money down on the Bug, sight unseen, has fallen hood over wheels in love again. "It was beautiful, gorgeous, real low to the ground, too neat ... better than I expected," she said afterward, like someone who had been the first in line. For some, its beloved 60's predecessor was, as Motor Trend magazine put it, "the beloved underdog," "the four-wheeled definition of cOlli1ter-culture," and the transportation of choice to "banthe-bomb rallies, flower-power love-ins and purple-hazed Jimi Hendrix concerts." For Wick and her husband, who have owned 13 Volkswagens since the early 70's, it has been the perfect car for going antiquing, a car with great gas mileage not to mention character, and one that could be snuggled up to a snow bank . when parking was at a premium. "All three of my dogs are gonna fit," she said, noting the car's fourseat capacity.

MIKE DEVRIESffHE CAPITAL TIMES

A dashboard flower vase is one feature of the new Beetle that harkens back to its origins.

David Parris, 40, has ordered a diesel VW, which gets up to 48 miles per gallon. "I love German cars. The Beetle is a cute car that's also very practical. I ordered one loaded with everything. It's an automatic and a turbo diesel, which is a great value for $21,500, considering the mileage, nice handling and ride quality." While some recommend it as a second vehicle, it will be Parris' primary vehicle, he said. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun." Parris is reassured by the fact that the new design is built on the same platform and chassis as the upcoming fourth-generation Golf and Jetta. The standard vehicle

lists for 815,200, is powered by a 115-horse 4-cylinder engine and canies features such as powerassisted steering, NC, 4-wheel disc brakes, power door locks, and an anti-theft system. The new model is more than a half-ton heavier than the original. Nostalgic items include a dashboard flower bud vase and traditional font lettering and numbers on instruments below the dash, both reminiscent of the original Beetle, according to Steve Paschkewitz, new car manager of Zimbrick Volkswagen-East. "The car has been appealing to
See BEETLE, Page 3C

Bug lover believes in the luck of the Beetle

By Todd Svanoe
Corre.<;prmdenl (Of' The Capital Time.,;

Looking back on almost 30 years a.<; a Volkswagen owner, Mary Wick of Madison told of an automotive odyssey in which the cars have become not only treasured pals, but guardian angels in a lifelong comedy of errors. "When my husband and I met, we both had '71 Super Beetles. His was orange, mine wa.<; red. Wa.<;n'tthat a match? It was love at first sight. And I gave up a I'orsche for that," she said, referring to another boyfriend.

"I sold that first car .for a Honda Civic because it had a heater that worked. In fact, I drove two Hondas for two years and cracked them up, so I decided I'd better go back to Volkswagen. It was bad luck." She had sold her '71 for $ 1,000. She bought her next bug, a '67, for $200, she said. "Someone had painted it with a paint brush, forest green. It W(1.'; gorgeous and built like a tank. I'm sorry I don't still have that one." It was so solid that it withstood another accident, this one while it was parked. "Up on the balcony of

this house wa.<;a Weber grill. I'll never forget, we had a wind storm and it landed on top of t.hat car. It. didn't even dent. it or chip the paint. Of course, I wa.<;real con,cerned about my $200 car." The VW omen eontinued. "I've always stuck to Volkswagens because I've had good luck with them. Except in '84 I strayed and bought a Ford Tempo and it. got. recalled 11 times in one YI'Hr, so then I went back to Volkswagen." . Not that she's superstit.ious or anything, but it did also happen to her husband. "He was disloyal one year too, and bought. a Fiat., but

then he carne back after the front end fell off it." Wick did have one incident wit.h a Volkswagen. After naming her long line of VW friends Hudy Hahhit, Butterscotch, Pearl and Pippin - she stopped, "Come to t.hink of it, Pippin ended up around a telephone poll." Which explains a few of her priorities in buying the new VW. "Tile IWW one has dual front and side air bags so I'll be all set," she said, adding that it might be a plus that the engine is in the front of this model, between her and all else that moves.

Beetle
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ex-hippies for nostalgic rea.<;ons and to Gen-Xers who are looking for something different," he said. BiJl Schmitz, general manager of Zimbrick Volkswagen-West in Middleton, agrees. "I've never seen such a magnet to all ages, all sexes, all segments of the market. It's such a curious car that people all want. to see, touch and smile about it." The two have run a public relations campaign this week .that included whirling spotlights in the evening sky, a giant, inflatable King Kong in Middleton, and sealing showroom windows to discourage early peepers and recreate an old-fashioned unveiling. "We're having fun with it," said Pa.<;chkewitz, who worked with Bruns Volkswagen for years on the

same Stought.on Hoad sit.e. This week will double as the grand opening there for a new service drive, body shop and renovated showroom, a $1 million investment since October,he said. Schmitz will show a single silver Bug this week, while Pa.<;chkewitz sports the yellow car. Both have promises that more will arrive from the sole Puebla, Mexico, VW plant. But a joke is circulating about such reports: VW stands for Varies Widely. What they can guarantee, said Paschkewitz, is that roughly 90 cars in addition to the 61 already claimed will be allocated between the two stores t.his year. "But. by summer, we will probably be sold out."