Some love for the Bug

I've grown accustomed to the smiles and friendly nods that people direct my way when I'm behind the wheel of my trusty little Volkswagen Beetle. Doesn't seem to matter who's admiring it -- pedestrians, gas station attendants, people who see me going into a store or parking it on the street -- but the first question always seems to be, "Hey, what year is it?"

And when I answer, "1967," they shake their head and comment on what good shape it's in.

This past week, the admiration has gone to another level.

Last Saturday, I found a handwritten note on the car left by from someone who said he lives in the neighborhood and was interested in knowing if I might be interested in selling "this lovely VW Bug."

Two days later, I was at my desk here at home, very likely tapping out another blog post, when I looked out the window and saw two young women carefully place some flowers under one of the windshield wipers. No note. Just a token of appreciation, I suppose.

Then, last night, when I drove to a nearby ATM, I parked the car and had just gotten out when a passing bicyclist did a 180 in the middle of the street and circled back to me.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said. "What is it about these cars that, when they're up for sale, they're always snapped up by the time I call?"

Like a proud parent, I rattled off a few reasons. They're durable, made of real steel; they're dependable and easy to maintain; they get you where you're going and they can squeeze into a lot of tight parking spaces. Plus, they're fun to drive and fun to look at.

I'm not a car guy, by any stretch of the imagination. I bought the Beetle in 1997 from a guy who was, though -- and he's the one who restored it to its present condition, including an off-white paint job. I've replaced the engine, the clutch, the fuel pump and the odometer and dealt with various little issues, and it's running fine. (This is at least the third odometer the car has had, btw, so who knows if it's been driven 200,000 or 300,000 miles over the 44 years of its life?)

I'm not really looking to sell my Beetle, especially after a weekend wash-and-vacuum job and slipping on a pair of new seat covers, but it's nice to know there's an eager market for it.

Come to think of it, it is a pretty cool car.