Volkswagon in Paradise

I have fond memories of a 1986 VW. It is the only brand new car I ever had of my own. I put over 200,000 miles on it, a maroon job with a sunroof. Even at the end it was still giving me 39 freeway miles to the gallon. I drove it from Washington State to South Carolina. It didn’t have an air conditioner. That wasn’t a problem in the cool Pacific Northwest, but in steaming Columbia, South Carolina, a drive up to North Carolina to visit the family could bring on serious heat stroke.

That car was like my second skin. I’m sure it had at least another trouble-free 100,000 miles in it. Still on my first clutch! I was very sad to let it go. A minor fender bender, and the insurance company totaled it. Reluctantly, I took the check and looked for another car. I drove a few more cars in the years following, but I never found its equal.

Do you believe in reincarnation? Well, how about cloning? To my delight, my little maroon Volkswagen has been replicated and covers the streets of Zhuhai! All the cabs are maroon VWs of the same body style as the ’86. There are many, many private vehicles, too, of that description. It delights my heart to see my little bug running everywhere around me. Maybe one day I can find a beat up one that I can afford, and once again put on an old skin.