Classic Recollections: 1975 VW Beetle

One of the magnetic attractions we have with our classic vehicles is their timeless styling and design. The perpetual problem remains that within a few model years, our favorites are replaced with visually different autos.

Not so with Volkswagen and its beloved Beetle.

Production began in 1938. Even though Fernando Martinez's Bug is from 1975, its shape is almost indistinguishable from all its siblings.

From the start, VW adopted an evolution, not revolution, mantra for its design. As such, the “people's car” retained an iconic shape adored by the masses for more than six decades.

Martinez's passion was cultivated as a young man, growing up when Beetles were very common.

“In Mexico, you would see Vochos (the pet name for bugs) on every street. I remember fantasizing about the day when I would own one.”

One of the Crystal Lake resident's uncles even worked for a VW dealership in Monterrey, Mexico, and he sold another uncle a 1975 Beetle when it was new. This gave Martinez plenty of seat time to cement his resolution while frequently visiting his relatives.

However, with the eventual end of stateside sales for the original Beetle, Martinez's desire waned as the car for years was no longer found on dealership lots. He succumbed to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.

That all changed in 2010 when Martinez's uncle alerted him he was selling his beloved, daily-driven Bug, which he had kept all those years.

“I jumped at the opportunity to own the family vehicle and had it imported right away,” Martinez said.

While the car had been cared for, it was well worn. Martinez took it to the Volkswagen experts at MidWest Auto Savers in Cary for a complete overhaul.

“Features of the 70s-era cars were not my favorite so I altered it to reflect the more attractive '60s style,” he said.

The heavily padded dash and chunky steering wheel were swapped out for a body color unit and the thin-rimmed style. The entire cabin received a much-needed facelift by way of tan and black leather upholstery.

Classy whitewall tires were installed on painted wheels, along with all the appropriate brightwork and badges.

Several patches of rust needed to be addressed on the fairly solid body prior to its four new coats of paint and clear.

“From the start of the project, I knew the color I wanted: Aquarius Blue,” Martinez said. “It was a color used for the New Beetle convertible and one of three colors offered on the 2004 Ultima Edicion.”

The Ultima Edicion, or Final Edition, was the last model year for the Mexican-produced Beetle, ending a global production run of nearly 65 years.

While the original air-cooled engine was a petite 1,584 cubic centimeters, Martinez wanted a bit more “oomph” and had it rebuilt to the current 1,776 cc size. Performance upgrades include such things as a larger intake manifold, larger camshaft and pistons and bumping up the compression.

“It's certainly not a muscle car but has adequate power to be a real pleasure to drive.”

Martinez put the finishing touch to his cruiser by adding the dealer-option under dash bamboo tray and installing a second speaker underhood, hidden in an official VW tool kit box.

Despite the years, the universal, grin-inducing appeal of this Vocho is readily evident whenever Martinez takes it out. “Everywhere I go, people's faces light up when I drive by. There's just something special about seeing a Bug.”