The decade of the 1960s had some troubling years, yet it was unique in satisfactory flavorings for me. High school graduation, college admission and graduation, a faraway war, and my first marriage were all times capsuled by the presence of my Beetle companion.

So it is with great relish, escorted by positive flashbacks, that I accepted an invitation to participate in the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle launch in central Virginia.

The new Beetle has a 170 hp, 2.5-liter engine with 5-speed manual/6-speed automatic. Navigation is optional with 19-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, and bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights (DRL). Base price is $18, 995.

With the smells of a newly arriving autumn and the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains in the distance to the west, anchored by the Rapidan River in the south and the great city of Washington to the north, I started my adventure.

The Beetle turbo sports model has a duel overhead cam 16-valve, 2-liter turbo-charged in-line 4-cylinder engine that garners 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque reaping about 30 mpg. Base price is $23,295.

This is the kind of vehicle that makes you want to go back to Woodstock. Or was that the Seymour, Texas, rodeo I attended in 1969?

In its history, the Beetle is the third bestselling car nameplate with more than 22.5 million sold worldwide. In 1964 the Beetle commanded 5 percent of the car market. Today it’s less than 1 percent, but overall production is up 22 percent with the Jetta sales up 62 percent from last year.

Sleek, Cozy, and Powerful

Over the last four decades, Volkswagen and I have changed, with Volkswagen having a more favorable outcome. While I’ve gotten fat and lazy, the Beetle is stylish, sleek, compact, and powerful.

Regardless of your age, when you are in a new Beetle, you too can “Believe in Magic.”

My knees hurt, and hair lost from my head seems to have gathered in my ears, and I couldn’t hear a grenade if it went off 15 feet from me. Of course at that distance, instant death, not hearing, would be the main problem.

The Beetle has navigation that can take you anywhere. So can I, if it is not dark, rainy, windy, snowy, or the sun too bright. The Beetle is comfortable, even cozy. Even without my medication, I am always sleepy.

The Volkswagen has climate control; I have cold feet and allergies. The audio control system is married to the climate-control features just to the right of the driver on the dash.

There is also an attractive set of speedometer, tachometer, and fuel-level gauges located directly in front of the steering wheel. Other measurements like miles per gallon and numerous other readout features are incorporated in the gauge clusters.

Coming soon will be a Beetle diesel model. A turbocharged TDI clean diesel four-banger is slated to appear in the U.S. late next year that gets 40 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg city.

Even though I am no longer a trim 132 pounds, the 2012 Beetle has sufficient room for my arthritic body. And there are lots and lots of room for my man-stuff.

An example is the double glove box. One portion holds small items, while the other envelope-size compartment holds things like insurance documents, registration, and maps.

Feel Young Again

The Beetle was first introduced in the U.S. in 1949 while I arrived in June of 1947. One of us is still going strong, while the other is just going. The original Beetle was produced between 1938 and 2003.

Sitting behind the wheel of the 2012 Beetle (an icon) made me feel young again. Thoughts of unemployment, unsettled wars, approaching inflation, and a crumbling housing market were washed from my mind.

I thought of a summer night just about this time of year in the long ago when the Dodgers were closing in on Minnesota for the World Series and the radio waves carried a

song by the Lovin’ Spoonful named “Do You Believe in Magic.”

Regardless of your age, when you are in a new Beetle, you too can “Believe in Magic.”

Durhl Caussey is an auto writer who writes a column read around the world. He may be reached at this newspaper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net.

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