Two things that encapsulate Britishness: 1. The embracing of unusual design. And 2. A tendency to adopt eccentric Germans as our own, like Boris Becker or Jurgen Klinsman.

The above are two startling facts which go an awful long way to explaining the nation’s long-term love affair with Beetles. The insect-shaped cars, designed by Germans, but lovingly taken to our hearts thanks to the Huddersfield-born optical engineer Ivan Hirst, were brought to us when Hirst went above and beyond the call of duty to get these cute little road monsters back on the production line following the war.

Since then, you can barely step a foot onto a main road without hearing the cheerful honk of Herbie Goes Bananas, and every year, pulsating mobs of car-loving Brits make their way to Bugjam to hang around polishing their Beetles, whilst simultaneously eyeing up other people’s Beetles. An event which is much more fun than that last sentence sounds.

The VW Bugjam event starts 20th July. Visit www.bugjam.co.uk for more information.

Writes Josh Burt

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