The release of the new Volkswagen Beetle in 1998 triggered a new wave of enthusiasm for this most endearing of cars, and Beetlemania pays tribute to a worldwide love affair. McLeod’s book abounds with tidbits of Beetle trivia--for example, in Bournemouth, England, 103 students once squeezed themselves into a single Beetle, and secured a new record. (They also managed to drive the car for 15 feet!) The birth of the Beetle is traced back to the Berlin Auto Show in 1933, and a historic meeting between Ferdinand Porsche and Adolph Hitler. As Porsche sketched his visions for a small car suitable for ordinary people, Hitler added his ideas. How many Beetle owners today realize the impact that this notorious dictator had on their beloved car? The car's rise and fall is then charted, through war, economic slump, the swinging '60s, and beyond. An entire chapter is devoted to the new Beetles--first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 1994, and stopping traffic ever since. Illustrated throughout with dozens of photographs, Beetlemania will delight Bug addicts everywhere.