#153, Author Russell Hayes’ new book on VW beetle, bus

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Russell Hayes, like all automotive industry book authors, is passionate about his subject matter. Hayes’ interests cover several iconic carmakers, including his latest effort celebrating the 75th and 70th anniversaries of the Beetle and Bus.

Hayes is the author of numerous automotive books ranging in topics from auto shows to Lotus to several offerings on Volkswagen. His latest book is the just-released “Volkswagen Beetles and Buses: Smaller and Smarter.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Hayes is our guest on Episode #153 of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with the author about VW’s two most iconic vehicles, the first Beetles spearheaded by Ferdinand Porsche in the 1940s to the buses that became synonymous with a generation.

VW History As Unusual As Any Carmaker

As Hayes explains, no carmaker’s history is as unique as Volkswagen — its association with the Nazi movement to the Hippie movement.

More than 23 million VW Beetles have been manufactured since 1945. The book examines and celebrates all aspects of the vehicles and their more than 70 years as cultural symbols.

Hayes looks back at the vehicles while focusing on the classic air-cooled VWs that ran into the late 1970s. He discusses, with accompanying photography, the Beetle and Bus at work and play.

Plenty of cars and trucks having starring roles in film, but none likely as varied as VW, with its presence in films like The Love Bug, Little Miss Sunshine, Footloose, Fight Club, The Big Lebowski, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

And there were roles in television shows like Lost and Once Upon a Time and on the covers of the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin’ album.

Hayes covers all things VW and pop culture. He writes about the New Beetle and plans for the VW Buzz, a modern electric version of the iconic Microbus due in 2022.

Please join us for an informative episode with the knowledgeable and funny author who knows Volkswagen as few others do.

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