February 2023 MBR The Automotive Shelf

The Automotive Shelf

Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories
Stephan Szantai
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613257500, $34.95, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Volkswagen-Accessories-Stephan-Szantai/dp/1613257503

Synopsis: It is well documented that the Volkswagen Beetle is the best-selling vehicle of all time. In 1972, the 15-millionth Beetle was produced, breaking the record set by the Model T about 40 years earlier. It was a simple design with styling that appealed to the masses. It was affordable, practical, and fun. Because it was such a simple car and so many were sold, many people enjoy customizing their car with many accessories, which has been a large market for these cars dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. There is even a market today for people who collect these accessories without installing them.

In "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories", which is authored by veteran VW historian Stephan Szantai, a whole range of accessories are covered. Of course, a history of the Beetle is detailed, as well as the companies that formed the accessory aftermarket. Included are accessories for dressing up the exterior of the car, such as vented windows, bumpers and guards, turn-signal technology, add-on lighting, mirrors, etc. Then, interior accessories are examined, such as radios, ashtrays, gloveboxes, gauges, and clocks. No accessories book would be complete without engine accessories, covering both dress-up options and functional performance parts. Travel accessories, such as roof racks, coolers, extended gas tanks, tail racks, and coffee makers are detailed. Wheels are also covered.

A gallery of accessorized Volkswagens of all types are featured, including Type 2 Buses; Type 3 squarebacks, fastbacks, and coupes; Karmen Ghias; and even single- and double-cab pickup bodystyles are included. Join the fun and nostalgic romp through VW accessory history with this new title that features everything cool about customizing your VW.

Critique: With the publication of "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories", VW expert Stephan Szantai takes a fun and nostalgic look at the world of Volkswagen accessories. Informatively and profusely illustrated throughout, "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories" is an inspiring delight to simply browse through, one informative page at a time. Expertly written, organized and presented, "Vintage Volkswagen Beetle Accessories" is a 'must' for the legions of VW owners, and a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Automotive History collections.

Editorial Note: Born and raised in France to a German mother and a Hungarian father, Stephan Szantai (https://www.motortrend.com/staff/stephan-szantai) has had a deep interest in automobiles for longer than he can remember. Regular childhood trips to Germany to visit an aunt who drove a 1971 Beetle sealed his fondness for air-cooled VWs. A fascination for car magazines led to Stephan's first article being published in France's then-new Super VW Magazine in 1987. Five years later, a business opportunity prompted him to move to Southern California, a region with a rich car culture. For more than two decades now, Stephan's writing career has produced 2,500 articles printed in nearly 100 automotive magazines based in 17 countries. Old Volkswagens remain part of his life today thanks to both his involvement with the scene and the 2.3L 1957 Beetle he purchased in 1993.

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