Meet the beetles.

"The Bug's history is not just the story of a single model of car, or even of the automobile in general ... but a parable of how the things we buy reflect the character of the culture. The Bug stands as proof that images and ideas swing through culture as if by their own power, evolving, adapting to new environments, latching on to new human champions, infecting human beings with enthusiasm."

So writes Phil Patton in bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile (DaCapo Press; $16.95), which is now available in paperback with a new epilogue. Given that the VW Beetle had a 58-year run in its original form--during which time some 21.5 million were produced--the claim to fame is not necessarily an exaggeration. Patton describes the evolution of the idea into a mass-produced product. Although the vehicle is one that has a certain impish charm, the roots in Nazi Germany cannot be overlooked or glossed over with a flower-power sticker. Indeed, the reported genesis of the shape that is universally recognized is a statement to Ferdinand Porsche by Adolf Hitler in May, 1934: "It should look like a beetle."

One interesting aspect of the original production for the cars is that the ideas for how to process them came from America: "Porsche wanted to study Detroit's production lines." Indeed, he visited the U.S. on more than one occasion and met with none other than Henry Ford: "For Porsche, the romance of the River Rouge and the myth of Henry Ford were inseparable from the vision of the people's car he planned for Hitler." He also visited the other companies: "Detroit's manufacturers, flattered and curious, rolled out the red carpet not only to their factories but their labs and back studios. At Chrysler, he was shown a small streamlined car called the Star. He took notes and measured and calculated the efficiency of the plants, the number of workers in each, and the man-hours that went into each automobile." Moreover, "In addition to visiting factories and shops, Porsche's contingent bought American machinery." One wonders whether U.S. vehicle manufacturers realized how good they were.

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Things almost come full circle. Patton describes the development of what became the New Beetle: it was penned by two American designers, J Mays (now group vp of Design at Ford) and Freeman Thomas (now with Chrysler as head of Advanced Product Design-Pacifica Design Center). Patton's engaging style and insights coupled with a vehicle that has a long, quirky and circuitous history makes this book both pleasurable and significant.--GSV