Have you ever heard of a children’s game known as slug bug? Anyone who loves to travel with their family knows that children get bored five minutes into the journey. In this case, you can turn to car games, and the whole family can participate. Especially if it’s a game called slough insect, punch pest, beetle bug, or speed buggy.
While the game is undoubtedly entertaining, the particular thought of how it came to be probably entered your mind, but to explain, we have to start from the very beginning.
What Is The Car Game Slug Bug?
The game’s name derives from a car, which looks exactly like a bug, the famous Volkswagen Beetle. The first player to spot a Volkswagen Beetle calls out, “Punch buggy! ” and lightly punches another player. Once the car has been spotted and known as out, this cannot be used by another player. The particular game can be played for points; spotting a Beetle earns the player a point, but making an incorrect call means losing a point.
Why Is The Car Called The “Beetle”?
The car didn’t get its moniker right away. At first, it was just a Volkswagen since no other Volkswagen car existed yet. Then it became the Volkswagen Type 1, and only after that, the ladybug-like vehicle got its nickname, which usually became the trademark.
The History Of The Volkswagen Beetle Car
Few cars in the world are as legendary as this one. The particular Beetle’s story began in the early 1930s when German designer Ferdinand Porsche associated with Zundapp began working on the design of a simple and affordable car. Born as a “people’s car, ” it had to become built with citizens’ money plus be a cheap and practical vehicle for the working class. In 1933, the project received state support.
The prototype, the KdF-Wagen and later the Vw Typ one, was ready in 1935. It was supposed to be sold for 990 reichsmarks, the same price while, for example, a motorcycle at that time. Because of the particular Second World War, this was never put into full-scale production at the Wolfsburg plant. The cars were produced in small batches, yet military vehicles such because the Type 82 Kubelwagen and the Type 166 Schwimmwagen were based on the model.
The first cars rolled off the particular assembly line at the end of 1945. They reached the first million in sales ten years later on. The last German-made Beetle left the factory in 1973, but it continued to end up being produced in Brazil and Mexico for another 30 years. About 16 mil classic VW Käfer, aka VW Beetle in English-speaking markets, had been produced in Germany alone.
Volkswagen And The Sport
There were assumptions that the game’s origins date back in order to the 1960s when the particular Beetle grew to become a real hit and was exported to more than 80 countries, including the USA. However, chances are it is part of an ad campaign by Volkswagen itself. In 2009, they ran an advertising campaign called “Punch Dub, ” with a fictional backstory of its inventor, Sluggy Patterson. The campaign claimed that the game has been started “over 50 years ago, ” though this is a humorous historical fiction created by the ad agency Deutsch Inc.
The Decline And End Of The particular Beetle
The “Beetle” was a legendary vehicle. Created as a simple car designed for a family (two adults and two children), it became a fashion accessory, almost an obligatory attribute of urban intellectuals.
In 1996, there was the revival of the “people’s car. ” A New Beetle was created. However, this had very moderate success because few people wanted in order to stand all sorts associated with inconveniences and absurdities of the design for a nostalgic appearance. Since the new car was built on the Golf chassis, the particular steering wheel was moved deep into the interior, and there was a huge panel almost half the meter wide in front of the driver.
After many decades associated with production plus three generations of projects, Volkswagen phased out the iconic vehicle. The company announced that production from the Beetle series would end in 2019.
Summary
And that’s all there is to the story behind the game. If you’re a parent who’s read this article, you’ll now know how to explain the game’s title to kids while simultaneously enlightening them about an important milestone within the automotive industry. Don’t be surprised if one of your own children wants a Beetle as their own first car!
