Growing up in the 1950s, we didn't see a lot of VWs. They were out there, but not as many as would later be around.

Developed in Germany during the war years, the Volkswagen at the time made one body style...the Beetle. No heater, no comfort and no style, the VW Beetle was a transportation vehicle designed around an idea of Adolph Hitler's for a car that was good on gas and could go almost anywhere. Roads and streets at that time in Germany left a lot to be desired.

Coming to America around 1949, the Volkswagen had a slow start here. With the Fords, Chevys, Studebakers, Packards and De Sotos, why would anyone want a stubby little car that you froze in during the American winters? In a market where V-8s were king and the 6-cylinder was a prince, the little 4-cylinder was viewed by the American public as not much more than a glorified lawn mower. But slowly sales began to rise. .

By the mid 1950s more and more Beetles would find their way into the other side of America's garages. Housewives found the cars perfect for running around town to the grocery store and to have their hair done. Then, as used Beetles started to come around, men found that they were great cars for getting back and fourth to and from their jobs. Actually, I bought a 15-year old Beetle many years ago for $50 and drove it to work for two years.

Then VW did a crazy thing, they designed the micro bus. Here was a vehicle that still got the great gas milage, but could seat up to eight passengers and also their gear. Now the VW was competing with the larger American cars. This was long before the minivan and SUVs. But there was still no heaters.

Over the course of the 1960s and '70s, Volkswagen released more and more styles. The bus took on another look plus they came out with station wagons, the Karman Ghia and a delivery van and a pickup truck. But it would be the late 1960s when the VW bus would make it's mark on American history...the hippie generation.

As the hippie culture grew, the Volkswagen van, or bus, was used as living quarters to a whole generation of young people. Now upper teenagers and young adults could travel across the country to attend band concerts such as Woodstock in 1969 and have a place to crash...not the van, but to sleep. And the vans also made a great canvas for the hippies to express their styles.

As the 1980s came to pass, VW's took on a whole new look. The Beetle probably more than any other. And they got heaters! Today Volkswagens are selling better than ever. And the styles are new and fresh. And the price tag is a lot higher as well. The old VWs have the pricetag also. (Old Beetles from the 1950s and '60s, fully restored can fetch anywhere up to $80,000. Hitler would be proud. It's too bad he's not still alive so he could watch the VW's progress from his prison cell window.

This blog showcases the other side of the Volkswagen. In the last few decades people have been turning the VW into a work of art, among other things. The following pictures highlight some of the more bazar VW styles that have been created. Some may make you laugh. Some may make you wonder and some may even make you throw up. But they are strange. That's for sure.