Volkswagen Beetle
A Volkswagen Beetle was a car from Earth. It was manufactured in the 20th and 21st centuries by Volkswagen.
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
While living in New York City in 1965, Kathy Marchant owned an orange Beetle. (PROSE: Salvation)
In 1987, the Ninth Doctor saved a child from being hit by a VW Beetle. (PROSE: Have You Seen This Man?)
The Sixth Doctor and Melanie Bush once hired a green convertible Volkswagen Beetle from Bertie's Rent-A-Bug in Australia. Some time later Mel was surprised to find that, instead of returning the car as he'd promised, the Doctor had kept it aboard his TARDIS. Furthermore, he had replaced the car's collapsible roof with one the same colours as his trousers and added a green sunstrip across the windscreen which read "The Doc" on the driver's side and "Companion of the Moment" on the passenger's side. Mel chided the Doctor for his dishonesty and talked him into at least repaying Bertie's for the cost of the car (although it is unclear if he ever did, as they were subsequently distracted by a reunion with Evelyn Smythe and a confrontation with John Doe and the Cylox. (PROSE: Instruments of Darkness)
The Eighth Doctor kept a purple Volkswagen Beetle in an alcove in his TARDIS, which he and Sam Jones drove on numerous occasions. (PROSE: Vampire Science, Longest Day, Seeing I) By one account, after the car was destroyed, the Doctor traded its remains to a Faction Paradox cultist in 2002 for information. Faction Paradox planned to take the car back in time and melt it down, ensuring its own steel would be used to build it and creating a "nice little paradox." (PROSE: Unnatural History) The Doctor replaced the Bug with a Mini Metro which had a Volkswagen "VW" badge glued to its bonnet; one of his companions put a note on the car which read, "It's just not the same, Doctor. Get rid of it." (PROSE: Interference - Book Two)
Later in his timeline, the Eighth Doctor again owned a purple Volkswagen Beetle, registration number WHO 8, which he kept parked in 1970s London. (AUDIO: Eyes of the Master) He found it again when stranded in 2020 London, but decided to loan it to Jim rather than make use of it himself, citing the high maintenance costs. (AUDIO: Lost Property)
Mickey Smith drove a yellow Volkswagen Beetle in 2005, but had replaced it with a Mini by 2006. (TV: Rose, The Parting of the Ways)
In 2009, Kenrick Jones drove a silver Volkswagen Beetle with a bumper sticker that read "I'd rather be fishing". (PROSE: The Wrong Hands)
Sarah Jane Smith had a red Volkswagen Beetle she called "Ethel", which was blown up. (AUDIO: Comeback) In 2010 Sarah Jane had an old yellow Beetle, registration number JTB 329K, which she gave her son Luke upon his departure for the University of Oxford. (TV: The Nightmare Man)
The Sleeze Brothers owned a flying Volkswagen Beetle, which was wrecked when it crashed into the Monk's TARDIS. (COMIC: Follow That TARDIS!)
Ruth Clayton owned a Volkswagen Beetle, using it to transport herself and the Thirteenth Doctor to a lighthouse outside of Gloucester. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon)
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
One famous Non-Doctor Who use of a Volkswagen Beetle was in the Disney franchise The Love Bug. In 1973, Jon Pertwee appeared on Disney Time, where he acted partially in-character as the Third Doctor and interacted with Herbie, comparing the VW to his car, Bessie. He then introduced The Gnome-Mobile before sitting on Herbie's trunk as the car backed out of shot.
