Ed Webb, the organizer of the Bug Out Cruz-in, poses beside his Java Green 1964 VW Bug.

Volkswagen owners got a chance to “bug out” at the Wagenfolks VW Club’s third Bug Out Cruz-in, which was held on Friday, June 20, at the Putnam County Bank Loan Center in Hurricane. Nine VW Beetles, one bus, and a dune buggy were in attendance.

Ed Webb of Cross Lanes is the organizer behind the event. A VW Bug owner himself, he has a lot of friends who are fellow Volkswagen owners. Together, they have formed the Wagenfolks VW Club. He finds a great deal of fellowship from this small community, who help each other out with parts and repairs. In the past, the group has taken their Volkswagens on the road for an autumn color drive on Route 60, traveling to Hawks Nest and beyond to see the fall foliage.

Webb has had a lifelong love affair with Volkswagen vehicles, having owned a VW Bug for twenty-six years. When he was in his 20’s, he worked as a Volkswagen mechanic at a Charleston dealership, so he has a lot of first-hand knowledge of the brand and its history.

“People love the Bug,” Webb says. “There’s been a love affair with the Beetle since they were imported into America, and it has only grown stronger over time.”

Bug Out Cruz-ins are held on the third Friday of the month from 6 p.m. until dark, and serve as an opportunity to meet up and hang out. Future events will be held on August 15, September 19, and October 17. While the emphasis is on Volkswagens, all vehicles are welcome.

The Volkswagen Beetle was designed in Germany during the early 1930’s. The unique looking vehicles eventually made their way across the Atlantic and were sold in the United States between 1950 and 1979. Almost two decades later, the Beetle would see a revival, with modernized Bugs hitting the market in 1998. The nineties was a decade marked by nostalgia for the 60’s and 70’s, and the VW Bug, with its iconic appearance, became a beloved part of pop culture. In 2019, modern Beetles ceased being manufactured for the American market.