I remember this vehicle with a lot of nostalgia as a kid...but..

Why do driving schools (in Lagos) still use old, battered, rickety VOLKSWAGEN BETTLES (TYPE 1) to teach learners how to drive??

Is it because of the cost? There are more recent cars that are just as cheap to use for learning purposes.

Is it cos of its awkward gearing, where you could start off in second gear?...

or the manual drive stick shift that juts out in your face like a haulage truck....

I must admit that I tend to admire, the car from afar, but only as an icon of automotive history, (the most manufactured model of a single design) but still can't place why it's still the car of choice for driving schools. I think it's look is pretty intimidating for a wanna-be-learner driver....

In contributing let's share some experiences with this automotive icon - the 'Peoples Car'.

Contributions pleaseee.....

Minions: Your painfulness! Why is Beetle car used in driving lessons?
Hades:Learner drivers are destructive. The beetle is a cheap car. Can easily be paid for by the learner. No learner can pay for Limousine damages.
Minions: My Lord! The answer was before all along?! Forgive my foolishness

old cargos

do they? lmao........er.....

volkswagen beetles are used because they are cheap - in that even if you crash them as a learning driver, the damage would be minimal. what do you expect driving instructors to use? bentley or bugatti?

Its probably because,if you can drive a volkswagen beetle,then you can drive any car.

OP thanks for bringing dis up. Dis thing have been bothering me in my mind for too long now. I really will like to know why? Peeps that went to driving school what were their reasons for using it to teach you how to drive. Or is it that if you can drive that that means you can drive anything vehicle. Even its look alike 911 truck.

I think it's because of the repair/replacement cost in case of a crash. My friends dad bought a second hand VW Beetle N6,000 last year.

Volkswagen beetle is the best choice for those learning to be a commercial driver most especially those that will end up to be a danfo or paragon driver. Sey you no know say na mad dem dey use cure mad, na rough thing dem go use teach rough driver.

Reason: price for 1= 18k, buying 2 = 30k plus one free, buying 3 = madness, straight to the psychiatrist.

Cos of it's ruggedity

Because nothing kills a Beetle

Because nothing kills a Beetle!

lankspex: Its probably because,if you can drive a volkswagen beetle,then you can drive any car.

na lie

I guess two reasons, that car is very rugged and the manouverability of the gear is such that if you can handle it, you can handle any and every other vehicle. I recall my dad used both the beetle and peugeot 504 to teach myself and my bro how to drive. Needless to say, it is only articulated vehicles that i have not bothered to drive since then. I can move virtually anything on wheels. And i miss the beetle.......

POVERTY

oh, the Koenigsegg CCGT is ridiculously cheap and handles like a biatch. learners need something a bit more expensive and classy. think vw beetle.

waoh, just 18k! Thats my dads first and only car *runs out of the house*. on my way to buy my own.i also want to be a car owner !!!

@OP, see the iron body. It will be extremely difficult for any learner to bash the poor beetle for its owner. Besides , its dirt cheap.

Yinkay: Because nothing kills a Beetle!

LOL. But beetles can be squashed na.

As regards the car, I think it's cos it's cheap, has well-reinforced bumpers in the event of an accident, and no matter how hard you throttle, you can't over-speed (for the over-zealous learners). Besides that, the rattle of the car would warn those ahead of it's approach.

Ah..i always wonder too oh

because that is what the training companies can afford, so when you spoil it in the process of learning they wont fill it like that but i have some standard driving schools that use good cars for their training

well i think because of the cost to maintain. But when i learnt driving we used a toyota corolla instead of the beetle.

uihebom: OP thanks for bringing dis up. Dis thing have been bothering me in my mind for too long now. I really will like to know why? Peeps that went to driving school what were their reasons for using it to teach you how to drive. Or is it that if you can drive that that means you can drive anything vehicle. Even its look alike 911 truck.

1. it is cheap ie the beetles are affordable. u are dealing with learners, there is high probability of accident
2. not easy to drive. u all that have driven either a jeep or hummer, either a bettle or a manual car and u wont move one inch. i learnt with beetles, i didnt like it, i prefered auto but the fact is if u can drive a manual car like beettle, auto wont be a problem.

the major reason now is just affordability becos most cars we have now are auto, why still learn with a manual and again, the driving schs arent making that much revenue, 10k per person and how many people do they get a month? not much. so using a more expensive and beta car isnt good for the business.

Dats is what we call square 1

COM USE RANGE ROVER LEARN NA?


WON SHERE.............

You drive VW beetle then you can drive any car!

I think it's because it does not have high speed and it does nt consume much fuel!
So in that case it is recomended 4 learners

Because it offers aid free practice whether it is the un-padded, un-powered steering wheel, its clunky gearbox or its spring filled seats. You get to sweat it out. Well I really don't know. Its a similar manner to that about whether its ideal to allow elementary school kids use calculators really. Neither here nor there.

Because it's one of the most old difficult car to drive.