TEXARKANA, Texas - Bug enthusiasts looking for Beetles didn't have far to drive Saturday morning. They showed up at 4304 Texas Boulevard to strut their stuff.
The Volkeswagen Beetle, an oddball niche classic, has found itself the focus of its own group of car fanatics, old school tinkerers and fan groups, such as Foul Air Nomads, based out of Spring Hill, Louisiana, and the Ark-La-Tex VW Association, based around here.
Around 50 participants and 20 Beetles were at this rally.
Dustin and Susan Moore, were two of the participants. Dustin's Beetle came into his possession after he had been driving by the car in its previous resting place, a farmer's field outside of Mandeville, where it had been sitting still for 20 years. Dustin said the car did not exit the field under its own power after he bought it.
"Oh, all four tires were very flat," he said. "Dirt daubers had made lots of nests on it. There was an ant colony in the front right wheel. I had to evict them before I could move the car."
But he rescued that Beetle and went to work on it.
"What started out as a motorcycle trip (both Dustin and Susan ride) turned into a classic car rescue project," Dustin said. "The thing you need to take on a project like this is a lot of time. There's lots of YouTube videos that can help, too."
The Volkeswagen Beetle community is one that shares the love for this niche classic, and that was how Dustin and Susan Moore got into the organized community.
"One guy we ride motorcycles with, he pointed us to the Hot Springs Volkeswagen club," he said. "They turned us over to the Foul Air Nomads and here we are. Working on my Beetle will be an ongoing project."
Mike Buckner, was one of the Foul Air Nomad organizers of Beetles on the Boulevard. The event, he said, was the first of its kind in Texarkana.
Buckner said the Foul Air Nomads were established two years ago, though he has been in the Beetle community considerably longer.
"The draw now is the culture," he said. "The community, and they come for the cars and the nostalgia. This is a car that used to be made fun of. It was a joke to bring a Volkeswagen Beetle to a car show. But now, they (are) cool and the kids love 'em."
Buckner said taking on Beetle ownership is not without challenges.
"You have to love caring for them," he said. "And it helps to find a community with the same passion. But if you find you have that passion, especially if you find that community, you will enjoy every moment."
(You can find Foul Air Nomads on Facebook.)