A Mexico City neighborhood keeps the iconic Volkswagen Beetle alive

By MEGAN JANETSKY
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Volkswagen Beetle may have been born in Germany, but the “Bug” is king in a neighborhood on the fringes of Mexico City. Classic Beetles are known as “vochos” in Mexico and still line the streets of Cuautepec — so much so that the area has been nicknamed “Vocholandia.” The Beetle has long been dubbed “the people’s car” because it was considered inexpensive and reliable. In Cuautepec, older models are widely used because they are one of the few cars that can get up the area’s steep hills. But mechanics in the area say the use of the car is dying off.