1. It's A Stick-Shift

My dad always knew I'd wanted a VW beetle, and so he was glad to find one for fairly cheap at a used-car dealership. It hadn't been bought, because I guess not many wanted to bother with a standard on the city streets. It took me a while to learn- I stalled more times than I can count- but I finally got the hang of it. At the very least, it adds an edge to the cutesy, girly-girl slug bug stereotype I've cultivated. The only downside; the initial transition from standard to automatic is sketchy, to say the least. I've been known to use both feet, reach for the gear-shift while in drive, and confuse the brake for the clutch.

2. It Used To Be An Exterminator's Car

Don't worry my dad, quite generously, put a lot of time into cleaning Elmer up and making him spic-and-span - so there are no noxious chemicals or dead mice present. However, in certain lighting, you can just make out the places where the paint is less faded, revealing what used to be a whisker decal and lettering for advertisements. But this isn't the only evidence of exterminator car decor. A couple weeks into driving my car, a cold night caused my windows to fog up - but before they could defrost, I was confronted with the unsettling outline of two cartoon mice, one on each window, waving at me as I struggled to keep my eyes on the road. Having been driving my car for about five years, I now regard these mice as an integral part of my car's bizarre sort of charm.

3. It Has No Passenger Door Handle

Since it's 19 years old, constant sunlight has caused the plastic in my car's interior to wear. I noticed the passenger door handle beginning to crack but ignored it. I was busy with classes, so I figured it could hold on a little longer. Then, while leaning over to pull the door closed, the handle snapped off. Now I close that door with a long cloth strap attached with a screw and some wire. Ingenuity at its best.

4. It's Windows Are Entirely Un-tinted

Cons: Everyone can see you talking to yourself, lipsyncing, and picking your nose. The trash on the floor of your car is exposed to the world. Driving naked is a no go... if you happen to be into that.

Pros!: There's always plenty of sun spilling through the windows during those long drives. If you wink at a cute boy in the neighboring car, he will most definitely see you. If you flip someone off in a fit of road-rage revenge, that person will most definitely see you, too. And- any serial killer that could possibly be hiding in your backseat will be immediately exposed thanks to those crystal clear windows.

5. It Has A Cassette Player

Sure, it would be nice to be able to play music from my phone (yes, I've tried those cassette-phone adapters, but my music is accompanied with a high-pitched squeal), but it's also nice to embrace the classics through cassette tapes. When I get tired of the radio, I pop in Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, or a Stephen King audiobook that I stole from my parents' collection in the garage back at home.

6. It Has Other, Smaller Volkswagen Bugs On Its Wheels

...a car within a car - car-ception, if you will. I have never seen another car with wheels like mine. While I've always been a fan of those cute daisy wheels, I don't know anyone else who can say their car is decorated with...other cars. Tiny cars will always beat daisies, at least in the realm of vehicle aesthetics.