Date:         22 Jul 96 17:28:59 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "William A. McKinley" <75112.2101@CompuServe.COM>
Subject:      Re: water pipelines

>>"...the car itself was still full of bugs." -Heinz Nordhoff, 1948, rebuilding
>>the VW after the war.

>Was this really written in 1948?  The term "bug" as applied to an engineering
>failure/problem, has been credited to Grace Hopper sometime in WWII, but I
>am quite suprised that it migrated this far in such a short time!

>malcolm

Jeez, you're sharp, Malcom. My mistake. After some research, I found that the
quote was actually taken from a speech accepting the Elmer A. Sperry Award on
November 13, 1958. The award was presented to Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (in
memoriam), Dr. Heinz Nordhoff, and the workers of Volkswagenwerk for development
of the Volkswagen automobile. In my defense, Nordhoff was referencing  the
Volkswagen of 1948, the year he assumed responsibilities at the factory. The
above information, and lots more interesting things can be found in the book
"Small Wonder" by Walter Henry Nelson, @1965, Library of Congress card
#65-10899. Look for it in used book stores, library sales, etc. I doubt if it's
still in print. Excellent reading. 
I stand corrected, and will make the necessary changes in my future postings.
Maybe it's time to come up with a new one ;)
Thanks!
Funny thing, after Nordhoff finally test drove one of the Volkswagens, he
remarked it was "an extraordinarily amazing automobile with a special
personality [and] unlimited possibilities." 
I guess they grow on you. 

Andy McKinley
Cudahy, WI
75112.2101@compuserve.com
'72 Westy