A Cal looker (California looker) is any

air-cooled Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. In all combustion engines, a great percentage of the heat ge ...

Volkswagen (most often the Type 1) modified in fashion originating in

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

in the late 1960s.

Common modifications

The Type 1 is popular with car customizers throughout the world not only because it is cheap and easy to work on, but because its iconic looks can be personalised and the flat four motor is so tuneable. Its very

ubiquity Ubiquity is a synonym for omnipresence, the property of being present everywhere. Ubiquity may also refer to: * Ubiquity (software), a simple graphical installer made for the Ubuntu operating system * Ubiquity (Firefox), an experimental extensi ...

makes even subtle changes noticeable;

Exterior

There are many popular Beetle styles, from a Cal looker, to a

Cal-Style VW A Cal-Style VW is a lowrider influenced vintage Volkswagen, that for style and cruising was lowered to the extreme in the manner called "dumped" "slammed" or "laid out". The Cal-Style VW originated in the streets of Los Angeles in the late 1970s, ...

. They vary between themselves but are similar in many ways. Also the California look has changed during the 30+ years of its lifespan. The most typical (and traditional) way to customize the exterior is to change the wheels and lower the front suspension of the car. The favorite wheels are period-style EMPI 5- or 8-spokes, Speedwell BRMs, Mahle "Gas Burners" or

satin A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...

finish

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...

factory rims like Fuchs from a classic 911. One of the original California look modifications is to replace or remove the bumpers, side trim and vent wing window either to give a cleaner look or to reduce the

curb weight Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity. Curb or kerb weight Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...

; if bumpers are removed, T-bar pushbars are common. The stock bumpers are sometimes painted or powder coated. There are many clubs dedicated to Cal look including the DKP in the USA which was one of the first clubs dedicated to true Cal-look cars. Today, the DKP still exists and the club is on their third generation. There are also currently many big Cal look VW clubs based in Europe including the DAS (Der Autobahn Scrapers) in Belgium, the DFL (Der Fieser Luftkühlers) in Germany and the JG54 Grünherz (Greenhearts) in the UK and in Brazil DBC (Der Brazilian Cal look).

Cal-Style

A lowrider influenced Vintage VW that was lowered to the extreme for style and cruising called "dumped", "slammed" or "laid-out" The

was originated in the streets of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in the late 1970s. Los Angeles VW Car Clubs like the "Bugs Buddies" and the "Vintage Volksters" were the pioneers of this style building Cal-Style VW's to cruise LA landmarks like the original Tommy's Burgers, the iconic cruise spot Whittier Blvd, ELA and to impress the LA teen party crowd. The first documented example of a "Cal-Style" VW was 1980 when Rene Ruelas of lowrider car club fame the "Dukes" combined style and performance with his Karmann Ghia convertible; it was later owned by another, the early 1980s Cal-Style builder Robert "VWKIDD" Velis. By the late 1980s, the Cal-Style VW influence spread throughout Southern California and the world. A Cal-Style VW was an all original VW typically painted in factory colors (two-tones are frowned on, unless original from the factory) that was lowered all the way around and kept all the chrome trim, bumpers, and subtle chrome lowrider influenced accessories like chrome gravel guards or rain deflectors, heavily influenced by the 1930s-1940s lowrider "bombas" Cal-Stylers saw growing up in their Los Angeles neighborhoods. The Cal-Style first called "

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

style" then "Vintage Cal-Style" then around 1983-84 the term Cal-Style was universally accepted in the streets of

. Cal-Style VW's wheels of choice were the Porsche Fuch alloys and the 5-spoke Empi's but unlike the Orange County Cal-Look the LA Cal-Style was about style and the wheels were fully polished or chromed for "

bling Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly: expensive and ostentatious possessions" such as grills and designer bags. The term arose as slang, but grew into a cu ...

".Cal-Style Newsletter

The Samba

Resto Cal

Resto Cal-look Volkswagens are air-cooled vehicles that may have a lowered stance yet appear to be restored to original condition (hence "resto"). The term was first used around 1987. For resto Cal look, a roof rack, decklid rack and similar accessories are added and some are two-tone in color. There are many other aftermarket wheels and parts that can be added to the Type 1, including wing mirrors, chrome wipers, and badges. Rear light and front indicator lenses can also be changed. This is as far as a Cal look or resto Cal car will go. Some Resto-Cal VW's veer towards the

owrider influenced because of the stance, early Fuch alloys and the number of correct period accessories on the vehicle. There is a large tendency toward the resto Cal look because these cars can be fairly easily returned to a 'stock' unmodified status. Resto Cal cars also have the nickname "Buckaroo cars", a light-hearted dig about the number of items like luggage loaded onto the roof racks like the child's game from the 1980s. Enthusiast sites such as BugMe.co.uk show what sort of modifications are often done to create or restore a resto Cal Beetle.

Other Volkswagens

The Cal look aesthetic has been applied to other Volkswagens, such as the Type 3 and

Karmann Ghia The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a sports car marketed in 2+2 coupe (1955–1974) and 2+2 convertible (1957–1974) body styles by Volkswagen. Internally designated the Type 14, the Karmann Ghia combined the chassis and mechanicals of the Type 1 ( ...

, but is not, and never has been, associated with VW camper vans and buses. The same modifications are used, with the same end result. Some Volkswagen enthusiasts are branching out into turning Beetles (and other Volkswagens) into leadsleds, Hood-Rides and

Volksrod Volksrods are modified Volkswagen beetles. They are used as an alternative to traditional Ford-based hot rods. Classic Ford Model Ts and Model As are becoming more scarce and more valuable than ever. VW Beetles are much more affordable, easier t ...

s. Others are turning to later water-cooled vehicles and the

import scene The import scene, also known as the import racing scene or tuner scene, is a subculture of modifying mostly Japanese-import cars, particularly in the United States and Europe. History Car modifying has been popular among youths in the US, espec ...

, with the

Volkswagen Caddy The Volkswagen Caddy is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle (M-segment) produced by the German automaker Volkswagen Group since 1980. It is sold in Europe and in other markets around the world. The Volkswagen Caddy was first introduced in Nor ...

having a cult following. Others have exported the Cal look onto non-Volkswagens.

Non-Volkswagens

The Cal look has also been exported to non Volkswagen vehicles, such as the Hillman Imp,

Fiat 500 The Fiat 500 ( it, Cinquecento, ) is a rear-engined, four-seat, small city car that was manufactured and marketed by Fiat Automobiles from 1957 until 1975 over a single generation in two-door saloon and two-door station wagon bodystyles. Launc ...

Porsche 356 The Porsche 356 is a sports car that was first produced by Austrian company Porsche Salzburg, Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH (1948–1949), and then by German company Porsche, Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH (1950–1965). It was Porsche's first ...

, early

Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and origin ...

, its VW-based sisters and even the

BMW 2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...

and Lada

VAZ-2101 The VAZ-2101 ''" Zhiguli"'', commonly nicknamed ''" Kopeyka"'' (for the smallest Soviet coin, 1/100 of the ''Ruble''), is a compact sedan car (''small class, passenger car, model 1'' in Soviet classification) produced by the Soviet manufacture ...

. These cars have the same modifications as their Volkswagen counterparts and are seen as alternatives to the Beetle, either due to cost or the desire to be different.

References

{{Volkswagen (North America) timeline 1950-1979 Volkswagen Beetle modifications