Remember back in the day when a cry of “punch buggy!” was quickly followed by a thwack, a sore arm and a laughing friend?
- What’s in a name?
- The books
- The origins: truth or myth
- When does a buggy equal a punch?
- The following Vee-Dubs are part of the game:
- How-to-play: the essentials
For most of us this inane game was a rite of passage, a game intrinsic to our youth, and it sure was annoying.
Irritating or not, Punch Buggy, for as long as it has existed, has a more substantial rulebook than any casual player or childhood victim would ever know. It also has a little-known, potentially dark – and still unconfirmed – history.
What’s in a name?
Much like devon or fritz, potato cake or scallop, parmy or parma – and even vacuum cleaner or hoover – the game goes by multiple names. The two most common are Punch Buggy and Slug Bug but, depending on where in the English-speaking world you are, it is also called Punch Bug, Punch Car, Punch Dub, Piggy Punch and Beetle Bug.
The books
Perhaps more alarming than the game’s existence and its popularity is that people have taken the time to write rulebooks for it. A quick google renders Rules for Playing Slug Bug and Punch Buggy! – which has, on average, reviews between one and two stars – and The Official Punch Buggy Rule Book, a much more highly rated publication.
The origins: truth or myth
The VW Beetle arrived in steel in 1938 but it was born in 1934, when Adolf Hitler ‘asked’ Ferdinand Porsche to develop the ultimate ‘people’s car’ – literally a Volkswagen in German. One widely held rumour is that because the car was the chosen vehicle for members of the National Socialist Party, as a point of pride to show their loyalty, people turned spotting one in the street into something of a joke – a piece of dark humour for dark times. The other version of the game’s origin story comes from America, but has similar links to Nazi Germany. The story goes that Americans would react to seeing an ostensibly Nazi vehicle cruising the streets by punching their dearest friend – a weird response, it must be said. Most likely of all theories, though, is that the game was born from the vehicle’s unique appearance. The Beetle was, and still is, a one-of-a-kind piece of car design.
When does a buggy equal a punch?
Can you thwack your mate’s arm for any old Volkswagen? Is a bone-white tradies’ Transporter an invitation to an in-car joust? The classic Beetle (like Herbie ‘The Love Bug’) has become a rare sight on the roads – and now fetches premium, collectible prices – so you could argue that it deserves extra points. And since that classic, key figure in the game has become harder to find, Volkswagen’s 1997 New Beetle re-creation is now officially in play – these too are rare. So if you’re factoring in rarity, it’s fair to add Kombis and other interesting or rare VWs into the mix, and since they are becoming more collectible ’80s VW vans too.
The following Vee-Dubs are part of the game:
The classic VW bug
The classic VW bug convertible
The classic split-window Kombi
The classic later-model, non-split-window Kombi
Kombi utes of any type – single cab and dual cab
The New Beetle
How-to-play: the essentials
1. Predetermine the winning score
Have a think about a realistic target score. If you’re taking a longer trip with more traffic, or if you have a keen VW eye, aim for higher scores. The rarer the VW, the higher the score, so make a score system based on rarity.
2. No punch backs
There’s more to it than “Punch buggy!” and thwack. The correct way to announce a Punch Buggy sighting is “[colour] punch buggy [additional info], no punch backs”. The last part of that announcement flags that this particular VW is, for the purposes of the game, yours and only yours.
3. No pre-emptive slugs, unless…
Discipline is important here. If someone begins saying “Pun—”, you must wait until they’ve finished speaking before any slugging happens. The “unless…” is if the person forgets to say “No punch backs”; if they do… they better look out.
4. Safety first
Bicep taps only and nowhere else, for the love of God.
5. Proximity/familiarity rule
You can’t keep a buggy ‘up your sleeve’, so to speak. Sure, you might think you’re smart because you know that hippy named Bongo around the corner has a sweet split-screen Vee Dub ute – which would fetch serious points! – but it’s out of play. The game can only be played in neutral, unvisited territory, but don’t take that to mean Switzerland.
6. The driver
The driver drives. That is all.
7. The Arnold Schwarzenegger rule
Say this in a thick Austrian accent: “Stop whining.” It’s self-explanatory. No whining allowed.
8. Stick to the rules
No changing the rules mid-game. Anyone attempting this is liable to get their upper arm tickled.
“PUNCH BUGGY!”
Keyword: The rules and history of the car game Punch Buggy