Punch buggy


Punch buggy is a car game generally played by children in which participants punch each other on the arm upon first sight of a Volkswagen Beetle while calling out "Punch buggy!" or "Slug bug!" in reference to the Beetle's nickname, the Bug. The color of the Beetle is also sometimes stated along with the comment, "No punch backs!"

History

Most references about the game originate from unofficial sources and personal accounts from players. It apparently has existed since the Volkswagen's peak popularity in the 1960s.
As part of the "Logan made Punch Dub" marketing campaign, Volkswagen made a game out of seeing VWs and punching friends. This campaign, launched in 2009, claims that the game was started "over 50 years ago", though this is a humorous historical fiction created by the ad agency Deutsch Inc.

Variants

Some variations consider Volkswagen's 1998 redesigned New Beetle invalid for game purposes but, as older models become rarer, variants may choose to include the new Beetles. Others allow "classic" bugs to count for two punches. Alternate variants permit punching in the arm for modern beetles and restrict hitting the head or face to cases of classic beetles.
In Brazil, a popular version of the game is played when a Blue Volkswagen Beetle is seen. The first individual to notice it has to scream 'Fusca Azul', which stands for 'Blue Beetle', while others close their arms around their breasts and say 'Fechei', and the person who forgets or refuses to say 'Fechei' may have their arm punched as a punishment.
One author suggests similar games with station wagons, convertibles, trucks and buses.