I t doesn't bug Jennifer Russell that her roommate is addicted to Coke. In fact, Russell is all smiles about it.

Russell and Angie Sawyer are set to take their Volkswagen Beetles — Blue Smiley and C.C. — to the sixth annual Piney Woods VW Fall Fest car show and swap meet Saturday at Movies 9. Past gatherings have drawn dozens of VW owners.

Michael Cavazos/News-Journal Photo (ENLARGE)

'Blue Smiley,' the New Beetle owned by Jennifer Russell, co-founder of the East Texas VW Club, sits in the driveway decorated with an R2-D2 theme. Russell has entered the car in several Volkswagen car shows.

Sawyer was bitten by the VW bug after attending a VW car show with Russell in 2005.

"When I met Angie in 2005, she was driving a blend-in-car, like a Honda or something," Russell said. "She went with me to a show in Roswell, New Mexico, in June (2005), and in July she got C.C. She was totally bitten by the bug."

C.C.'s recently polished hubcaps glistened in the evening sun under the carport at Sawyer and Russell's Miami Street home. A peek inside the car reveals hand-stitched Coca-Cola seat covers and a Coke-branded stuffed polar bear in the front, passenger seat.

The bright red car's light tan interior is mostly covered with black to contrast with the exterior.

Sawyer said she has done 10 or more shows in Texas since she began showing C.C. three years ago.

Blue Smiley, Russell's 2001 Volkswagen Beetle, sits brightly next to C.C. The one-time Coca-Cola slogan "Share a Coke and a Smile" is often displayed between the two cars during shows — just in case folks passing by aren't smiling already.

Blue Smiley has "Put A Smile On Your Face," "Smile It's Contagious," and "Smile-A-Mile" painted on its exterior. It's decorated with various smiley items inside.

This year, Russell plans to add an extra layer of decor with a Star Wars theme, complete with an R2-D2 topper.

Russell said the Star Wars theme is in honor of the movie's recent cartoon and because she is a Star Wars fan. She has collectible items of her own to use as decoration.

Russell said she prefers the VW Beetle because of the distinctive shape. She added that there are normally more old Beetles at the show, with "just a handful" of new Beetles. The VW Beetle premiered in the U.S. in 1949, but it didn't become popular until the 1960s. The new model was unveiled in 1998 at the Detroit International Auto Show.

Russell can't remember how many shows Blue Smiley's been in, but she can remember some of the awards, including one for best toy display.

"I consider them a blank slate waiting to be decorated," she said of the Beetle.

While it's fun to win awards, Sawyer and Russell said they enjoy the atmosphere that car shows offer and the chance to socialize with other VW owners.

Russell's mom, Jackie, is co-founder of the local VW club. She's created hand-stitched items for Blue Smiley's interior as well as two quilts featuring Volkswagens to be raffled during the show. She said the quilts will help raise money for the show's beneficiary, the Longview Preschool and Childcare Center.

"Volkswagens and kids go well together. They get enjoyment from seeing a Bug go by," said Jennifer Russell, a former kindergarten teacher.

Not just bugs

"At a Corvette show you just get Corvettes, but at a VW show you get all different types of cars because there are so many different variations," Jackie Russell said.

East Texas VW Club volunteer Jason McClure already has entered the show this year. McClure owns a silver 2001 Volkswagen GTI, and it has been entered in the Fall Fest since the event began in 2003.

"The first year I won second place in my class. The second year I won for shortest distance traveled. The third year I won first in my class. The fourth year, I won best of show for a water-cooled (a category for VW's that have radiators), and the fifth year I won first place in class," McClure said.

The first generation Golf GTI debuted in 1976. The car received facelifts in 1979 and 1982.

"I've wanted one since they came out in the early '80s, and I finally got one in 2002. I like the look. It's basically a sports car inside a hatchback," McClure said.

McClure said he also has a 2004 Passat wagon, which he refers to as his "grocery getter."

"The show is a good event for the public because there's food, cars and it's a family atmosphere," McClure said.

Car enthusiasts'

behavior

There are three different aspects to car enthusiasts, according to Theodore Joseph, an assistant professor of psychology at Stephen F. Austin State University:

-- Pleasure

-- Social identity; and

-- Representation as a cultural icon

"People find pleasure in just owning things — shiny things or pretty things. People choose a Volkswagen because of the pleasure, it makes them feel good about themselves," said Joseph, who doesn't own a VW.

He said a Volkswagen is also a cultural icon.

Joseph also said when car enthusiasts such as Sawyer, Russell and McClure chose to be Volkswagen owners, they were contributing to their social identities.

"The cool part about social identity is that it builds your self-esteem and you make new friends. You are proud and happy to be associated with it," Joseph said.

Cash prizes

Camaraderie and self-esteem are great, but so is a little cash.

Gorman McCracken gave me $1,500 to break up as prize money for the show," Jackie Russell said.

Twenty-two VW owners will walk away with $50 each. Two others will both get $200.