Mexico's Bikes & Beetles at Look Mum No Hands

When you go around with a name like 'Jude' you get A LOT of Beatles references thrown/ sung at you.  It's no wonder I feel an affinity with VW Beetles. I feel like they understand.

If you drop by Look Mum No Hands on Old Street you can say 'Hello" to my pictures of Mexico's Bikes & Beetles that will be on display until the end of October.

I first visited Mexico in 2000 as an excited 18 year old on a gap year and fell head-over-heels in love with the country. Over the last decade (plus a few years) I’ve been lucky enough to return to Mexico several times. While I was cycling around Mexico City a year ago, I noticed that there were many more bikes on the road than VW Beetles. 

In the 1960s a Volkswagen Beetle factory opened in Mexico and they soon became the country’s standard box car. VW Beetles, or ‘Vochos’ as they are lovingly nicknamed, were a symbol of modernity and Mexico’s economic growth. Green and white Beetles (vocho verdes) even became the official taxi.

I thought it was interesting how over the years these cars have begun disappearing while cycling has taken off. I started taking pictures wherever I saw a bike and a Beetle together. The car usually represents modernity while the bike is seen as traditional. These pictures question that perception.

Look Mum No Hands, 49 Old Street, London , EC1V 9HX