FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2015, file photo, the grille of a Volkswagen car for sale is decorated with the iconic company symbol in Boulder, Colo. Volkswagen said Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, it is recalling 1,950 diesel vehicles in China while Singapore announced it is suspending sales of the company’s diesel cars in the wake of the German automaker’s emissions cheating scandal. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley,File) 
CULLMAN, Ala. -- Local Volkswagen aficionados are unfazed by the emissions scandal that has rocked the world's largest auto maker this month, triggering car recalls in China and U.S. executives testifying before Congress.
VW cars and buses were on display Saturday in downtown Cullman as part of Oktoberfest festivities. The North Alabama Volkswagen Club rode into town in iconic German vehicles to participate in a car show. Club members expressed ambivalence about the controversy surrounding VW admitting to installing software dubbed "defeat devices" on diesel vehicles.
The devices switch on pollution controls when cars undergo emissions tests, but switch off during driving to improve performance, allowing cars to emit up to 40 times the legally allowed amount of nitrogen oxide. The scheme was discovered by U.S. and California environmental regulators in 482,000 vehicles with VW's 2.0-liter turbodiesel engines sold in the U.S. since the 2009 model year. It could affect at least 11 million vehicles worldwide.
Volkswagen suspended sales of all new and used 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder diesel engines, including in the 2015 Beetle, Jetta, Golf and Passat TDI, as well as the Audi A3 TDI. Sales of VW's 2016, four-cylinder diesel models are held up as they await U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certification. VW could face a U.S. fine of up to $18 billion, or $37,500 per car.
"Of course you hate to see anything like that, but it really doesn't affect most of us, because most of our members have the air-cooled engines and the older model vehicles," said NAVWC President Todd Carlson of Danville. "One guy in our club was considering getting one of the cars affected, and now he's rethinking that. He'll probably stick with a gasoline model."
Jerry Pruett of Somerville was in town with his VW mini-bus for the car show Saturday. He didn't mince words over the scandal.
"I think it's a bunch of bull personally," Pruett said. "Does the EPA not have something better to do?"
Dennis Twigg of Gadsden isn't a member of the North Alabama Volkswagen Club, but he drove down his 1966 VW Chartreuse Green micro-bus - a hippy icon - to participate in the car show.
"I think it was a big mistake, and they're going to have to pay millions of dollars to deal with it," Twigg said. "But it's not going to hurt the value of the collectible vehicles. The VW bus is one of the most sought after four-wheel vehicle in the world. It's recognized on every continent."
Like many of the VW enthusiasts at the car show Saturday, Twigg's love affair started when he first got behind the wheel of the landmark Beetle, his first car. In addition to his green micro-bus, he's got three other buses at home.
"They take you back to a simpler time," he said. "It's not about the destination, it's about the trip."
Carlson said he loves VWs because they're such versatile vehicles; you can restore one to its showroom glory or soup it up into a hotrod.
"My wife had one when we first met, and I made fun of her," Carlson recalled. "Then I bought a '69 Beetle for $120 years ago, and it's been downhill since. I love working on them."
Regulators have ordered Volkswagen to come up with a fix that allows the vehicles to meet environmental regulations. The auto maker hasn't said what it plans to do, but automotive experts believe any repair will diminish the driving dynamics of the vehicles and slash fuel economy - the two major characteristics that attracted buyers.
It is too early to tell how prices for used VWs and specifically its diesels cars will be affected by the emissions scandal, said Larry Dominique, executive vice president of industry insights at car shopping website TrueCar.com. He suggests owners hold on to their cars for now - there is no safety issue - and let VW determine the fix. If performance is not compromised, the value of the vehicle could remain unchanged.