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Sunburst Sprint - Owner: Rashelle Farrar Clark

There is a certain kind of magic that comes with finding your Beetle, the one that speaks to you before you even turn the key. For Rashelle Farrar Clark, that spark arrived the moment she spotted a humble Facebook Marketplace listing for a 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle. A little worn, a little mysterious, but undeniably charming, it was the kind of car that whispers, "Take me home."

So she planned to do exactly that. "I sent my husband the ad and told him I was going to go get her," Rashelle laughs. "He said, 'No you're not.'" But the joke became destiny. His playful protest only strengthened her resolve, and by his next day off, she informed him they would be picking up the Beetle. To his surprise, and eventual delight, the plan was already in motion.

The seller, an older gentleman, had tried to freshen the car with a new dash, new running boards, and a clean headliner, but the project seemed to outgrow his space and time. When Rashelle arrived, the Bug fired right up. Promising. Encouraging. But as every vintage VW owner knows, a Beetle loves to reveal her quirks only after she feels comfortable with you.

Moments later, the glowing generator light proved she was not exactly charging her own way through life. Rashelle quickly discovered she was running strictly off the battery and that a new generator and voltage regulator would be needed. A rookie mistake, she admits with a grin. She did not yet know she could have upgraded to an alternator.

And the quirks did not stop there. The freshly replaced dash meant the heater box had not been hooked back up. The radio was still living in the trunk. The wipers were taking a sabbatical. The horn worked only when it felt socially inclined. But with a charged battery, she would start. She would drive. And for Rashelle, that was enough. In a world where air-cooled prices continue to climb, Rashelle's $1500 purchase feels almost mythical.

But this Beetle was not bought for perfection. It was bought for possibility. "She's not perfect," Rashelle says, "but she's my gem." And that gem has been busy. Thanks to two local photographers who quickly fell in love with her character, the car has already starred in multiple photo shoots. Among the images are Rashelle's childhood best friend and her family, proof that this Beetle is not just transportation. She is a memory-making machine.

Every old Volkswagen has a second life waiting to unfold, and Rashelle's Super Beetle is well on her way to hers. Whether she is running errands, posing for pictures, or simply sitting in the driveway collecting admiration, she carries nostalgia in her metal and joy in her imperfections. Rashelle's husband may still wish she never bought the Bug, but the smile in her voice tells a different story. This is more than a car. It is a connection. A story that is only just beginning. And like every great Beetle story, it started with a simple spark and one very determined "yes I am."

Making Memories - Owner: Kirrily McKie

I always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle since I was six years old; the Herbie movies were a massive influence. In November of 2018, after casually looking on and off for years, I randomly came across the sale ad for a 1975 1303L Super Bug and instantly fell in love with the car, naming him Bertie.

Two weeks after finding the ad and placing a deposit, my father and I took a one-way flight to Brisbane, Australia, to purchase the Beetle and subsequently drive it the 1000 km trip home during a 40°C-plus summer ravaged by active bushfires. It was the ultimate test of reliability for the little car, who made the trip faultlessly.

When impulsively purchasing Bertie, I knew very little about Beetles, and it was quite the learning curve at the start. I quickly found out that Bertie was far from original or stock; in fact, he had been modified quite a bit with a 2276cc engine fitted with dual 44 IDF Webers, a custom-built gearbox, exhaust, strut brace, and more. This little Bug was built to have a little occasional fun down the drag strip.

Bertie's initial build was mostly completed in 2006, and since then he has passed through at least three owners who have all worked to repair issues with the build before myself. To date in my ownership, I have completed repairs to the body, chassis, and paint, rebuilt the gearbox, finished the interior, and overall made the car my own. Work is still ongoing, with us currently facing some electrical gremlins and plans to rebuild and improve the engine further in the coming years.

Owning Bertie has given me opportunities to explore my backyard further by attending various car shows around Queensland. We have also made many like-minded friends with other younger Beetle owners. Just this past June we all got together with most of our Beetles for my wedding, where we had a VW infestation for the wedding cars.

I say most because one of our Beetles will always be dramatic and break down. Bertie even tried his hardest by snapping a clutch cable three days before the wedding. It was thanks to our amazing Bug buds banding together to get him repaired that I was able to have him as my wedding car, a dream come true.

Bertiehas changed my life for the better and he will always be my forever car, my little Love Bug. He has taught me patience, mechanical skills, and the value of community among classic car owners. Each time I drive him, whether it is a quick coffee run or a long road trip, I am reminded of how much joy a simple car can bring. I often picture the day when I might pass Bertie on to a future generation, sharing the same spark that inspired me as a child watching Herbie race across the screen. Until then, he and I will continue to make memories, one kilometer at a time. You can follow the adventures of Bertie the Beetle on Instagram.

Wave of Happiness - Owner: Nathan Leamer

My journey with cars began when I was around four years old. My dad brought home a project car, a yellow Super Beetle with a quirky Rolls Royce front grill, affectionately dubbed a "Rollswagen." Over the next few months, with help from friends and family, he transformed this rusted, broken shell into a pristine, all-original red 1973 Super Beetle. I was captivated by the car.

Herbie, the iconic Volkswagen from Disney movies, was a significant influence during my early childhood. Alongside "The Brave Little Toaster," these films led me to believe that all inanimate objects were alive. My favorite was that little red Volkswagen in my parents' garage. I spent countless hours in that garage, sharing stories about my day with the car.

These moments are among my earliest memories. Almost every night I would run out to the garage, lay on the front hood, and hug that VW, wishing it goodnight. I was convinced the car was alive. From that moment, I vowed that by the time I graduated from college, I would own one of these cars. Approximately nineteen years later, I fulfilled that dream. After considering several options, I acquired a 1974 VW Super Beetle through Facebook Marketplace.

My dad and I named it Harvey, in homage to Herbie. When I brought him home, he was mostly original, having sat in a garage for about 20 years with very little rust. However, after two weeks of driving him, the crankshaft in the engine broke in half. This incident led me to dive headfirst into mechanics, finding a new engine and meeting new friends along the way who helped me continue to pursue my dream. Currently, my brothers, father, and I all own Volkswagens, and we take great pleasure from attending car shows together.

This shared hobby strengthens our family bonds, which is one of its most rewarding aspects. My fiance and our daughter have also joined us on this journey, and our little one already shows a fondness for riding in Harvey. We even used my dad's '65 turbo Beetle at our gender reveal party, where he did a burnout with a hidden pink powder bag to reveal to our friends and family that we were having a girl. I am thrilled to pass this passion on to the next generation in our family of Volkswagen enthusiasts.

Harvey is my reliable daily driver, braving all weather conditions-rain, snow, or sunshine. I even use it as the mascot of the band I am in, The Smoking Horses. He accompanies us to every single show. Each time I get behind the wheel, a wave of happiness washes over me. I especially cherish the moments when someone at the gas station shares a nostalgic story about their youth involving a Bug, or when I receive a friendly honk and wave while driving. It's heartwarming to know that everyone has a unique story to tell about these vehicles. They truly are one of a kind!

OLBUGGR - Owner: Gary Roth

My father opened Central Automotive Service in Kitchener about 56 years ago, specializing in all Volkswagen repairs. I used to see all of the oldies at the garage and became interested in them at a really young age. I started working there when I was 14, I'm 56 years old now and own the shop with my brother. I can still remember all of the Punch Buggy fights we got into with a car lot full of VW Beetles.

I've owned everything over the years, from Rabbits to an Audi Fox, but my Super Beetle that I call "OLBUGGR" is my favorite by far. I'm the 4th owner and have had it for about 10 years now. My 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle is a Special Edition Sun Bug. The standard Sun Bug Harvest Gold Metallic colour was not for me, so I repainted it Metallic Viper Green (98B). Now people ask me if it's a La Grande Bug which came in that colour. It was actually in pretty decent shape with not a lot of rust when I found it. I've changed the wheels and interior, and this year it got a rebuilt engine. But other than that, not much has been done to it.

My greatest memory is when my wife and I drove it all the way from Kitchener Ontario Canada to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. We took it up 6,500 feet and also did the Tail of Dragon, twice! The drive there took us almost 16 hours and we did it in two days. To put that in perspective, I did the same trip in my 2022 Camaro in only eight hours, lol! There were no issues except that other drivers don't like a Volkswagen in the slow lane going only 100km (60mph) a hour. We got more looks and had more pictures taken than any other car, because everyone loves the oldies. All you could see was people smiling and doing Punch Buggy everywhere!

I don't have a lot of plans for it in terms of upgrades, because we love it the way it is now. It's nothing but smiles for miles and miles and I wouldn't ever sell it. My shop Central Automotive Kitchener is a proud sponsor of KW Bug Out VW Show for a number of years and hopefully for a lot more. I've met a lot of fantastic people along the way who have become close friends due to my VW obsession. It's not an everyday driver and doesn't see winter, so I drive the heck out of it during those sweet summer months.

Like Father Like Son - Owner: Mike Bove

My dad was not a spontaneous guy. Most things he did were methodical and thoroughly planned. So when I look back to my childhood, those rare instances where I saw him do something off the cuff stand out. Like the day I was riding in the car with him and he spotted a yellow Beetle for sale on the lawn of a nearby house. He quickly pulled a U-turn, we got out to look, and soon the owner was asking if we wanted a test-drive.

This was the mid-80's and I had to have been eight or nine. I'd never been close to a Beetle before, let alone in one. I now know my dad had owned several before I was born. Maybe he just wanted to relive the old days and take one for a spin. Whatever the case, I have a clear memory of being in the backseat of that yellow Beetle, watching him work the clutch while happily chatting with the owner in the passenger seat. I loved the look of that car, the feel of the seats, the sound, the joy in my dad's face as we zipped through the streets. From then on I dreamed of owning one.

In the early spring of 2021 the pandemic was wearing on me. Being stuck inside is one thing. Being stuck inside during a Maine winter is quite another. I'd always talked on and off to my wife abstractly about owning a Beetle, but as the days dragged on those conversations became more frequent, more concrete. We were all home together, our two kids too, and with more time to sit and think I wondered what they'd recall of that time. It seemed like a good moment to do something spontaneous.

A friend of mine owns a repair shop in town, and I knew he was a VW fan. I called him up and asked all kinds of questions about which type of Beetle I should look for, and he steered me toward a Super Beetle. I wanted one I could learn to work on myself, one I could also use as a daily driver. With their unique suspension and more comfortable handling, he suggested a Super might be the way to go.

I started looking online for Beetles for sale in my area. There were a few, many of them convertibles, but I've never loved the look of the convertibles and was wary of the maintenance involved in a soft top. Finally I found a '74 1303 Super Beetle for sale just over the border in New Hampshire. One day in the spring of '21, the whole family drove down to see it and take it for a spin. I ended up driving it home.

My '74 Super Beetle was owned by the same family for over 40 years. They kept it regularly maintained and held on to every receipt and repair record. I'm the third owner. The person I bought it from owned it for only a couple of years. It's been garage stored and wasn't driven in winter. It was road ready and hasn't needed much since I bought it. Every year I get it inspected, and every year it passes. Two years ago I redid the interior, my first big project on it, but most everything else is original to the car. I want to keep it as close to stock as I can, so the new interior replicates the original beige basketweave vinyl. The paint color too is the original factory "tropical green", though it was repainted once in the late 80's. Like all Beetles, mine is not without quirks, but it's never left me on the side of the road. I drive it daily from about mid-April to December or the first snowfall. I keep it garaged and out of the salt the rest of the year.

My dad died in 2019. He missed the pandemic, thankfully, but also missed seeing me finally get my Beetle. I think of him often, imagining his delight if he could ride along as I zip through familiar streets. In his place, my own two boys have a lot of fun in the car, and just this past summer I taught my 16-year-old to drive it. I've decided I'm the last owner of this Beetle. Who knows, if I can keep it running maybe one of my boys will want it someday. There's just something about these cars. They're fun, reliable, and quirky; the perfect balance between practicality and spontaneity.

My VW Obsession - Owner: Quin Jesus

I honestly don't have an exact answer as to how I got into VW's, but my best theory is that I enjoyed watching the Herbie movies on the Disney Channel and made the VW connection there. It always stuck in the back of my head as a kid that I could have one of my own someday. When I was around 15 I got my learner's permit and then was enrolled into a driving school. My mom actually then showed me a 1972 Super Beetle for sale in Everett for $750. I passed on that one, as it had a lot of dodgy work done. I'm sure mom now regrets the spark she created that would turn into an obsession, but I was hooked and needed to buy a VW after checking out that 72'. After many months of searching on Craigslist and FaceBook Marketplace, and The Samba of course. I found Clem in December 2017. She was a ratty, poorly modified, and barely drivable 1973 Super Beetle, I knew that she was rough around the edges and was a bit of a basket case. But honestly I didn't care, it was my Volkswagen that I bought with my own money.

So I now had the car. Next was the process of restoring her to where she is currently. One of the first things I did was rebuild the motor. At this point, I was beginning to worry if I could complete the car at all. But the advice and help from my dad was more than enough to keep me going. We had the motor out and torn down Friday night. Made a Saturday day trip out to Bow Wow Aircooled to grab all the bits and bobs we needed to rebuild it. Then had it back together by Sunday night. Once the motor was done I was confident that I could complete this restoration, I was also confident that this new hobby of mine would turn into a lifelong passion. Once I had the rest of the interior gutted down to the shell, I began the bodywork.

The first order of business was to strip everything off. I went about this by taking a heat gun and a razor blade and scraping off all the paint/previous bondo work I could. I ended up sandblasting her eventually, but scraping the paint gave me a good place to start. There wasn't much rust in the body thankfully. The only real rust was the common spot by the rear vents, thanks to that pesky death-foam! Dad used that as a great way to teach me how to weld! It was a learning curve, but eventually we fixed the rust and fixed it well. The only other spot that was rusty was the floor pans so the next thing to do was to remove and lift the body off the pan. Once the body was off the pan and sitting across the garage, we worked on the pans. Ordered a new set online and we measured and fitted it with relative ease, I don't remember having to do an awful lot of trimming.

Once those new pans were on we treated the whole frame for rust and then coated it with POR-15. By this point we were ready to mount the body back on, and finish up the bodywork for primer and paint! This stage was my favorite, I always was looking forward to learning how to paint and all the fun that comes with it. The first thing I did was shoot a coat of epoxy primer to seal it. Then I skimmed the low spots with a thin coat of filler. I distinctly remember staying up past midnight working on the bodywork in the garage listening to Pink Floyd. After several months of getting the bodywork perfect and waiting for Washington's weather to get warmer, we were finally able to shoot another coat of epoxy, build primer to smooth out any rough spots and then came the paint.

For the primer I was able to get away with spraying out in the driveway, but for the paint I built a spray booth out of a cheap tent garage. Once the color was on, I cut and buffed it, and then began the process of the final assembly. The only real hang up I remember in this stage was the wiring. A previous owner had done a lot of wiring work and at this point you couldn't order a new wiring loom for it. So my dad and I had to trace all the wiring and rebuild the existing one. The interior went together easily enough with new upholstery. The window seals were tedious, but we got them all in. After all of that hard work I had one clean Super Beetle. People have asked me from time to time if I would ever sell her, and the answer is always no. The way I see it is I've spent four years of my life on this car, and during those four years I've grown quite attached. She's exactly how I want her and she was my first car, so I could see myself never parting with her. In total it took me a total of four years to complete the restoration.

I'm very proud to say that I did nearly everything myself and used my own money from working a part time job after school. Another great thing that's come from restoring her is the fantastic VW community that I've now become a part of. The best way I can describe it is that every meet or cruise I go on, feels like the bar from Cheers, where everyone knows your name and is always glad you came. I've made some great friends in the VW scene and I'm always happy to make more. You truly feel like you're part of a large family. Some of the meets I've gone to are the PNW Spring Meet and the Vintage Meet in Shoreline. I also attend Volksfest in Eastern Washington. As said before, my love for Volkswagens has turned into an obsession. I've currently got three VW's in my "fleet".

There's Clem as previously discussed, but I've also got Linus, a blue 1978 Bus and last but not least I've got Ziggy my white 2013 GTI (he's currently my daily). I plan to have a larger collection of Volkswagens one day as there's many more I want to experience. So there's always room for one more VW with me! I'm currently looking for a Split window Single or Double cab. I'll wrap this up with what owning a vintage VW means to me. To me, owning a vintage VW is a labor of love. Yes they will have their bad days, but they tend to have good days, and in a way that makes them feel human. There is always a sense of comradely on the road no matter who it is. I always wave when I see another vintage VW on the road, it's an instant connection. I have never seen another car have such a positive effect on people like a Volkswagen, it truly is the People's car.

The Fun Never Ends - Owner: Eugene Abezgauz

Living on the East Coast old air-cooled VWs were a rarity by the 90s, so it wasn't really an option. It's only when I moved to California in late 2013 that I decided to get something different than the usual sporty Japanese cars I was used to. Enter the Super Beetle. When I went to check out a Craigslist ad it was love at first sight - I loved the yellow paint with a factory sunroof. Originally this 1972 Super Beetle was purchased at Stan Carlsen VW in San Francisco which is now a CVS and only minutes away from where it currently resides. So in 52 years on this planet it didn't get too far.

I purchased it in April 2014 through Craigslist and right away I got to do some minor work on it, as the years haven't been kind to the poor car VW. It had some rust, a badly tuned stock carb with a 009 distributor and other issues. Over the years I have installed several upgrades including a vintage Momo steering wheel, a real Hurst shifter, dual Kadron carbs, Pertronix ignition, front disc brakes and alloy wheels.

I'm a big fan of Porsche 914 wheels so it started with a set of Pedrinis, then jumped on some Mahles and finally on to 2L Fuchs. I personally removed these off a crusty 914 recently, with owner's permission of course. I believe these are some of the lightest wheels available in this pattern. We've been through a lot together too. Last year I drove it to Monterey car week from SF and it went both ways without a hitch.

However, being primarily my city car we got into a pair of minor fender benders over the years which were both were repaired by me. I had a body shop repair most of the rear end rust and so on. Recent work includes a full steering system overhaul, a rear brake job, retune of carbs/ignition and wiper motor disassembly and re-lube which fixed the problem with wipers not parking properly. There's more jobs that are on the list now, but these are mostly cosmetic. The fun never ends!

Super Beetle Love Affair - Owner: Kathryn Swartz

It was the summer of 1979 in Buffalo, New From the moment I first laid eyes on the iconic curves and charismatic personality of a Volkswagen Super Beetle, I was smitten. My love for Beetles is a family affair, rooted in fond memories of my mom's stories about her grandparents always driving a Beetle. Inspired by these tales, my mom decided to buy one for us. Just two days later, I got my driver's license, and from that moment on, the car was mine. My mom never really drove it again, letting me forge my own path with this beloved vehicle.

A Teenage Dream Come: True My first Beetle, a vibrant Signal Orange 1971 model, was a slightly battered but utterly lovable companion. Despite its age, it symbolized freedom, independence, and the excitement of youth. I spent countless hours tinkering under the hood, learning the ins and outs of its mechanics, and perfecting my driving skills on winding roads and open highways. Each drive was an adventure, and every breakdown a lesson in patience and perseverance.

The Journey to Adulthood: For ten years, my Beetle was by my side, faithfully transporting me through high school, college, and the early years of my career. It was there for road trips with friends, late-night party sessions, and even a few first dates. The Beetle wasn't just a car; it was a constant, reliable presence during a transformative period of my life.

A Heartfelt Goodbye: At 26, a new chapter beckoned. With a mix of excitement and reluctance, I sold my beloved Beetle to finance my first home. It was a bittersweet farewell, but I promised myself that one day I would rekindle that love affair. The memory of my Beetle stayed with me, a nostalgic reminder of simpler times and youthful dreams.

A Promise Fulfilled: As the years rolled by, life became busier and more complicated. Yet, the promise I made to myself never faded. I knew that for my 40th birthday, I would treat myself to something special. True to my word, I began the search for the perfect Volkswagen Super Beetle convertible. Finding it was like reconnecting with an old friend. This time, my Beetle was a stunning Aqua Blue 1977 Super Beetle, originally shipped from Germany to Canada.

The Dream Realized: Driving my new convertible Beetle for the first time was a poignant reminder of why I fell in love with these cars in the first place. The open-top experience added a new layer of joy, blending nostalgia with a refreshing sense of freedom. The wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and the unmistakable hum of the engine transported me back to those carefree days of my youth.

A Lifelong Passion: My journey with Volkswagen Super Beetles is more than a story about cars; it's a testament to the enduring power of dreams and the joy of fulfilling promises to oneself. Every time I slide behind the wheel, I'm reminded of the young girl who found her first taste of independence and the woman who never let go of her passion. Now, as a parent, I hope to instill this same lifelong passion in my children. I dream of the day when I can pass along my beloved Beetle to them, continuing the legacy and love for these timeless cars. Owning a Beetle has been more than just driving a car; it's been about embracing a lifestyle, cherishing memories, and celebrating milestones. Here's to the timeless charm of the Volkswagen Super Beetle and the endless adventures it promises for generations to come.

Passing the Torch - Owner: Michael Simon

It was the summer of 1979 in Buffalo, New York. I was 8 years old. My older sisters, Debbie and Sheryl had just turned 12 and 11. My father Warren was a self-employed traveling salesman and my mother Glenda was a busy stay-at-home mom. Jimmy Carter was president. The Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Yankees, and Montreal Canadiens were Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup Champions. McDonald's had just introduced the Happy Meal. My Sharona by The Knack was the #1 song on the Billboard 100. Disney's Herbie The Love Bug movies were very popular. And there was an oil and gas crisis in the United States. But life was simpler. We were still practically living in black and white, with rotary telephones, a TV antenna on the roof, no air conditioning and shag carpeting in the house. My parents were not big spenders and always saved for a rainy day. However, purchasing a convertible VW Bug somehow became a priority to my dad. It must have been an absolutely gorgeous sunny summer day, when my dad was driving home from a friend's place and spotted a white Volkswagen Beetle convertible for sale in the driveway of a home in their neighborhood.

Anyone who grew up in Western New York can jokingly attest that summer starts and ends on July 4th weekend, and that there are plenty of gray days there all year long. But on this particular sunny day, my dad stopped by to inquire about this cute VW Bug for sale. He found out that the seller was the original owner, who had purchased the car for his wife from the local VW dealership about a year and half earlier when it was released. Unfortunately, she never learned how to drive stick shift, and they had made the decision to sell the car. The odometer displayed 1,000 miles and the car was practically in showroom condition. So my dad negotiated with the seller, and purchased the new/used car for $5,500, the same original sticker tag price the seller had paid at the dealership. He really surprised us all by bringing the car home for our family to enjoy. This particular VW is a 1977 Triple White, gold pin striped, limited Champagne Edition Beetle convertible. In 1977, Volkswagen produced 1,000 of these Triple White, Champagne Edition convertible vehicles, and distributed one to each dealership around the country.

My dad purchased the car in August of 1979 from the original owners, with intentions to have a non gas-guzzling car that both he and my mom could drive around town. Well, my mom never learned how to drive stick shift, so it became my dad's other car. "The Bug", as we nicknamed her, would spend hours upon hours resting in the garage, as it slowly morphed into my dad's (and ONLY my dad's) fun car. As the years passed, the car would only be used in the summer months, on the sunniest of sunny days in snowy Buffalo. My sisters and I, and our friends, family and neighbors will gladly take lie detector tests to verify the fact that this car has never been driven in rain or snow. Ever! In the early years, my dad may have piled the family into the car to head to the local Forest Acres Pool and Tennis Club for an afternoon, or to Anderson's Frozen Custard for a soft serve ice cream. Perhaps he would run a few errands to the post office, dry cleaners, or grocery store, or just go for a Sunday drive, all weather permitting, of course.

The furthest away from home the car was ever driven, was to Niagara Falls, only 25 miles away. No matter where we went with The Bug though, we were guaranteed to be walking a few extra feet because it would be parked safely away from other cars in the lot. During the mid 80's, when we were all in high school, this trend continued. My dad had his usual routine. In the summer months, he would pull the car out in the driveway to wash and wax her about once a month, and then go for a quick spin around the block. I'm still not sure if this was purposeful, but he would always seem to have trouble getting the car into gear, causing the vehicle to buck as he drove away in 1st gear. He would drive around the neighborhood a few times, tooting the horn to make the signature VW "Beep Beep" sound getting us all to giggle, before pulling The Bug back into her usual spot in the garage, ready to collect a new layer of dust. In the winter months, my dad would start the car up regularly, just to warm the engine and let it run, but the car would hibernate during the winter months. Most importantly, taped to the garage wall, was a big reminder note on a colorful 8.5 x 11 piece of paper that read "BE SURE RADIO IS TURNED OFF".

In the early years of ownership, there were a handful of occasions that the original factory installed "AM only" radio was mistakenly left on, causing the car battery to completely drain. Make no mistake though, this was my dad's and ONLY my dad's car. He was the sole driver of this vehicle for years, never even letting his younger brother, my silly Uncle Paul, or any other admiring friend get behind the wheel. There were a few rules that were adopted along the way as well, which became very important to him. No wearing seat belts! …What? Despite having seat belts in the car, there was no seat belt wearing in the front seat until it became law in New York State, because it was never easy to grab the strap behind you, being so far over your shoulder And certainly NO eating or drinking anything inside the vehicle. Those delicious ice cream cones we were finishing weren't coming anywhere near the inside of this car. In fact, I was once injured in my backyard, where croquet was a contact sport in my neighborhood. I was about 14 years old at the time. After being hit in the head with a croquet mallet and splitting my forehead open, I required an emergency room visit to be stitched back together.

I still have the scar hidden in my eyebrow, as a friendly reminder of a war wound from my youthful days. For the record, my dad asked my neighbors if they would be so kind as to give us a ride to the hospital in their vehicle instead, so he could avoid driving me there in his soon to be bloodied white VW Bug convertible. My dad's daily driver car must have been in the shop that day. Ten stitches and two hours later, we returned home to see the absolutely pristine VW Bug parked in her usual spot in the garage. Obviously, my dad had his priorities straight despite my need for immediate medical attention. But wait, there were still more rules. No rolling the windows down either! So my dad wouldn't have to clean the smudge left behind by the rubber seal. It was 1988, and we can all still hear him yelling at us for piling into the car for a rare photo opportunity. In the late 90's, as my dad transitioned to retirement and started spending his winter months in Florida. He would prep the car for hibernation, purchase gas additive and disconnect the car battery only to keep the battery plugged into a charger while he was away. And in the summer months, he would continue the usual trend of driving it around the block…rinse, wash, wax, repeat. "Beep Beep". Fast forward another twenty years to June of 2020, when my dad decided to finally downsize, and sell my childhood home.

Plenty of people asked him what he had planned to do with the car. Well, he shipped the Bug out to me in sunny California. We hired a car transport company to safely move the car across the country in an enclosed flatbed truck. Four days later, it arrived at my home in Redondo Beach with 9,515 original miles on it. After owning the vehicle for 41 years, it is incredible that he only drove it 8,500 miles. That is just a little over 200 miles a year. The torch was finally passed. The Bug now resides in my garage. Despite knowing that Volkswagen manufactured another 999 of these Triple White, gold pinstriped, limited Champagne Edition convertibles, we had never spotted another one in the wild, until about 3 years ago. One evening, I took The Bug out for a local spin and randomly saw its twin driving in the opposite direction. I was able to pull a quick U-turn, chase down and meet the other owners, and then share our stories. Their twin VW Bug, which was a daily driver, had about 90,000 miles on her, along with a few dings and dents, and some rust.

Despite not being the original owner, she and her husband were very aware that only 1,000 of these Triple White convertibles were made in 1977. Like me, they had never seen another one in the wild, but they were lucky enough to have a VW sticker that came with their car, honoring its Champagne Edition authenticity, something neither my dad nor I had ever seen before. Apparently, their car originally came from the VW dealership in Santa Monica, CA. It was an interesting evening to say the least. I met one of my Bug's twins for the first time, made some new friends, and also acquired new patients for my dental practice. It is my turn to continue pampering, rinsing, washing, waxing, driving her around the block, and repeating the fun "Beep Beep" horn honking. In 2022, I finally flipped the odometer and hit the grand 10,000 mile mark. It was a momentous occasion, so I took a short video of the flip to show my dad, as I coincidentally made my way down to Huntington Beach, CA to enter The Bug in the "Rare Vintage Air VW Concours d'Elegance" car show for the first time.

Needless to say, it won the "Most Original" and "Best in Class" awards at this show. As of today, the odometer currently reads 10,154 miles. It was well worth it, as we now have this cherished family photo of myself and my sisters, along with my cousins Jennifer and Deidra, that we continue to adore to this day. In the early 90's, the same trend continued. The car was only driven on sunny days in the summer and simply started up in the garage in the winter. Now that I had been driving for a number of years, my friends would try to convince me to steal the keys and take it for a joyride with them some time. Of course I knew where my dad kept his spare set of keys. I can't imagine the severe punishment, but movies like Risky Business and Ferris Bueller's Day Off immediately come to mind. Anyway, due to my dad's continued pampering, along with The Bug's limited mileage and showroom like condition, he could bust me for simply looking at the car the wrong way. We all know how much he loved his VW Bug. In May of 1996, I graduated from University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Much to my surprise, I was gifted the keys to the car, and finally given permission to drive it for the very first time. I was 25 years old and moving to Los Angeles, CA a few weeks later. But remember, there were rules.

The Bug was to remain in Buffalo with him, parked in the garage. I would have access to drive it anytime I came home to visit, but it was all dependent on the weather and season. In all the years that this awesome car has been part of the family, it has been relatively easy to maintain. Besides routine maintenance, only minor repairs have been done. In the mid 90's, my dad had to replace the original gas gauge, as well as the original horsehair seat stuffing with fitted foam. The original Continental white wall tires were also replaced about 15 years ago, and the original "AM only" radio died and was replaced about 6 years ago. The only other repair made since I took possession of the vehicle was the replacement of the original fuel lines that started to leak. The Bug is now registered in California, and luckily, with a bit of fine tuning, passes her smog test every 2 years. Besides the repairs listed above, everything you see in these pictures is original from the day the car was driven off the showroom floor. She is pretty clean, well maintained and has never needed restoration.

I take her to the occasional car show these days, as she continues to turn heads and win a few awards. Unfortunately, my dad passed away last year, but here I am, 45 years later to tell this story. He truly loved owning this car. He never treated himself to anything nice, and was always looking out for everyone else instead. In hindsight, this car purchase was truly out of character for him. The childhood memories, driving around the neighborhood without seat belts on and the windows rolled up will forever hold a special place in my heart. Maybe I'll find another one of the other 998 triple white, gold pinstriped 1977 VW Beetle convertibles in the wild. Forever ingrained in our ears is the unique sound of that VW engine purring down the road, and maybe my dad just tooting his own horn… "Beep Beep!"

Just Add TLC - Owner: Matthew Edgecombe

My Volkswagen is a 1973 1303 Super Beetle in Alaska Blue. I brought it as my first car in 2017 and after looking at a fair amount of Beetles. At the first sight of seeing this Beetle I knew I had to have it from that moment. I brought the VW with the intention of using it to get to work and college. I drove it as my daily driver for three years without any problems. In the mean time I also brought a Golf MK6 giving me the time to give the Beetle some much needed TLC.

When the Beetle was in the garage for a check over, it was advised that the heater channels needed some serious work, so my dad and I took the car off the road and started doing what needed to be done. As these things go, the job soon grew and before I knew it, we were doing a full restoration. We split the body from the pan and restored all of the floor pans first. Then went on to doing metal work on the body, including the heater channels.

I am fortunate that I do automotive restorations as a full time job. I had the body at my work place and did all the body preparation and paint work. Once back from the paint shop we started fitting it all back together and looking into upgrades we could do for a bit better driving experience. Such as disc brakes, new Porsche 996 seats and upgraded the engine from a standard 1300cc to a 1600cc twin carb. I'm super happy with the way it turned out and have attended many VW shows in my 1303!

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