I suppose everyone has a Volkswagen story to tell and I am no different. In fact as I recollect the menagerie of VW’s I’ve owned, known or been associated with since I was a little boy it would seem that I could write volumes.
When I was bitten by the Volkswagen bug I can’t really say but I think it was from my late grandfather who I can remember riding with way back in the ‘60’s (for me it’s way back!) in his little red 6 volt. I can still remember the aroma of that bug and its lack luster interior and low back seats.
But I really have to give the credit for being smitten with all things Volkswagen by my father. The first VW we had was a ‘67 or ‘68 beige Beetle complete with air conditioning (which was real handy in the tropical air of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where we were stationed from ‘70 to ‘74). Eventually dad bought a notchback from a sailor who was going stateside. Dad made the mistake of giving us kids some metallic purple spray paint and told us to go paint something. “Something” was the notchback! We must have done an okay job considering we were just kids because I don’t have any recollection of a brutal beating!
Before we left Gtmo we also added a split window bus to our collection. Unfortunately by the time our tour was up it would have been too expensive to ship all those cars stateside so dad settled on the beetle.
My father eventually retired from the Navy and went to work on the base where he was last stationed at - Naval Security Group Activity Northwest in Chesapeake, VA. He was employed as the manager of the newly built hobby shop there. The shop consisted of a photo lab, ceramics room, a woodworking facility and a four bay shop with a lift for the base personnel to come in and work on their own cars.
Dad eventually became a more than capable air cooled Volkswagen mechanic. His love for the VW not only filtered down to his two sons but also many a sailor on the base.
When it came time to eventually put a new paint job on my ‘ 72 Beetle we pulled it into the shop, prepped it and painted it. During the several hours my bug was in the bay other bugs came and went and at one point the three bays without the lift were all occupied simultaneously by VW Beetles. Those were good and proud times. Thankfully we had a camera and took a few snap shots during the day - including the three bugs in the shop at the same time.
Dad passed away in ‘91 but I proudly carry on his love of all things Volkswagen!
- Charlton
a.k.a. “bugz”