A random search through Craigslist one day yielded an ad for a 1967 VW Beetle for sale in Baton Rouge, LA.
Apparently, the owner at the time found the car in a shed and brought it to his automotive repair business with plans to “get it fixed up”. But business was booming for him and the poor bug collected dust as it sat in the back corner of his garage.
A couple of phone calls later, the seller and I coordinated the purchase at which point the drive from Orlando was planned. I picked up a VW beam tow bar, loaded up some tools, and stocked up on various “road snacks” before heading 700+ miles west!
Leaving just past midnight, the 22-hour round trip went very smoothly and I managed to drive there and back within the same day. It was a long and exhausting quest, but being tailgated the entire way by a wanna-be-Herbie made it fun!
I encountered lots of friendly waves and smiles along the route – proof that Herbie the Love Bug remains one of the most enduring and lovable car characters ever.
But alas, this car would not remain as Herbie… GASP!!
Follow along as I blog about the illustrious journey of a Castrol-inspired tribute car built to honor my grandfather, Heinrich Wilhelm Stollbrock, the man who started Deutsche Castrol-Vertriebs-Gesellschaft M. B. H. in Hamburg, Germany after World War II.