[GTO]

You have to admit that most of us have a love-hate relationship with VW. We hate Dieselgate, DSG reliability, their dealer network etc., but at the same time, there's a lot to love about the company & its cars. Who else would create an ad like this? The company has a soul:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DfHOoTTvJI

Now, they've gone and restored a lady's '66 Beetle!

“She has been with me through marriage and divorce, the purchase of my house, my own business, several jobs, three bouts of breast cancer. She has tootled me everywhere, and at this writing has 450,000+ miles on her.”

All that tootling, nearly a half-million miles of tootle, has taken its toll on the little car, and while Annie is still running and usable, Kathleen no longer feels able to take her on long-distance trips, and she, as Kathleen says, is

“...Just like me, she’s slow going uphill and runs much better in cool weather.”

When Volkswagen found out about Kathleen and her 50+ year relationship with her Beetle, they wanted to thank her for her loyalty, so they arranged for a 60-person team at their Puebla, Mexico plant (where the last true air-cooled Beetles were built up to 2003) to do an incredibly complete restoration on the car.

Source & Full Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKu3J93Jinw

[R-Six]

Originally Posted by GTO

Now, they've gone and restored a lady's '66 Beetle!

What a lovely gesture from the VW team. It will go a long way in building faith and loyalty among the customers.


Thanks for sharing such a beautiful story, GTO.

[honeybee]

No doubt VW has scored many brownie points on the PR front, but nevertheless it's a priceless moment to see the owner truly happy, so hats off to VW for the gesture!

[theMAG]

You wonder if a major scandal or two shouldnt be made mandatory for all car companies periodically! This gesture of generosity was borne as a likely outcome from VW's recent and ongoing scandals, from the same Jalopnik article. Regardless, the sweet lady got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime gift that most dont - God bless her.

[Axe77]

Strictly on a lighter note please - .... and then she got their service bill..

But seriously, awesome gesture and a stunning end result that stays true to the original charm.

[bhp_maniac]

Some might call it a PR stunt, but an awesome gesture from VW which deserves nothing short of a standing ovation It's indeed welcoming to see manufacturers still uphold the emotional connection that a car has with its owner. Thanks GTO for sharing this wonderful news.

[musclecar]

I wonder if anything like this would ever happen in India? Usually like we have seen such great customer service stories come from the U.S. or Europe. We have yet to see similar efforts being taken by Indian Auto manufacturers. But coming back to the topic, Great gesture by VW.

[Nithesh_M]

if only they could reinstate the faith of their sister company's customers in India.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by musclecar

I wonder if anything like this would ever happen in India? Usually like we have seen such great customer service stories come from the U.S. or Europe. We have yet to see similar efforts being taken by Indian Auto manufacturers. But coming back to the topic, Great gesture by VW.

Didn't Maruti Suzuki restore the first Maruti ever sold in India, recently?

[BeemerBug_06]

This indeed was a beautiful move by Volkswagen. Seeing that video about the restoration of the 1966 Beetle really made my day Let's hope companies like Maruti Suzuki and Fiat too do this with their older cars in India someday!

Cheers!

Originally Posted by honeybee

Didn't Maruti Suzuki restore the first Maruti ever sold in India, recently?

I believe they did! But so far there are no photos or content of the restored car. Let us wait and see! Our eyes will probably be in for a treat soon

[Thad E Ginathom]

Beautiful story. Thanks to the person with a heart, somewhere in VW, who brought this about... even if he or she is in the marketing department

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by GTO

The company has a soul

Thanks for sharing, GTO!
The company does have one, indeed. What an ad!!

Now, they've gone and restored a lady's '66 Beetle!

Epic. The final emotion can be summed up by the lady wishing she could live for another 50 years to stay with her car!

[for_cars1]

That VW Ad is truly extraordinary, made eyes brim up

And that Beetle engine after restoration, what a fantastic note, pure bliss.

[BlackPearl]

This article and the ad will bring tears of joy to all petrolheads who are loyal to their vehicles! Naysayers will say that VW has done it for PR, but end of the day it is an absolutely stunning gesture from the company. A big hats off!

On a lighter note: can this be forwarded to the NGT and request them not to scrap 10 year old vehicles that are well maintained? I don't want to part with my Bolero because I believe it is one vehicle that has the potential to survive an apocalypse