Spreading the Lovebug: VW Restores Elderly Woman's Beetle for Free

It’s good to know that loyalty still counts for something in this age of short attention spans and distractions. Kathleen Brooks, a septuagenarian from California, USA, has owned the same red 1967 Volkswagen Beetle for 51 years. When Volkswagen of America got hold of information that the Beetle--lovingly nicknamed 'Annie'--was closing in on 350,000 miles (over 563,000 kilometers) on its odometer, the German car brand decided to do something special for the old lady--restore her long-time ride back to its brand-new, factory-spec condition.

Brooks is a three-time breast cancer survivor, and works with patients and survivors to provide comfort and care during treatment and/or recovery. When Volkswagen of North America found out of her heroic deeds, it decided to restore Annie for free, as a gesture of goodwill.

"We often hear stories of dedicated Volkswagen owners, but there was something special about Kathleen and Annie that we felt we needed to honor," said Derrick Hatami, Executive Vice-President, Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen of America.

VW restored the 1967 Beetle in Mexico at its factory in Puebla. The entire restoration process took 11 months to complete, and involved 60 employees working on different sections to bring Annie back to her former glory.

In addition to fixing multiple rust and electrical bugs, VW also made sure that the vehicle will also fit in the modern era, adding better parts such as disc brakes, upgraded suspension, updated engine, re-imagined upholstery, and a new sound system.

"I've said many times she and I are so much alike because she's old, she's faded, she's dinged, she's dented, she's rusted, but you know what? She keeps running," Brooks told Volkswagen. "And as long as I take as good care of her as I can, she's going to continue to run."

The restored bug now also comes with a roof rack, whitewall tires, and embroidery on the new leather seats that read "Kathleen" and "Annie." VW also refurbished and reused the decals that Kathleen had put on throughout the years.