Tear-jerker on Bring a Trailer:

[speeder]

This story just hit me on so many levels. This guy gets back the 1963 Beetle convertible that his Dad bought new 49 years earlier. It's about getting back things that are lost, the quick passing of time and a lifetime going by, the power of memories including those for beloved family members who are gone and of course, car obsession.

It also could only happen in place like CA., where a car can actually be preserved that many years w/o rotting to nothing. Seahawk's 356 was like that, remarkably intact and of course connected to another board member's family.

I fantasize about getting back family cars that are long gone; my Dad's '67 Mustang, his '72 240-Z, his '74 XKE roadster and his Milan Brown '76 450SL. The problem is that even if they could be found, they would be eaten away with rust by now. This guy's bug was in great original shape:

http://bringatrailer.com/2011/12/13/bat-success-story-had-the-key-already-63-beetle/

[tevake]

Great story! I love that he still had The Key.

Cheers Richard

[onewhippedpuppy]

That is awesome. There's so much more to this hobby than the cars. I have my grandfather's 1970 Mustang that he bought in 1980, the year that I was born. I have incredible memories of riding in that car with the top down, helping him clean it, and helping him work on it. Bringing it back up to standard is going to be a labor of love, and it will be a memory of our good times together that I will never sell.

[Baz]

49 years ago sounds about right.

My brother and I with one of the family's VW's.

Good times.....

[weseeeee]

Cool story. Thanks for sharing.