Kathleen Brooks bought her first Beetle in December 1966 in Riverside, Calif.-a red 1967 model she quickly named “Annie.” Ever since, Annie has been Kathleen’s daily transportation, racking up more than 350,000 miles over 51 years, or enough to circle the globe 14 times, and Kathleen, now 73, still drives Annie to work.
After hearing about Kathleen and Annie’s special relationship last year, Volkswagen’s North American Region undertook a unusual project-offering to restore Annie at the North American home of the Beetle at the Puebla, Mexico, factory. Over the past 11 months, a team of some 60 Volkswagen employees and trainees reworked Annie back to factory-quality specs, with several custom touches that celebrate Kathleen’s dedication. This week, Kathleen and Annie were reunited, and Kathleen met key members of the Volkswagen team that led the restoration.
“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, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The original Beetle launched our business in the United States. This isn’t just a Beetle, it’s a member of her family, and after all the time our employees have spent with this special vehicle, we feel Annie is a part of our family as well.”
Brooks works with breast-cancer patients and survivors to provide comfort and cosmetic care during treatment and recovery. A three-time breast cancer survivor herself, Brooks says for over five decades Annie was a constant conversation starter with Beetle fans and owners, but also “always there for me.” “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,” says Brooks with a laugh. “And as long as I take as good care of her as I can, she’s going to continue to run.”
Even with Brooks’ best efforts, Annie had several needs when her restoration began in Puebla early this year, from a floor pan rusted through to the ground in spots to suspension, transmission and electrical challenges. Over 11 months, the Puebla team replaced roughly 40 percent of Annie’s parts and restored 357 original pieces, down to recreating the stickers that Brooks had added to the body and windows over the years. To properly restore her faded red paint, the team matched the original shade from the inside of the glovebox, sandblasted the body, repaired with a mix of period-correct and updated parts, and then reassembled.
Several parts of the vehicle were restored with better than their original factory parts, from the disc brakes that were an upgrade on later Beetles produced in Mexico to the AM/FM/Bluetooth stereo designed to mimic the look and feel of original Beetle radios. The wiring was completely redone; the transmission rebuilt and suspension upgraded. The engine was completely disassembled, cleaned, updated and rebuilt. Even the seats received a special touch, with “Kathleen” and “Annie” embroidered in a classic VW font over new leather. And to tie the car to the modern era, the car’s toolkit and jack was painted in deep sea teal metallic, the color of the 2018 Beetle Coast edition.
The goal, says project manager and mechatronics engineer Augusto Zamudio, was not to create a museum quality Beetle, but to bring Annie back to a state where Kathleen could drive and enjoy her for many more years to come.
“When Annie arrived, our team members quickly understood the connection Kathleen had with her car and embraced this project wholeheartedly,” said Steffen Reiche, CEO of Volkswagen of Mexico. “Restoring this car posed a number of challenges, but also provided a demonstration of the dedication we put into every Volkswagen we build.”
When Brooks parted with Annie, she wrote a heartfelt note to the Puebla team members thanking them for their efforts and asking them to take care of her special car. Zamudio says the feeling is mutual - and the team wrote Brooks back a note of their own.
Cars Garage
scott moad2 日 前
Did they come with white wall tires ?
ThatStopMotionDude5 日 前
Soooo I gotta ask. Is the reason we have less classic Beatles is cus lots were used to film the iconic series of Herbie? Especially fully loaded
Suhayl5 日 前
they put the car back better than new, then fixed the front bumper twisted. what a shame
mercurywoodrose10 日 前
i want an electric beetle. ill take the 70s larger lights, or this era. and chrome bumpers, but you could do aluminum alloy if chrome is not eco. one day VW will return to it. one day.
Ami Küppers11 日 前
Toll gemacht besser als früher, schön das es Leute gibt die diese Autos zu schätzen wissen
Smokey the Penguin11 日 前
My nana has one except it’s a 2006
ignacio zermeno13 日 前
Why is the front fenders from a 67 and the final is from older model 66?
J. Ellis Wood13 日 前
Outer Door Handles are not for a 67, that is 68 handles, 67 had round push buttons.
Fouzi Belamine15 日 前
Where are you from ?
Rodrigo Antonio Carvalho19 日 前
Quando alguem lhe perguntar o que e uma nave. Mostre este vídeo
RockvilleMike20 日 前
Why?
Caleb The Big Engine21 日 前
Aww, Little Cute Baby Annie.
Marcos Ruffato23 日 前
Very gooooood Job...( o \ ! / o )
Rex Jolles24 日 前
This is just my opinion, but I liked it better before. My beetle has wear and tear and that's what makes it special. I'll keep it stock for as long as I can and that's the way I like it. But this restoration was beautiful
koma peti24 日 前
Magyarországon 3 db volt már akkor a műhelyünkbe javitották anno "Mayer műhely" a felyembe van meg mindig az ösdzes alkatrész :)
Pieter Torlageヶ月 前
Thanks for removing the 1968 front fenders and replacing them with 1967 fenders.
MichaElo SoloSaxヶ月 前
Sad, so few original parts restored, so much after market parts
Francisco Cabreraヶ月 前
Que pasion y cariño de este Taller por la restauracion ....10 ptos....quedo Lindo....
Guga Penteadoヶ月 前
No image from the repaired rear... what a pity
Jose Torresヶ月 前
horrible restoration, car looks tacky, carpet looks cheap, front bumper crooked and so on.
Beau Szumowiczヶ月 前
Awfully clean shirts for doing such dirty work..
Rukhsana Bibiヶ月 前
Nice 👍
waleed asaliヶ月 前
If it’s for sale what is the price for this beauty
Michael Berriosヶ月 前
I am literally crying. Love the TLC put into this VW's restoration back to its glory.
Let’s Goヶ月 前
lindo
Luis D Almeidaヶ月 前
TOP
onlythewise1ヶ月 前
i had 68 it had different bumpers
Fawzi Farhanヶ月 前
Great job
Marcos SAnfonAヶ月 前
que trabalho top de mais,profissional...
Thijs Kennisヶ月 前
That might just be the most laybour intensive restauration I have ever seen! Amazing
Snsヶ月 前
my dream car :,)
Robert Smithヶ月 前
The only car I ever made money on. Bought it for $50. Drove it for 2 years and then sold it for $60.
NavalhaDeOuroヶ月 前
easy to fix, cheap and good. i have one that was manufactured in Brazil
Scottヶ月 前
My first car $500 in 1979 i cut it up into a BAJA bug Rolled it in 1981. Lot of fun!!!!!!!!
Reiqヶ月 前
STUDENTS?
gayerforyougay gayerforyougayヶ月 前
German engineering greatest hit
Luis Segebadeヶ月 前
Er Läuft und Läuft und Läuft und Läuft und Läuft und Läuft ...
Alan Gヶ月 前
Wow that's awful! If they just buffed the original paint and refreshed what was needed it would look 10x better! Those janky chrome rims, whitewalls, wrong fenders/lights! It doesn't look like a 67 anymore. Then that interior! Yech.
Bambang Bisowarnoヶ月 前
Wah menarik berapa kalau restoration
Edgar Cornelio Lopez Ramos2 ヶ月 前
Quedó hermoso y como debe ser orijinal
Bruno Diano2 ヶ月 前
Me encantaria aprender sobre esto, tendran cursos online?
Steve Guardabene2 ヶ月 前
I love the machinal gas gauge
Fernando de Alencar2 ヶ月 前
Só eu de brasileiro aqui🤔🤔?
Ana Sánchez2 ヶ月 前
Como me gustan estos carros escarabajos, nunca he tenido carro en mi vida solo sueño con tener uno algún día 🇵🇦
Ademar De Paula2 ヶ月 前
Que fusca maravilhoso muito lindo é o melhor carro já fabricado no mundo não tem igual Parabéns pela equipe pelo trabalho
Arthur Skim2 ヶ月 前
I owned a 1967 Bug back in 1971-1973, I knew when I sold it I would regret it, and I have. An amazing restoration. BRAVO ZULU
Scottybob Videopants2 ヶ月 前
I was 22 yrs old in '67....I remember when this puppy was brand new...Couldn't afford it....Started out that year driving a 1956 Caddie hearse ($400), then sold it in late '67 to buy a 1939 Chevy paddy wagon ($400)....Needed a ride to live in occasionally and carry my 9'6" surfboard....... ;o)
꧁꧁Itz AidenUwU꧂꧂2 ヶ月 前
That was the car of the old lady she called that andy and the plate is same
Michael Cuff2 ヶ月 前
That was a cool video! That little guy deserved the restoration treatment. Thanks for saving another bug! You don't see them around much anymore. Always had a soft spot for older VWs
Captain Bird2 ヶ月 前
Thank you for the video. This was my first car in 1978. I was still at school and felt like a king, beside another guy who had a mini cooper. Over the years i had other cars, faster and more expensive ones. But for me this ist still the greatest. I regret that I sold it in 1980.
Christian2 ヶ月 前
I prefer restomods but the work do e here is incredible
rollee2232 ヶ月 前
I watched this video, as my first car was a 1967 Beetle. While I loved watching the restoration, I was deeply disappointed and actually, quite shocked when, at the end, you showed the completed vehicle, and you had for some STRANGE reason, switched the headlights back to the older version! It was the year 1967 in which Volkswagen first switched to the newer straight up headlights as well as the first year they went to 12 volt electrical systems. It was also the only year they had backup lights on the rear bumper, as they had none before that, and in 1968, they incorporated the backup lights into one taillight system. I was also disappointed to see that you added a Volkswagen emblem on the hood, which, while there was one like that on WAY earlier VW Beetles, in the 1950s, they were long since discontinued on the front hood. I liked the restoration, but I was disappointed in the changes that were not stock.
Jeff Stone2 ヶ月 前
Sweet!
P.J. Snow2 ヶ月 前
Beetle Bug.🐞
احمد 912 ヶ月 前
كل شي تغير وتجدد طبعا الا اللوحه السيارة لم تجدد 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
almac1212 ヶ月 前
Can anyone advise where is the beat place to restore my dad's old 1967 VW beetle? It was his first vehicle to own and one that brought his kids including myself home from hospital. It has great sentimental value to him and would be great to be restored. It is currently in Tanzania. Any ideas are most welcome!
Don farlan2 ヶ月 前
Restroomration
Ryan Muneer Tapodoc2 ヶ月 前
Yeah.. But the amount youre gonna be spending to turn your old beetle into something like this would be the same amount if you buy a new car..
Brian Cohen2 ヶ月 前
Now that is a thing of beauty
leonardo holanda2 ヶ月 前
Sensacional 👏👏
Dakota LaBarr3 ヶ月 前
Would have loved to see the process not clups
Jake Rankin3 ヶ月 前
Sweet!! Get that away from the ocean!! Are you crazy!
ael3 ヶ月 前
Beau travail, dommage les paupières de phares, c'est vraiment moche.
Silvio Ambrozio3 ヶ月 前
,parach diant fico torto,eu nu sei por que coloca esse rádio veio,e essa mania que a maioria tem de fala a na época desse carro seja qualquer carro antigo,por acaso onu tá reformado!e a sua época que passo vc paro lá ou vive até hoje. Então a época e a que vivemos se for carro antigo também e um carro que está que resiste.
Rajesh3 ヶ月 前
How much does it cost to do a full restoration?
Mauro Lindo3 ヶ月 前
HE VISTO RESTAURADO. ..Y NO RESTAURANDO .
The Thailander3 ヶ月 前
-Wooooooowww.... Breathtaking&beautiful! The car=masterart (we all know..!) -the team=masterart (nice to watch)!
Danushka Chinthaka3 ヶ月 前
👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰
SOUTHSIDER3 ヶ月 前
Beautiful car but them tires and color killed it for me, but nice job 👍👊👍
VW erobraini beetle 19683 ヶ月 前
Reforma meu Fusca também
Samuel Obregon3 ヶ月 前
I own a 1966 bug, just wondering, how much a full restoration like the one in this video goes for?
Anunnaki Boy3 ヶ月 前
I wish i have the money to restore my 1997 isuzu tfr. . 😢
OSKR GONZALEZ3 ヶ月 前
Que hermoso video.... Volver a restaurar un vw detro de la concesión de la marca.... 🤩😍👏
Laura Keneddy3 ヶ月 前
🌹🌹🌷🌷🌷🌷🌺🌸🌸🌸🌸🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Guillermo Carrasco3 ヶ月 前
White, tiny tires and chrome wheels are the only things I´d rather change...
brice noronha3 ヶ月 前
Now this is called Handcrafted..
Jude Hargan3 ヶ月 前
Beautiful
olsenme3 ヶ月 前
Another bunch of people not knowing what they are doing.... 1. Never paint a VW beetle engine block. It will easier overheat if painted. 2. The rear axle joint rubber boots should have their bolted flanges facing back or front, not up or down, - when the axle moves up and down they can't flex and they will go bad in no time. - Not that those red aftermarket things aren't junk from factory anyways... Use nothing but NOS here! 3. Keep as mush as possible of the original 5 or 7-layer base paint. Don't sand everything down to bare metal. You'll never get anything as good as the original base again. 4. All we didn't see... The resulting car looks nice but unfortunately it will not last long unless parked indoors. Hurts to see this.
Weiller Sathler3 ヶ月 前
2 persons to remove the air filter. AMAZING.
celso guajardo villarreal3 ヶ月 前
Me hicieron llorar!!!!! yo tenia un modelo 1969 igualito misms pintura !!! mismo auto como si lo estubiera viendo. saludos excelente trabajo!!!!