Estelle & Beatrice
Model:
1971 Super Beetle Convertible
Name:
I was playing around with some ideas in my head. I wanted to name it something that started with a B so it would go with the Beetle. I’m a very old soul and I gravitate towards old-fashioned types of names, old music, etc. The name Beatrice popped into my head, and I knew it was right.
Color:
Salmon. The color that we chose is actually off a Chevy. We get a lot of points ticked for it when we go to the shows because it’s not a typical Volkswagen color.
Mileage:
1,500
Motors:
Second motor
Owned since:
2018
Owners:
The man we bought it from bought it with his ex-girlfriend, and they planned to fix it up together. Then they broke up, so he didn’t want to keep it.
Location:
Connecticut
Favorite driving song:
“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. This song always reminds me of a sunny day, driving on back roads with the top down!
When I was seven, we went to Hot August Nights in California, and that’s where I first saw a Bug. I said, “Dad, I want a Bug. I need one.” A few years later, we found a rusted, torn-apart, teal, silver, and yellow one and spent the next four years rebuilding it. We completely rebuilt it from the ground up. We did a lot of it in our driveway, even through the snowy winters, which was tough because we do not have a garage at the house. We put up a portable tent that flew away. It was a hot mess.​​
Dad did not know how to do a lot of it, so we bought tons of books and Volkswagen manuals to try and figure it out. I remember the weather stripping on the car, specifically, being so frustrating. My dad and I would just sit in silence for hours straight, then we would need to take a break. It was so frustrating, but we knew that it would be worth it in the end.
They are very temperamental cars—at least Beatrice is. We tried to fix the engine it came with as best we could, but we ended up having to buy a new one. We bought it from the guy who we bought the car from. He makes motors, so it was convenient.​
I love the color and that it’s a convertible—that was a make-or-break it for me.
There are definitely parts of it that we’re still working on. There’s still things like the hub cap flying off. We have to lower it—it’s a little too high. It’s not typical for Bugs to be up this high off the ground. It’s hard to see, but when you compare it to other Bugs, you can see that it is higher.
I was hemming and hawing about what color I wanted right up until the last minute. It was between baby blue and salmon. We ended up getting it painted by one of my dad’s friends. It’s so great that we have friends in the car industry. It’s been awesome to see it all come together. I really take pride in what we’ve done over the years. I think it will always be something my dad and I can connect through.
For me it’s the challenge of learning how to drive it—I still haven’t perfected the stick shift. It’s an old car. It comes with faults—there’s always something to work on and fix, so right when I feel confident enough to start driving it, something happens. My biggest fear is that I worked so hard on this car and I’m going to take it on the road and what if I can’t stop before something bad happens to it? That’s my worst fear. I hope to just be able to drive her—to be able to confidently drive it in spring and summer seasons. Eventually, when I have kids, I hope to drive them around in it. I don’t plan on ever getting rid of it. It’s like a “home” feeling when I’m in it, even though I don’t drive it.​​
I have so many memories building it and driving in it and going to all the car shows. We have gone to so many shows—I have all the trophies in the trunk. We joined the CVA (Connecticut Volkswagen Association) to help us. They helped us with parts and answered all our questions. There are a few women in the CVA, and it’s amazing to connect with them. The one that I’m closest with is a woman with two little children, and she drives a Bus and they also have Beetles. The whole Volkswagen community has been so welcoming and helpful from the beginning and continues to be amazing. I cannot say greater stuff about them. They’re great people.
I still haven’t perfected the stick shift, but any chance I get to be in that car, I’m in it.
It’s very uncommon to see a nineteen-year-old girl show up to a Volkswagen car show. My mom and dad have been driving me there, but when they say that it’s my car, people are really taken aback by that. I think it’s a great accomplishment of mine, and I wish that more people would drive older cars in general but Volkswagens specifically. Just on our drive today, people were smiling and pointing and waving. It brings me so much joy that it makes people happy. I don’t know if it’s the color or that they are such cute, happy cars. I don’t know what makes them so happy, but I know it brings everybody joy. I’m very proud of rebuilding it. I take a lot of pride in it. I love sharing her.
