JOIN USStruck by the love bug
Richard D’Souza’s 1962 Volkswagen Beetle is more than just a vintage car. From time to time, he keeps describing his red, dazzling beauty as a love bug, a priceless heirloom and a crowning glory.
His story swings back to the good old 80s of Goa. He was on the lookout for vintage cars when on a holiday there and through some contacts, he found a few Beetles which were in a bad shape.
Though many advised him against buying one of the cars since they weren’t in good condition, Richard was determined.
He met Almeida, a mechanic who specialised in the restoration of vintage cars. Almeida stripped it down to bare metal and restored the car, with all the original parts in place. In 2000, he contacted Richard and drove down to Bengaluru in the Beetle. And since then, the beautiful Beetle has become a member of the D’Souza family.
A die-hard fan of the Beetle, Richard takes it out every weekend to make sure that the car is in shape.
He is also an active member of vintage rallies.
Once they are out on the road, his car is a complete eye-catcher and onlookers give him confused looks and ask several questions.
He says, “I enjoy the attention the car receives whenever we go out in my Beetle. A lot of people stop, ask me stories about the car and take pictures with it.
It’s sometimes a strange feeling but a joy to share the passion with so many vintage car lovers. I would love to own many more vintage cars but since I live in an apartment, the parking space is a problem.”
He goes to a mechanic near Hennur as and when his car needs maintenance but he proudly says that he “can count the number of times” his Beetle has given up on him.
He has also been getting his car tested with the RTO every 5 years to see that the road wordiness and insurance is up-to-date.
“Maintaining a vintage car is not an expensive hobby. In the last 15 years, I don’t remember spending more than 1 lakh rupees on my vintage car. It’s more about the time and the effort that an owner puts into his car rather than the money. One shouldn’t neglect it.”
Another thing worth mentioning is that he rents out his Beetle for weddings for a nominal sum, saves an amount for maintenance and uses the rest for charity purposes. “It’s a love bug after all,” he says, cheerily. “When the hippie culture made its way in 1956, the Beetle became quite famous as a love bug. It was a dream to afford the car. Many people, then, would spend time just to go around and see a Beetle. Now, I own, maintain and live a long-cherished dream.” But he is saddened by the fact that younger mechanics aren’t equipped to handle vintage cars and don’t spend as much time as they should with them.
“The technology is completely different for the modern, high-end cars and the older cars. Today’s cars are electric while the older ones have equipment like carburetors and plugs. Even the steering is completely different. Today’s mechanics are not equipped to handle vintage cars and want to finish everything quickly. They have to spend time with the car as maintenance and restoration are a completely different ball game.”
Richard has been offered 7.5 lakh rupees for the car but he doesn’t have the heart to sell it as his car is “priceless”. “It’s a family affair for me. My son loves to drive the car and says that the Beetle is all he wants from me.”
(Richard can be contacted on rfd1956@gmail.com)