Keith Friendship had a long career in the Canadian military, including a posting in Germany. Keith and his wife Carol decided to buy a Volkswagen Beetle while in Germany even though it was manufactured in Mexico by that point in VW history.
The Volkswagen Beetle is arguably one of the most famous car models ever built and enjoyed a 65- year production run in various plants around the world after the last German-built Beetle left the Wolfsburg plant in 1974.
Mexico had one of the last Beetle production facilities in existence after Germany discontinued manufacturing them 51 years ago.
Jim Sutherland
Over 21.5 million Beetles were built during their long production run, a number that exceeded every competitor, including the legendary Ford Model T. However, the original VW Beetle is no longer found in abundance on the streets and roads of the world because the last one was built 22 years ago and time has never been a friend of any car, including an incredibly popular model like the Beetle.
Eventually Keith and Carol moved back to Canada where Keith served out his military career before his retirement. They brought their first Beetle back to Canada from Germany and sold it but missed the loveable little car and decided to buy another one.
As mentioned earlier, original Volkswagen Beetles have become scarce, but Keith and Carol found one in a want ad and sent their son to have a look at it because they were a long way from the car. Their son test drove the car and gave it a passing grade, so Keith took a gamble and bought the Beetle, even though he had never seen the car up close and personal.
The 1967 VW Beetle has been a part of the Friendships’ lives since 2023, and they get to enjoy the car on a regular basis since Keith retired from military service. MyStarCollectorCar caught up to the owners and their Beetle at a spring car show a couple of hours away from their home because they chose secondary highways.
The less traveled route is always a choice for smart VW Beetle owners because the cars were never famous for their rocket-like speed. Instead, the original Beetles gained favor as a small and reliable urban car in an owner’s fleet of useful transportation.
Keith told MyStarCollectorCar his 59-year-old Beetle is comfortable at about 60 mph (roughly 95 km/h) if it is not facing a headwind or a steep hill. It has a 1500 cc engine coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission during an era when a stick was the only way to shift gears in a VW Beetle.
The Beetle has an aftermarket stereo, a feature that comes in handy whenever Keith and Carol hit the open road in it to enjoy the leisurely pace. Keith added “it’s a comfortable drive”, so time is well spent in the car for the couple.
There are few extra features in a classic VW Beetle, but the car has two unique decals on its rear window. One sticker reads ‘Radar Love’ and was applied by Keith to celebrate his military career, while the other is a 1967 Toronto Maple Leaf sticker put on the car by its original owner to celebrate the hockey team’s last Stanley Cup championship.
The happy ending to this car story is Keith and Carol celebrated their 1967 VW Beetle purchase by building a winter storage unit for it.
They named the building “Bug Hut” and it’s an excellent name for a structure that protects their beloved 1967 Beetle from harm during the winter.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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