The Friend

My first introduction to the VW Beetle was when my friend Bob purchased a 1966 VM Beetle sometime in the early 1970s. With a manual transmission, the 1966 model year was the last production model that had 6-volt electrical systems. This presented problems starting the car in cold weather (push starts were often in order, and when parked in NYC often came at the behest of impatient cab drivers.) Headlights were, to say the least, dim, and the heat often took upwards of 15 minutes to even be perceptibly felt. However I always marveled at the articulate nature of the car, especially when driven by Bob. He could swerve in and out of NYC traffic like a neurosurgeon.

Bob’s 1966 VW Beetle. Note the handmade iron bumper, which came with the car when it was purchased.

He is also a gifted photographer. If an image on this website is strikingly ‘artful,’  it was probably taken by him.

Bob has been a good friend and colleague for many years, and often assists me when a particular job is beyond what one person can do with two hands. He is the person on the right of the picture seen on the front page of this website.