Volkswagen Beetle owner of 51 years reunited with 'Annie'

Kathleen Brooks bought her first Beetle in December 1966 in Riverside, California, a red 1967 model she quickly named 'Annie'. Ever since, Annie has been Kathleen's daily transportation, racking up more than 350,000 miles (563,270km) 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 an 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. Last 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 honour," 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."