I think a photo is in order  :)

On 6/22/06, Richard Golen <rgolen@umassd.edu> wrote:
>
> Greetings Vanagon-listees,
>
>
> Fifty years ago today my 1956 Beetle (Chassis number 1226221) rolled
> off of the assembly line at the VW plant in Wolfsburg, (West)
> Germany. On the 25th it was shipped off to its home in the USA, where
> its first "home" was in San Fransisco, CA.
>
> I purchased it in July 1975 (after my 63 sunroof was totaled) for
> $50. At the time it had a blown engine, but I rebuilt new 36 hp
> engine for it (from another 56 beetle) and drove it through grad
> school and until 1979 when VW said "no more beetles" were coming into
> the USA. It sat in a garage until 1993 when I put a new battery in
> it, pumped up the tires, put some new gasoline in the tank, and fired it
> up.
>
> Today, we celebrated by doing an oil change and valve adjustment. Now
> we're heading off for a cruise around town!
>
> Taking a line from Neil Young..."Long may you run!"
>
>
> Ric
>