In case you’re wondering, no. Miss Sofie is not a person. Not in this case anyway. Although, by the end of the piece, you might feel otherwise.
Exactly 70 years ago, a gorgeous dove blue panel van, chassis number 20-1880 rolled out of Wolfsburg’s production line and into our lives. I’m of course talking about the first generation VW Transporter who, for the best part of two decades, served as a commercial trading vehicle as an alternative to the Type 1 VW Beetle.
You see, the Beetle was cute and all. But like a Beverly Hills housewife, she wasn’t equipped for the working life. That’s where Sofie came in, dashing around Hildesheim’s narrow lanes before going into early retirement when she was sold to a collector.
A star is born
While visiting VW’s factory, Dutch businessman Ben Pon took a keen interest in a parts-mover. He had a ‘Eureka!’ moment: what if the Type 1 Beetle could be turned into a commercial vehicle? As with any good businessman, Ben got his notebook out and sketched his idea on the spot.
At this point, VW were pretty much preoccupied with pushing out its trademark Beetle. And so they put Ben’s drawing into the ‘to do’ tray for another day.
Finally, on 8 March 1950, VW’s plant began full scale production of what they called the Type 2 (the Beetle was the Type 1). And that’s how our beloved Sofie came to be.
All you need is love
Between 1973 and 1992, Sofie divorced and remarried a great number of VW enthusiasts. Her last flame tried to sell her via a magazine run by the “Brezelfensteerveinigung e.V” (what a mouthful) fan club. Nobody really wanted the old gal, nobody saw any practical use for her as a commercial vehicle anymore. She was hurt and humiliated.
The owner was determined to get Sofie off his hands, pushing out ad after ad. Until, at last, a Dane with an eagle eye for classic rides, Tonny L. saw something that few others could see. Sofie had the lowest chassis number at the time; a diamond in the rough.
42 years old and less than 100,000 kilometers on the clock, Sofie boards a breakdown truck enroute her new life in Denmark. The girl was rusty, being out of action for nearly twenty years. But with a little TLC, Tonny managed to restore her bit by bit, replacing the essential parts first.
Rebirth
Tonny’s restoration efforts went up a notch in early 2000, at the turn of the new millennium. After all kinds of face lifts, chin and cheek implants, a new set of boobs, the costly and very time consuming restoration came to an end in spring 2003. Husbands, don’t try this at home.
Together they embarked on a journey of 20,000 kilometers, covering most of Europe, where Sofie was allowed to strut her stuff and show the fake-ass botox babes up.
It’s a love story better than Twilight. Sofie is living through a sort of second adolescence, rejuvenated by all that TLC, but Tonny’s getting tired and haggard.
He needs to slow down, but he wants Sofie to go on. It’s time to let his long-term love go. With assurances that she will never again fade into redundancy in some dumb rancher’s garage.
Coming back home
Fate, as it turned out, had something amazing in store for Sofie. In the spring of 2014, while Tonny was receiving endless offers, the Crown Prince of Denmark tours VW’s Commercial Vehicles showroom in Hannover.
Somewhere in the automotive banter, an importer lets slip that there’s a 1950 Bulli in his motherland looking for a new home. “And so it shall be,” the Crown Prince says.
After mapping out his intentions for Sofie, he asks the VWCV Oldtimer department to get Tonny on the phone. Tonny’s reluctant at first. He did spend a lot of time bringing Sofie back from the brink. But alas it seems, with the Crown Prince’s endorsement, he’s sold on VWCV’s plans for his leading lady.
After going back and forth for several weeks, Tonny, with tears in his eyes, says “I’d therefore prefer to sell Sofie to you, where she’ll still be able to make people smile. I know that she’ll fare best at home” and in late 2014, Sofie makes her way to Hannover, the city of the Bulli. She’s home.
Celebrations
From industrial beginnings at the Wolfsburg plant, through the winding streets of Hildesheim, and from the loving hands of a Dane with a dream to her rightful home in Hannover, it’s safe to say that Sofie has had the ride of her life.
And what better way to celebrate than with fresh engine oil, some cake and the company of her entire Bulli family.
Happy birthday Miss Sofie, here’s to the next 70 years!
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