OFP 857 Circa 1963 - 1. OFP 857 Circa 1963

I opened my headlights, and blinked at my reflection, from the shiny metal door of the garage. I was all finished, all ready for my performance. I had passed the audition; I was going to be a movie star!

My story had begun five years before. It was September 1963. I rolled off the production line. A shiny new pearl white Volkswagen Beetle.

And for five years I served a few careful owners. A few dents and bumps but I had survived mostly intact. A few worn out parts replaced. A few changes of tyres too, but I was still the same, I hadn’t changed.

I would dream of the long winding roads I would be on, and the gentle hands on my wheel, or not so gentle too. The feet on my pedals, and the hand on my gear stick.

All that is pretty boring compared to what was just around the corner, just a few hours away.

I had passed the audition; it was too good to be true.

I had sat there feeling like I hadn’t a chance in the world of being chosen, just look at what else was on offer.

There were, Toyota’s, a TVR, a handful of Volvo’s from different years, an MG and me, a pearl white Volkswagen Beetle. My yellow on black Californian licence plate, was OFP 857 circa 1963.

I looked over my reflection again, and my shiny new paint job, from the red, white and blue stripes, from front to back, the large circled 53 on my bonnet and doors.

I blinked as the garage doors opened and the mechanic walked towards me and patted my roof.

“All done! Good luck with the movie.” He grinned.

As I idled forward through the doors, I felt good. I wasn’t a plain old Volkswagen Beetle, licence plate OFP 857 circa 1963.

Today I was Herbie, and I was about to be a movie star!