Built in 1979 and delivered to the sunny climes of Jacksonville Florida, this Volkswagen favourite was originally finished in River Blue metallic with a Black leatherette interior.

Unfortunately, we don’t know what adventures it had in the USA but we do know that it was repatriated to Northern Ireland in 1990 and issued with the registration number ‘SXI 5617’.

It changed hands 10 years later and was reregistered as ‘UIA 8000’.

In 2015 it underwent restoration and returned to the road resplendent in fresh white paint with cream interior and a new black mohair roof.

The chap who painted the VW stated that it was the best Beetle he had ever come across.

Sometime later, it was sold to Mike, who interestingly, has a business called Star Car Hire, based in Larne, County Antrim, a company that source vehicles for film, television, music videos and weddings.

Our Beetle was put to work and later described as “an incredible little car”.

In 2023, our vendor James enters the story.

James i...