Bavarian Inn VW Beetle Turns Forty

Sept. 24, 2013 - PRLog -- The Bavarian Inn Restaurant (http://www.bavarianinn.com/) isn’t the only Frankenmuth icon celebrating a milestone anniversary -- 125 years – in 2013. Judy Zehnder Keller’s Volkswagen Beetle, purchased September 14, 1973, turns 40 this year and she celebrated by hosting a birthday bash on Sunday, Sept. 22 and Monday, Sept. 23. There were so many people she wanted to celebrate with, she needed to have the party on two days!

The invitation-only, Blues Brother-themed party took place at the Bavarian Inn Lodge with her VW, the only vehicle she has driven daily for the last 40 years, serving as the guest of honor. Joining in the celebration were all 10 Zehnder family members from the 2nd generation through the 4th generation who manage the Bavarian Inn on a daily basis.

“When people ask me why I hosted a 40th birthday party for my car, I say, I don't know anyone who has been driving the same car every day for the past 40 years,” observed Zehnder Keller, founder and president of the Bavarian Inn Lodge. “Most people who own antique cars keep them in storage and only drive them on special occasions when the weather is nice. My car is still a treasure and I drive it every day.  That’s why I believe it deserves a special celebration.”

Zehnder Keller also held a party for her prized possession for its 30th birthday, an event which caught the attention of Volkswagen’s Driver Magazine, which reported in the Fall of 2003, “After 30 years of ownership, Judith Zehnder Keller has no plans to hang up the keys to her Volkswagen Super Beetle any time soon. Judith drives her Beetle, which has become a recognizable icon in the community, everyday from her home to her well established Inn."

Judy and her husband Don Keller purchased their blue Super Beetle for $2,200 on September 14, 1973 from Saginaw, Michigan’s Das Auto Haus, which made arrangements for them to pick it up in Ludwigshaven, Germany shortly after it rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg.

The couple immediately drove it to the Bavarian Alps where they attended a gourmet cooking school for six months in Tegernsee, Germany. They drove the VW more than 5,000 miles throughout Europe before heading north to the port city of Breman where it started its eight-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean home to Frankenmuth, MI. Their Beetle arrived in America on April 3, 1974 with a total shipping cost of only $318.

Since its return, Zehnder Keller has used her Bug every day, logging tens of thousands of miles in the only car her children have ever known her to drive. Although her Beetle has experienced some maintenance issues over the years, it is still powered by the original engine which is still running strong. Judy has many fond memories of her beloved VW and looks forward to forging many more as she continues to drive the car she has no intention of replacing anytime soon.

“My Beetle has become a member of the family so to speak and a valued member of the Frankenmuth community,” said Zehnder Keller, who also enjoys sharing stories with fellow Beetle owners. “Over the years I’ve met a lot of Volkswagen owners who like to share memories of their cars with me.  I too have fond memories about my bug and I look forward to enjoying many more.”

A confident Zehnder Keller fully expects to throw a 50-year birthday bash for her beloved VW in 2023, a vehicle which is withstanding the test of time as gracefully as the 125-year-old Bavarian Inn Restaurant that her mother Dorothy Zehnder and other family members manage in a community that wouldn’t seem the same without her VW roaming the roadways each and every day.

Media contact: Sue Voyles, 734.667.2005     sue@logos-communications.com (mailto:sue@logos-communications.com)