90 years old Mimi's daily driver: 1970 Beetle! She has owned it since it was brand new!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- It was a pleasure to meet Mimi yesterday at the Capistrano Volkswagen Dealership Takeover event.
Mimi purchased this 1970 model Yukon Yellow Beetle in October 1969 at Bill Yates (today's Capistrano Volkswagen) Dealership in San Juan Capistrano, California. She has been driving it daily for over 400,000 miles (the original engine was rebuilt only once recently). Today, at 90 years old, she still enjoys her Beetle.
When she purchased the Beetle, she changed the high-back seat to an earlier low-back one and added a set of custom wheels to make it look faster. She also added glass etching for added style!
During the event, Miles Brandon, the owner of Capistrano Volkswagen, showed her the highest respect.
Mimi, you are a true VW enthusiast! Highest respect!
Stay tuned for a more detailed story about Mimi and her VW!
No computers, no heated seats, and an engine that can be taken out in like five minutes. Mimi's keeping life simple.
a time where cars were really freedom and now they make us slaves of astronomical repair bills, pxxornographic parts prices, insurances and so on. Lets keep the cars we can still service and repair!
if u think , do we really need all those features?
@@hennessy4666
I picked up an 02 Dodge Durango a few months back for $6K with only 68K miles on it- same thing. '
Nothing in it but radio and cassette player.
Touch Screen? Haha, what's that?
Doesn't even have digital outside thermometer.
It's practically still brand new that gets me from A-B with no bullshit.
LOVE IT..
KEEP IT SIMPLE- ITS THE WAY TO GO..NO HEADACHES..
@@farmoboy83yep I'm keeping my 04 jag xj8
I'm not quite there but I sought out a low mile 1999 Grand Marquis and the lack of tech is such a relief. I can bluetooth into the cigarette lighter (and I have the actual push in lighter) and that's enough tech for me. Super easy and cheap to work on and super reliable. Great hwy MPG for a V8. I get into my new work truck and the tech is infuriating. Pop ups on the screens, a fake voice every 5 seconds about the seatbelt, it's always trying to hook up to your phone, it rumbles when you get near a line, it slams on the brakes if it thinks you are too close. Radio knobs have been replaced with on screen buttons that are impossible to hit when driving. LEAVE ME ALONE AND LET ME DRIVE!
The fact that she drives without glasses at 90 years of age is amazing. She is full of energy. She drives herself in car with no power steering, a/c, no ABS and not even automatic. Long live MIMI
Yes! I went to get my license at 19 and the lady told me not to come back until I had glasses!😂😂
She is awesome. My father at 88 doesn’t wear glasses either.
@@ChildofGodforevr .. YOUR COMMENTS ARE JUST RUBBISH UPON RUBBISH. HOW ON EARTH WOULD A 90 YEARS OLD WOMAN DRIVE DANGEROUS? HOW? THEIR LIKES DRIVE MORE CAREFULLY AND ACCURATELY. IF SHE AT 90 SHE USES NO GLASSES, IT MEANS HER HEALTH COULD BE BETTER THAN SOME 50 YEARS OLD MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE HEALTH HAVE BEEN RUINED WITH DRUGS, ALCOHOL, SMOKING. YOU SHOULD PRAY TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT SHE IS DOING AT 90 IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE UP TO 90 YEARS OF AGE. CONDEMNATIONS WILL TAKE YOU NOWHERE
It has Italian A/C the wing vent windows!
Open those puppies all the way and you get a nice breeze on you!😉
Cataract surgery ( almost every senior has had it) fixes the need for glasses 😊
I loved the way you interviewed Mimi, someone definitely raised you right , it shows and says a lot about you Sir.
Great point that woman is a huge inspiration for all! Respect is earned and she deserves it in spades!
@@thomasgentry6201 it was the way he held her hand, engaged with her, didn't talk to her as a child. he is a good man. plus the info on the car's. all around the perfect set up on showing integrity and decency.
Yep. Very respectful!
53, (years) wasn't that Herbie's No. in the movies?. This woman's a national treasure. Volkswagen should get in touch.
Wow! What a lady! An inspiration to us all! Amazing she doesn’t look or act like an 90 year old person! She looks like in her 70s! Her driving her stick shift classic beetle is amazing! I hope I’m still driving at her age! But I doubt I be here in this earth before 90.
Once some people reach a certain age, it seems like they don’t age anymore.
Apparently driving a stick-shift is the fountain of youth.
She’s the definition of young spirit I love her aura ♥️
What a sweet young lady! So humble and inspirational. God bless her 😇
I could not wipe the smile off my face watching that interview. I live about 5 miles from that dealership and I was born in October of 1969. I swear I have seen Mimi driving around town before and we go to the same Costco:)
Most eco friendly and green thing I've seen so far this year. One car, taking care of.
far better than all this pseudo green battery crap...
Sorry but no.
This thing puts out more pollution than 100 Hummers !
Real kill you pollution not what we all exhale and trees and plants need to live co2.
I'm living in motor valley in Italy (near Maserati, Ferrari, Pagani, Lambo, Ducati ecc.) and all we love our cars, this is the testimony that if you love a car it will pay you back faithfully. Thanks for your video and greetings from Italy.
yes it uß eveñ new nidèñîñes
She is one in a million. Her husband was a fortunate man.
That’s right. ✨
Lucky Fellow!
Yes he knew he had the right woman and stayed with her for 70 years
She is the sweetest, loveliest woman I have seen on this platform...ever. Her beetle is a dream!
2 gems on camera! What a lovely woman and a great story. Mimi made me smile and warmed my heart.
What a great story! I love it. My Dad had a 68 Baby blue Beetle that carried all five of us to Arizona from Illinois in 1969. My two teen sisters were in the back with the seat laid down, and I rode on my Mom's lap the entire way! (different times) We left a day after my Aunt and Uncle who were driving a new Buick Skylark and we actually beat them there! That was a story shared at every holiday and the Aunt and Uncle never got over it! lol I was only a toddler and my folks said I cried everytime we went near the car after that trip! ;) Dad wanted a new Beetle or Kharmin Gia or Bus and I remember all of them sitting in our driveway for a test drive circa70-71 but he ended up buying a brand new Caprice with a 396 and a trailer package to tow our 21' Scamp. That thing was junk it puked out all of the oil and trans fluid on it's maiden voyage and since Dad had paid cash for it new GM wouldn't do ANYTHING about fixing it. We ended up with a 70 Mercury Monterey with a 429 INterceptor in it. We never had another VW but I've alway had a soft spot for them!
Grandma's got wide tires and mag wheels on her ride. You go grandma.
I saw that. There's no way those wheels and tires are 1970 factory spec for this car :D
@@julianbrelsford Well, she did state that the wheels were a dealer option. Most likely, the dealer has some after market options. The bill of sale will have that detailed since she has kept the all original documents. Would be interesting to see where the rims came from. They are very cool, and probably enhance the drive of the car.
Love it. Both the beetle and the lady ARE IN TOP SHAPE.
This is great! Thank you Hot VW Magazine for honoring this lovely woman. I own a classic VW dealership and repair shop in Bend Oregon and I too have had the honor of meeting folks who have bought their classic VW's brand new. The stories are priceless! Cheers!
Mentally This woman is sharp as they come. I love this story.
What a WONDERFUL story. This is the way car ownership should be. I know of people who trade their cars every year. When you think of the cost over a lifetime, it is incredible. Mimi is in the rare scenario whereby she could actually sell her car for more than she paid for it more than 50 years earlier. Good on her. Greetings from Ontario, Canada.
These legendary cars were made to last. No electronics. Simple to maintain, with little care. No recalls. Every thing back then was honestly made.
Until they start rusting🤣🤣
@danialk8387 that's just false. Modern cars need less maintenance and last longer than ever.
So here's the thing. Like everything in life there's a balance, you're not quite off but you're not right either. These engines had to be rebuilt and replaced every 100k kilometers, because they would become junk with use. If you went into an accident, you were basically in a thick metal coffin which was compacting on your body.
Does that mean I'm defending the horrible cut costing, consumerist built, low quality parts and over-engineering with unnecessary sensors of the modern era cars? Heck no, I never owned a new car, and I will never buy one. But to idealize what we had and was offered back then is also wrong.
@@steve8803I'd agree with you up til about 2010-2011. Depending on the manufacturer, shortly after 2011, there isn't a car engineered to last longer than 15 yrs tops.
Troubleshooting & diagnosing let alone doing the job itself (assuming one can properly diagnose) sends the modern sh*tbox off to the crusher, because it's simply not worth it anymore for 90% of people. Electronic dependence for the sake of electronic dependence has assured modern cars ALL become bricks. No one is spending $15-20k in electronic garbage replacement, reprogramming, coding, cloning, etc with dealer only software (which is now becoming cloud based & you & I will NEVER own or have access to it) on a 13 yr old car that is worth $15k itself. Modern cars do NOT get rebuilt, they get thrown away because they are GARBAGE. Fast, shiny, gimmicky GARBAGE.
Cars now are much safer and reliable, as others have said. Where I do agree 100% with you was simplicity. These cars were SIMPLE, so that when things needed fixing they were extremely easy to repair. Cars now? NO. They’re nightmares to fix and cost a fortune to maintain. Doesn’t matter what brand, even Toyota isn’t the same as their 80s and 90s models. Simplicity in engineering makes a better car overall. The cars now are more reliable for sure - but you must do the maintenance. Many don’t.
A dear dear sweetheart driving a VDub sweetheart! Thank you for this touching interview!
Bless her heart ,,Its amazing she been able to keep it so nice for so long.
No radiator, No power steering, cheap on gas, manual transmission
Had a VW bug back in the late 1960's growing up and we took that bug to work to school, to beach to , drive in movies ,,everywhere ,
…now that’s fabulous! What an amazing lady. I have to show this to my Mother who is now 88 and drives a 2016 Volvo V60 Polestar which is an absurdly fast wagon that she absolutely love and treasure. My father ordered the car in November 2015 as a surprise for my Mother for their 50th anniversary on June 2016. The car arrived the following February, Valentine’s Day. It was like he planned the perfect gift but sadly he wasn’t able to share that moment for on Christmas Eve 2015 after a long and brave battle with 3 types of cancer he couldn’t fight no more but his legacy goes on. That’s why Miss Mimi’s story gave me hope that I got a little more time with my fabulous Mother.
❤
This is an incredible testament to how good of cars VWs can be. 400k miles...wow, that's something you'll normally see on their diesel cars! What a wonderful person Mimi is
VWs are great cars. You have to maintain them properly. Lots of people don’t and wonder why they break.
Bless your heart ma'am. My first car was a 1967 Beetle and I wish I would have kept mine. I always get a charge out of folks that still own cars they bought back when.
This is the best video I've seen on TH-cam. What a wonderful lady still enjoy life.
Bless Mimi'what a loverly lady and her love for the VW Bug
She's 90? Wow, amazing strength - both mentally and physically.
She mentioned the original paint did not hold up well, so they had it repainted a couple of years into the life of the car. Typically, a repaint is far inferior to the original... but in this case, it seems to have held up amazingly well. Whoever did the repaint job, did it right! 👍
Not paint jobs back then.
The paint back then was better. It contained lead and other very toxic chemicals that made it last and are outlawed by the government today. I am sure that this car is kept in the garage also when not driven which helps greatly in the longevity of it.
A professional can make you some old-fashioned lead paint if you want!!
Then you can spray it on your car yourself!!
@@zachsheffield1325 I refinish cars for a living (32) years. Most paints back in these days 1960's-1970's were non catalized (hardener) most were non clear coated and would fade and get chalky quickly but would remain solid and not peel. There are great products available today for restoration purposes that will last a very long time if applied properly. The cost of paint materials today is insanely expensive for quality products. To strip and repaint that bug today would cost around $2-3k for materials alone not including any labor which could easily be around $10-15k.
I don't think that you would want to add any lead to the modern paint that we have today, It is a whole different chemical makeup.
Your precious government mandated that too.
It's great to see how people's life like her are being extended. 90 years old and still going strong. She reminds her of my grandmother. At 96 she was still active, driving around to see her twin brother who died a few months ago at 99. She would have lived to 100 but COVID got her 96 from a friend who also died as well. Just a month before the shots came out to the seniors first. Hopefully she will make to 100.
HAHA!! Awesome! Great to see that Mimi is the type who finds what she wants and sticks with it (husband, VW, etc.). I was quite surprised that the wheels were new '70s... Fun, fun stuff!!! Many more years of enjoying life, Mimi!
Mimi is a national treasure!
What an amazing story! We need to see more stories like this!
What a great video. I'm 52 and my parents bought a 1971 Super Beetle when I was born. It looked exactly like Mimi's, same color and everything. I grew up in that car and have so many memories. I remember my mom getting ours repainted at some point too.
WOW that's so rad ! Mimi is the real deal. What a great lady. She's classy and a VW queen.
A beautiful story about an incredible Lady and her amazing car. Both are absolute gems!
Sure is an incredible story mimi she loves her beetle has given her many years of service 400 thousand miles and so well cared for you can see its her baby amazing story
She seems like a busy woman. Adorable
Super cool to be the original owner, what a lovely woman too. I'd read a full feature on that bug and Mimi's stories about her adventures driving it!
Great idea - yea a little sit down feature. She must have some old vacation pics and around Capo!
What a fantastic story and what a lovely lady!
"I drive it with love". Very well said. As a VW Bug owner myself, I say this is the only way they should be driven.
Congratulations, Mimi and Lovey.
And I bet she is a better driver than most! She said she looks around which clearly most people don't do!
I had a friend that had one but he drive like he stole it. fun times!
thats zeçtkrete toó ljbge kzst cars dtve kikevyiú kivé
I love Mimi. She is a lovely, sweet, humbled, amazing… lady. She looks like she is in her 70s. I wish her the very best of health and happiness. God bless her! Btw I drive a VW but a golf 7 R. I also hope I can spend many more years together.
I'm in awe of Mimi, she truly is the GOAT VW owner.
Someone might need to explain GOAT but yes she is! Good human! ✨
Congrats to Mimi and the reporter who was very respectfull with this lovely women and her bug!!!!!!!
Great interview Eddy! THANK YOU! Meeting Mimi was definitely the highlight of the day for me on Sunday!
Me too!!! Absolute pleasure!!
Wow what a beautiful story, she is so kind and has taken amazing amazing care of her car! very inspiring😊
What a delightful interview with such a sweet lady! She is adorable and so is her beloved 1970 Beetle! It is a pure joy to see someone take meticulous care of her car for all those years. May she be blessed with many more years of life and joy with her Beetle. 😊🚗❤
Awesome story about an awesome lady with an awesome car! Take care of your car and it will take care of you. Definitely something for the younger generation to aspire to.
I have a feeling that owning this bug has in part kept her so healthy and glowing all these years.. ❤
Hats off to Mimi.. ❤
Mimi is also in wonderful condition for 90 years old ❤
Mimi's left foot is smooth as butter.
Mimi is actually cooler than her beetle (which is also cool). I pray that she has peace after loosing her husband. What an awesome lady!
Losing, not loosing
Yes, you are correct. It is losing.
Typo…
Mimi is the coolest grandma ❤
I've Been A Mechanic Since 1973. I Worked For Volkswagen And Audi Dealers For 33 Years. I Loved Working On The Old Air Cooled Vw's. I knew Those Cars inside And Out. Still Have All The Special Tools For Servicing And Repairing Them.
When your grandma is cooler than you'll ever be.
I love how she talks about her late husband, true love 💕 and she is such a sweetheart.
Fantastic story 🥰👏👏
She deserves to be on Jay Leno 😉👍✌️
This indeed is a perfect Jay Leno story. Original and unrestored with the original owner! 👍
That’s right!
There's NO WAY that that lady acts like a 90 year old let all ne LOOKS 90!
That lady looks and sounds totally amazing
Lisa UK xx
This dear lady is a true “old school” gem!!! ❤️
Wow, what a story, what a car and what a lady. Driven with love. My dad owned one here in Kenya, a green Beatle, left hand drive too. We keep right here. Great memories evoked! Thanks
What an amazing story. It should have been front and center in the showroom for the show! It always impresses me how some people can be so consistent with keeping paperwork throughout the ownership of a car. I literally have 0 receipts for any work I've done on any of my cars. Haha.
For real, I try to be that person. In the end, I end up with a pile of papers that either get lost, or I toss them out.
She just humbly drives it with care. We could all learn from her lol.
Can't beat the sound of a Bug starting up! They're so much fun to drive. She's awesome.
God bless Mimi and her VW Beetle!
Makes me feel so old...1970 feels like last week.
Hi from 🇨🇦 Mimi - what a great story about your VW. Wishing you many more happy miles 👋
I’m 59 now. Originally from Germany, I was a apprentice for VW/Audi from September 1979 to May 1982. I actually do miss the simplicity of this Volkswagen. No hassle with electronic or sensors. Just start and drive. The engine was taken out of the body in 30 minutes. Now these days, mechanics need a couple hours on some cars to replace the spark plugs. And I am not starting with electric problems….. Love the old Volkswagen cars!
What an amazing story and person!
Sometimes it is nice to see good in this world. And this at the top. Love her and how she adores her baby Beetle and treats as family because that is what they are.
What a great story! I love to see amazing Cal Look cars and beautiful restorations but I hope this car and Mimi make it into an upcoming issue. It would be a treasured issue in my collection. Thanks Shin and Eddy.👍🙏
Yes omg she deserves a feature. What a perfect model of a humble and amazing VW owner.
We need her now more than ever! ✨
Mimi, such a lovely woman and such a prized VW. Thank You for sharing and may your life be full!
Loved this story..so sweet
What a lovely charming lady, and I am sure that Lovey loves Mimi as much as Mimi loves Lovey.
What a sweet story. My first car ever was also a 70 VW Beetle and the exact same color as this one. Absolutely regret letting her go.
I learned to drive using a beetle when I was only 16 now 37 I tried this mini manual 2005 and I’m loving it . These cars are so fun to drive it’s not fast but who needs fast if your cruising in small coastal towns in California, every time I use it I feel like back in 70s 80s 90s . Classic ❤️
This made my day!😀
This is just such a sweet story! You can see the love in her eyes.
I know how she feels. Love her.
I own a 2 owner 71. And love this bug. It’s like another family member. Great video. ❤
What a great story and great lady ! I hope when she is done driving that it goes to the dealership where she bought it.
This reminds me so much of my own grandma. She's in her 70s and has been driving beetles ever since the 1960s, and owns one to this day. The original owner of the one she has now was a neighbor's and has gone through a few motors, but still runs like a champ and she won't give it up for anything.
Top shelf story guys!❤️👍🙏🙏
She is so damn sweet!! I wish I could give her a hug. God Bless that woman.
Love to see People who care for their stuff...Way to go Mimi great car great person.
What an amazing story and an amazing original car
What a great video Mimi’s a star 90 years young. I love people that keep there cars for many years and take care of them.
90 she looks 60 best of luck to her and her Bug.
Grant, Perth Western Australia
This car was built on a Friday. The people that assembled it were very happy.
Fantastic story; what a beautiful woman and her beloved VW.
Can you imagine anyone being proud of any car made today, decades later?
Those beetles became part of your soul!....A friend!
One day in the future, antiques won't be special anymore. in 2100, do you think something made in the year 2000 will be cherished and restored a hundred later in the year 2100? Will it even make it that far?
I love everything about this car,the color,the wheels,the interior,the sound of the motor,so cool!.I love that she hung onto it all these years too.John Guinto
This is the cutest woman I have ever seen. I wish she was my aunt or grandma. Such a beautiful soul
Shes a treasure. The stories she must have!
Mimi is amazing and precious. 💖 This is such a great story and testimony for living well. Thank you for bringing Mimi and her Bug story to us.
What an inspiration this sweet Lady is. I only hope I can function as well as her at 90 years of age. She's sharp as a tack and still in love with lovie! What a cool VW.
Reminds me of my neighbor back in the late 1970s. She had a 1951 Split Window VW Bug that she bought new.
She litterally only drive it 2 miles a day to her job. 5 days a week. Garage kept - mint condition. Light blue / white interior
Yes... Truly admire this wonderful 90yr old lady... Wow!... She is still mentally and physically great... Would love to know her daily routine to stay young and alive!! WOW!!!
I was born in 1970 and that beetle is in better shape than I am 😳 Amazing
You go Mimi!! That is so awesome!
My grandmother drove to 96 and was just sharp God bless her❤😊
So touched. I too wish her many more miles and happiness
The love of her Bug has kept her youthful
You cannot argue with classics, both, cars and people.