We recently received this Success Story penned by BaT member Jinxi, who shared a heartfelt update on the 1959 Volkswagen Beetle she purchased from Race Car Resurrections during a June 2025 BaT auction.
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When I was 16 years old and living in Southern California, my dad worked as a pharmaceutical salesman whose territory stretched all the way up to the Mammoth Lakes area. One day in 1986, during one of his long drives through Bishop, California, he spotted a restored white 1969 Volkswagen Beetle parked with a “For Sale” sign in the window.
The car was only 17 years old at the time, but to us, it was pure magic. My dad pulled over, spoke with the young man who had lovingly restored it, and bought the car for $3,000. That weekend, we drove back up to Bishop to pick it up — and my life changed.
Up until then, I had been borrowing my mom’s car whenever I could, but this was mine. A real Volkswagen Beetle. There was only one catch: I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. My dad gave me a 20-minute crash course on a quiet road in Bishop, and then we hit the road back home to Riverside, California — a roughly 300-mile drive I will never forget.
Despite Dad’s optimism, I stalled at every stop sign in every small town and panicked at every red light. But by the time we made it home, I had learned to love the hum, the clunk, and the feel of that car.
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That little white Bug (which was later painted midnight blue) saw me through some of the best years of my life. I drove it to school, to swimming practice, and into LA and Orange County for concerts. It was my freedom and my identity.
It followed me to college in Utah and back to California. The Bug even stayed with me into my early 20s when I worked at Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, where I met my husband. We got married in 1991, and the Bug was with us for a while after that, despite two engine fires and countless repairs.
Eventually, we had to let it go. We sold it to a teenager who, heartbreakingly, didn’t take care of it like we did. The loss of that car has stayed with me ever since.
Like so many Volkswagen Beetle owners I know, seeing one in the wild brings back a rush of memories — of first loves, first drives, and the freedom of the road.
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Over the years, my husband and I have stayed connected to that love of classic cars. While we now drive and rally Porsches, our nostalgia for the Bug never quite faded.
Part of that enduring fondness has been fueled by my brother-in-law, Ryan, who has owned and loved many Volkswagens throughout the years. Watching him work on them, attend shows, and find so much joy in the VW community has been inspiring. It reminded us of what we once had and fueled our hope to return to it someday.
We had been browsing Bring a Trailer often but never pulled the trigger — that is, until we saw her: Sweet Pea.
She was a 1959 Volkswagen Beetle in the most enchanting color — soft and whimsical, just like her name. The write-up was warm and full of love, and there was a palpable energy around the car that I couldn’t shake.
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My husband was away at the Porsche Safari Rally in our 2004 Cayenne the week of the auction, completely unaware that I had been quietly watching Sweet Pea.
That Monday morning, I arrived early at my therapy office and just couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was still within the budget I had set for myself, and something in my gut said, “Go for it.” My heart was pounding.
I had a client session starting soon, but I placed a bid. And somehow, I won.
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That’s when we met Chip at Race Car Resurrections, who was selling the car on behalf of the late Betsy Harrison’s family. It turned out Sweet Pea had been lovingly restored by Betsy, an extraordinary woman whose story painted a vivid picture of someone who lived with fierce creativity, deep love, and passionate individuality.
She wasn’t just a car enthusiast — she was an artist, an adventurer, a joyful rebel.
It was clear that Sweet Pea was more than a car — she was an extension of Betsy’s beautiful, vibrant spirit. And now, somehow, I had been chosen to carry that legacy forward.
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When the car arrived, along with the paperwork from Betsy’s family, it felt like opening a time capsule filled with love.
Tucked among the documents was a program from her celebration of life — featuring the phrase, “I came to this world to live out loud.”
As soon as I read it, I felt chills. It was clear that Betsy had poured her heart and spirit into Sweet Pea. Every detail reflected her care, creativity, and joy.
It felt less like receiving a car and more like being entrusted with a living piece of her legacy — one that had found its way to someone who truly understood what it meant.
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Today, Sweet Pea lives with us in Eugene, Oregon, and she brings joy wherever she goes.
Whether we’re out on a Sunday drive, parked outside our workplaces, or just heading to grab coffee, people stop us to wave, take photos, or give a thumbs-up — smiling like they’ve just seen an old friend.
And, in a way, they have.
Owning Sweet Pea has connected me back to my 16-year-old self, back in Bishop, California, and that first long, stalling drive home to Riverside. It reminds me of falling in love with my husband, being broke college kids trying to keep a dream alive, and seeing the past restored with grace and care by someone like Betsy, who understood how meaningful these machines really are.
Some cars get you from place to place. Others carry you through time.
Sweet Pea is the kind of car that does both. And for that, I’m endlessly grateful.
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It certainly seems like Sweet Pea is in good and empathetic hands. Thanks for writing so eloquently, Jinxi!
If you have a Success Story about a car you’ve bought or sold on BaT, please send a few lines and pictures (or a video) to [email protected]. When your story posts to the site, we’ll send you a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store.
https://bringatrailer.com/2025/11/05/bat-auction-success-story-a-new-home-for-sweet-pea/