90 years old Mimi's daily driver: 1970 Beetle! She has owned it since it was brand new!
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2023
- 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! 
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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!
I'm 75. This Lady has 15 years on me and is twice as sharp as me! God Bless her. And her VW.
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 😊
NEVER would have thought 90...wow. the car doesn't look it's age either. Well done Mimi
A paint job would be refreshing and enhance it's looks.
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
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!
Only car? Dang it... Imagine the money she saved all these years... HUGE RESPECT GRANDMA!
Only possible in California. That thing wouldn't have lasted five years in Wisconsin.
@@SergeantExtreme Still quite a few originals in Phoenix, AZ where I'm from. Many 50s cars were still in daily use into the 70s & 80s until other drivers became more reckless and road rage later entered the picture.
@@muffs55mercury61 Here in the Midwest, it doesn't matter how careful you drive. There's a reason they call us the "Rust Belt". 2023 models already have rust on them, and they're not even a year old!
Nothing stops the onslaught of salt.
@@SergeantExtreme Yes I know as I lived in Ohio for a little more than ten years (late '02 to early '13) and the steel they use now is so thin. Guy I knew bought a new "03 Chevy S-10. Started to rust by '07 and by 2010 things like the body mounts were starting to break due to rust. In the junkyard after just seven years. I've seen some videos showing frame rust out. Some are likely driving riding coffins on those roads.
The assault of salt
Tears in my eyes watching this, what an incredible story and what a sharp, young lady! God bless her heart.
Mimi is a wonder... And sharp as a whip
@@auroraborealis5565 neither is the one who posted this 😀😅😁
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.
53, (years) wasn't that Herbie's No. in the movies?. This woman's a national treasure. Volkswagen should get in touch.
Whenever the day comes when Ms. Mimi is gone (and looking at how vivacious she is, hopefully thats not for a long time) her car needs to go in a museum and be named after her.
What a sweet young lady! So humble and inspirational. God bless her 😇
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.
She is the sweetest, loveliest woman I have seen on this platform...ever. Her beetle is a dream!
She’s the definition of young spirit I love her aura ♥️
Absolutely amazing! Mimi is incredible and Lovey is a dream machine. Thank you for capturing this story and sharing the car with us!
This lady is amazing!
Wished i had a granny myself like her.
She is charismatic, young and a great example for young people today. Such an inspiration! ❤️
Yep how fun would it be to ride shotgun with your Grandma shifting away in a classic Bug!
I love Mimi … her attitude and love of her special car resonates with so many of us. She’s proof that with proper care, a car can look amazing for many years!!
I like the way these old mums cherished their husbands, unlike today, she can't forget my husband.
Little did she know at the time that this wonderful car would become her fountain of youth. What a special bond these two have.
Did you note that she had the engine "rebuilt" so the car's heart was not transplanted, it was repaired.
@@mikejohn0088 Great observation!
So true
Great story! When cars were made to last! She sets an example about non having to change car every so many years! She is loyal to her car.
In all honesty, the Bug was not meant to last. It was built to be affordable basic transportation. This one still exists because the owner did all of the things that were needed to keep it in as-new condition.
Beetle’s definitely weren’t made to last! They were quite awful in many ways. She just took amazing care of it.
Not quite.... all vehicles in the southern US will always last forever since they are not in the rust belt. Meaning, if you have the means and ways of fixing it mechanically and avoid crashes and fires and are so inclined otherwise, *any* vehicle can be made to last this long or more.
When cars were made to last? Lmao.
@@canuckfixit7722It was madeto last much longer than other cars! We must recognise it. At that time cars were rusting much faster. Also the mechanics was very solid. The cooling system was unbeetable😉 The 1966 from my mother lasted 13 years in Belgium with salt on the roads every year... compare it to an Italian car...
Man, time sure gets going in a hurry. 1969 was 54 years ago. This means Mimi was 36 or 37 years old when they bought this car. 1970 just doesn't feel that long ago.
I was thinking the same thing! I'm 62 and was still learning to ride a bicycle when she took delivery of this car!
Yeah 1970 was a long time ago. In 1970 people were saying damm 1916 wasn't that long ago 🤣 puts it into perspective doesn't it
@@user-fn2cm2ow4n landed on the moon ?? Debatable
In 1970 I was entering the military and my body is telling me that was a long, long time ago.
I hear you we met a neighbor when she was 70 and she passed recently at 100 years old. She reminds me of our neighbor friend. She is was amazing too and didn't slow down until she was 95. Loved her like a grandmother.
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:)
Mimi is a national treasure!
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.
2 gems on camera! What a lovely woman and a great story. Mimi made me smile and warmed my heart.
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
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 ,
A dear dear sweetheart driving a VDub sweetheart! Thank you for this touching interview!
Our family had the beetle, bus and station wagon. After I was born in 1967 I came home in a 1966 VW bus. This lady is amazing!!!!!
what a precious woman. i hope she lives another 90 years.
Mentally This woman is sharp as they come. I love this story.
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.
Love it. Both the beetle and the lady ARE IN TOP SHAPE.
Imagine being 90 and having that mental clarity, eye sight, movement, etc. Amazing! And that bug with 500k is like the car equivalent of her, you couldn't believe it has so many miles 👏
…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.
❤
Bless Mimi'what a loverly lady and her love for the VW Bug
She's 90? Wow, amazing strength - both mentally and physically.
She seems like a busy woman. Adorable
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.
She is so sweet!
Whoever gets this car after Mimi better take care of it like she did in honor of this wonderful woman.
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!
What a character! The love Mimi has for her Beetle is clear for everyone to see. Lets hope they both enjoy a few more years together.....well done Mimi! ❤😎
She was right about driving it within it's limits, my parents took 2 trips in their 1960 bus, once to Canada and one time to Yellowstone, thats when the national speed limit was 55 , perfect speed for VW'S.
old european standars are like 70,80, 90 kmt on highway. 90=55 (55,9) for the mentals
My mom had a Beetle, we both drove it like we stole it. Nobody ever believes me that its top speed was 85 mph. I once got a ticket doing 80 back when the speed limit was 55. If you check the forums driving at 75-80 mph isn’t uncommon on later year models.
@@LuckyCharms777 our shop rebuilt lots of engines in the 70's, and after seeing the damage, I didn't want to rebuild mine all the time, I built an 1835 and it ran forever, and had the " Git up and go" when I needed it!
@@donaldbrittsan984
Nice. She had a good mechanic, but it never needed a rebuild that I knew of.
Hey correction, I owned two VW busses[I must have been nuts} 55mph is on LEVEL ground. Try ANY hill and its '5.5' mph
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!
"I just take my time..." What a sweet lady. The world needs a lot more drivers like her on the road, and off the road, too. It would be a much nicer place.
Mimi's left foot is smooth as butter.
I love the way gramma's bug has wide alloy wheels in the back.
The older generations are so classy. She literally oozes class
You should do a long interview on this woman. Even if it's only a small audience.
She's got some secrets to happiness.
"I drive it with Love"...!
What an amazing story! We need to see more stories like this!
She is amazing. Making the present age 90 the new 65. Obviously she has lived a good life and in a positive way of thinking. And her being cool having the mag wheels on the car. All I can say is what a gal .
There was a neighborhood couple when I was growing up who also bought only one new car, a '55 Chevy BelAir. His employer gave him a company car to drive from 1962 til retirement. When I last saw them in 1996 the BelAir had 23,000 original miles on it. It was not for sale.
Congrats to Mimi and the reporter who was very respectfull with this lovely women and her bug!!!!!!!
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!
what an amazing story!
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.
Makes me feel so old...1970 feels like last week.
Now THAT is sustainable!
Now Mimi's got 50.3k more people interested in buying her car, awsome to say the least 😊👍😁
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.
Kinda hope the dealership owner buys it and puts it in the showroom with all its documentation and a picture of Mimi.
It needs to be preserved now and not run the risk of being out on the road and involved in an accident.
God bless her
WOW that's so rad ! Mimi is the real deal. What a great lady. She's classy and a VW queen.
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.
Mimi is the coolest grandma ❤
What a wonderful woman. She sounds and looks 20 years younger than she is! A real glint in her eye too
Just being cognizant, and still driving at her age, impressive in their own rights.
Got bless this Lady. She took good care of that Car by the looks of it. I have 5 of these beautiful car and loved every one of them. My 1970 was Red and I traded it for a VW camper Pop Top. I have the best times of my life in that camper and had three more after than one. The Germans make one hell of a car when the make that one. I would give anything to have some of mine back again.
who would have thought back in the day that prices for bugs would skyrocket like that
Shes a treasure. The stories she must have!
I like the mags on Mimi's car. Nice touch.
What a sweet lady. It's cool that she's had this car for 53 years. I love the original Bugs.
im only 5 years into the car i will own for the rest of my life.
Bugs
My grandmother drove to 96 and was just sharp God bless her❤😊
This made my day!😀
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
This lady is a gem - her personality makes me wanna come over with some ice tea and listen to her
I love how she talks about her late husband, true love 💕 and she is such a sweetheart.
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! ✨
What an incredible story, much health and miles to Mimi! Greetings from Brazil
You cannot argue with classics, both, cars and people.
What a super sweet and classy lady! Young people can learn from women like her.
Mimi is also in wonderful condition for 90 years old ❤
bless her heart we love you gma dub
Please do an article on her and the bug, I think she deserves a front page issue. My first car is a 70 bug that I’ve had for 17 years and people like Mimi are the reason I’ll never sell mine.
Never sell it. If you do, you’ll eventually regret it. Always keep some spare cash saved to keep it running. Most cars get parked because people can’t afford to fix them, then next thing you know, years have gone by and it’s in worse condition than it was when it was originally parked.
Yes hopefully they do a cool little feature! Put a 1970 picture on the cover! She was probably a cutie and a looker in that Bug with mag wheels ha.
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.
What a lovely charming lady, and I am sure that Lovey loves Mimi as much as Mimi loves Lovey.
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!
God bless Mimi and her VW Beetle!
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.
What great story and what a great lady!! Looks fantastic for 90, and the car looks amazing for 53!!
Great interview Eddy! THANK YOU! Meeting Mimi was definitely the highlight of the day for me on Sunday!
Me too!!! Absolute pleasure!!
This is not a car story. It is a life story. No matter what it`s about, it is beautiful. It just so happen I love that car but with that lovely Girl it is so much better. ❤❤❤
What a great story! I just think it’s a hugely missed opportunity to not ask her about her favorite memory with this car..
Loved this story..so sweet
90 years old and still driving. Best wishes madam.
SHE FITS "IF IT IS NOT BROKEN DO NOT FIX IT" LOVE FROM DENMARK
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
Dub on Mimi! ... that car is mint ... what a beauty .... she's so cool ...
This is the best video I've seen on RUclips. What a wonderful lady still enjoy life.
If she'd have said 70 years old, I wouldn't have questioned it. Amazing!