“My parents had a Fiat 600,” recalls enthusiast Jim Krier, “but when they bought their brand-new Volkswagen Beetle back in 1965, I knew it was another world.
“It awakened in my younger self a path to follow. As soon as I could afford it, in 1982, I bought my first VW in very secondhand condition.”
Over the ensuing years, Jim, a primary school teacher – now retired, and hardly able to believe that one of his former four-year-old pupils is now a NASCAR driver – bought, home-restored, swapped, sold and drove more than 20 Volkswagens in many forms, including vans and a Brazilian-built SP2 coupé, the latter one of 12 that remain in his collection.
Packed display cases are filled with toys and models
VW Beetles inevitably dominate, fronting display cases packed with his father’s 1930s tin toys and his own preserved model cars from childhood, some still mint and boxed.
Rare Corgis, such as a lovely Ecurie Ecosse transporter, and Lesney products are packed in bumper-to-bumper. The little Schuco models earned Jim’s affection for their craftsmanship and attention to detail.
