The kotseng kuba has been around for as long as many of us can remember. It was one of the O.G. quirky econoboxes from decades past. Its novelty remains to this day, and it’s no surprise a lot of owners have held on to their Beetles—heck, some of them still even drive their bugs regularly.
Case in point, Denn Dela Cruz Alano and his family’s old beater—a 1959 Volkswagen Beetle. Alano recently went viral on Facebook after sharing a couple of photos of himself, his father, and his brother beside the family’s Beetle parked in Bonifacio Global City, with the two photos taken 20 years apart. Man, there’s just something about old BGC photos, no?
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We reached out to Alano to learn the stories behind the photos. This car was bought by his father in 1995, who was by then already the fifth owner of this 1956 Oval Window Beetle. You can check out photos of the bug with its almost patina-like finish back in the ’90s throughout this article.
From 1995 to 1999, Alano’s father and uncle took the Beetle across numerous slalom courses. Not only did it still have the stock 36hp 1100 air-cooled engine, but at the time it was also doubling as Alano’s mom’s daily driver.
After that stint, the car was left in the garage for four years until it was restored to its current condition in 2003—the same year the old photo above was taken. A former DMG staff—that company was the local distributor of Volkswagen in the ’90s—was also the one who carried out the restoration. Since then, the Beetle has remained in good running condition.
“More than just a car, the bug represents our family’s love for all things old and mechanical, and above all, shared memories and technical knowhows that no other car can give,” Alano shared. “It’s a 67-year-old leaking and generator (non-alternator) classic, after all!”
More photos of the Alano family’s 1956 Volkswagen Beetle
