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Air-cooled VW culture and women in classic car restoration. Restoring Volkswagen Beetles and the "Muth" Super Beetle...

“Every car tells a story, and those stories reveal exactly who we are.”

In this episode, Doug and Dave welcome professional corporate and lifestyle photographer Marla Aufmuth into the virtual garage. While Marla has documented landmark cultural events for brands like Nike and TED Talks, her heart belongs to the air-cooled Volkswagen community. 🏎️💨

Marla shares the history of "Muth"—the 1976 sunflower yellow Super Beetle convertible her father bought in Germany and shipped home nearly 50 years ago. Named after the German word for "strength" or "courage," the car became Marla’s classroom for life, where she mastered the clutch on the daunting hills of San Francisco. 🇩🇪✨

Inside This Episode:

📸 The VW Women Project: How Marla turned a pandemic hiatus into a mission to photograph and interview 40 women across 10 states to acknowledge their place in car culture.
🌻 Sensory Nostalgia: Why the smell of horsehair, vinyl, and a hint of gasoline serves as a sensory time machine for vintage VW owners.
🚐 Forbidden Fruit: Marla reveals her ultimate dream car: the European VW California—a hybrid "three-room" apartment on wheels that isn't available in the States.
🇯🇵 The 25-Year Rule: Dave explains how the 25-year cutoff allowed him to import his own Japanese Kei van and how others can do the same.
📐 Automotive Logistics: A hilarious debate on whether Marla's 6’3” husband can actually fit comfortably into a tiny Japanese Kei car.

Don't miss Marla's favorite episode with Guinevere from Freccia Brothers, The air-cooled auto specialists in the North East. https://buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/16886205

Our full conversation with @marlaaufmuth from @vwwomen is officially live! We’re talking about the "thrum" of an air-cooled engine and why Marla is skipping the ID Buzz for a hybrid VW California camper. 📸🇩🇪

From mastering San Francisco's hills to hearing about 28-bus restoration shops in Nevada, this episode is a deep dive into why we love the metal that shapes our lives. 🚐📐

🏁 Link in Bio to listen to the full episode!

While you’re there, check out our vault of 70+ episodes of the best car stories on the web! 🎙️🏎️

#ToAllTheCarsIveLovedBefore #CarsLovedPodcast #vwwomen #aircooled #vwbeetle #superbeetle #womenwhodrive #carphotography #muth #outnow #podcastlaunch

Whether you are a lifelong "VW person" or just love a story about the metal that shapes our lives, this episode is a love letter to heritage, community, and the courage to stay in the driver's seat. 🎙️🛠️

Connect with Marla:

Website: vwwomen.com 📸
Instagram: @marlaaufmuth 🌻

Binge the Library:

If you enjoyed the trip down memory lane today, please follow us and tell a friend. With 71 episodes in the vault, we have a garage full of stories waiting for you! 🚗💨

Listen to past episodes: buzzsprout.com/2316026/episod

*** Your Favorite Podcast Automotive Nostalgia Podcast ***

Connect with us:

📧 Email: stories@carsloved.com

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