'Look what I bought!'
Martin shows me a photo of an advertisement. An orange Volkswagen Beetle.
'What are you going to do with that?' I ask him.
'Drive it, of course! What else?'
'You don't even have a driving licence!' I tell him.
That was true. We were both 16, somewhere in the mid-eighties.
Secondary school in Arnhem.
I wasn't into mopeds.
And cars? I was still too young for that. Or so I thought.
Martin has bought a car. He'll show it to me this afternoon. After school I cycle home with Martin. But of course the car isn't at his house. That would only cause problems with his parents.
The car is kept at a gardener's place, on the edge of the forest. That way you don't have to go on the road, and you can just drive straight into the forest. Smart guy, that Martin!
And there it was, the orange Beetle gleaming in the sun. Well, gleaming. It had become quite dull.
Brown skai leather upholstery on the inside. I can still smell the scent of a well-worn '70s car.
Radio cassette player. Open roof.
Hey, the floor is partially open too. In some spots you can see straight through to the road. Clearly a car that was allowed on the road before the MOT existed.
'Shall we go for a little drive?' Martin asks. 'Great idea!'
We drive into the forest.
We just ignore the surprised looks from passers-by. We hope they don't call the police.
It was quite an experience, driving in a car with holes in both the top and the bottom. You also had to hold the front passenger door shut, otherwise it would fly open while driving. We'd call it an authentic experience nowadays.
The next day at school Martin comes straight to me. He'd got into incredible trouble when his little sister had told his parents at home that he'd bought a car.
Did I want to buy the car? The previous owner didn't want it back.
***
I bought my first car when I didn't have a driving licence yet.
An orange Volkswagen Beetle.
I paid fifty guilders.
What do you do with a Beetle when you're not yet legally allowed to drive it?
I knew a few boys who already had a driving licence.
I asked each of them whether they were interested in a special bargain.
An orange Volkswagen Beetle. 150 guilders, and it's yours!
That didn't work for 150, but that same day it did for 75 guilders. 50% profit on my first car!
I didn't get to enjoy my first car for long. But I've also never made so much profit on a single car since (as a percentage, that is). And my little sister had no chance to tell my parents at home that I'd bought a car…
By now I've bought a few more cars.
For myself, and also for Adrem Car Rental.
There were some terrible purchases among them, but also some real lucky finds.
Are you looking for a specific car in the Sittard region?
Feel free to let me know.
I'm happy to help you search. New or used, classic or sporty — anything goes.
You can fill in your details on this page: https://adremlimburg.nl/en/contact/
I look forward to hearing from you!
