Despite the challenges, Akol was determined to restore the Volkswagen to its original condition. PHOTO/EDGAR R. BATTE
While working at her big brother's furniture workshop in Bukoto, Deborah Akol met a gentleman who was passing by in a Datsun. She complimented him on his amazing car, and they struck up a conversation.
Akol expressed her desire to own a vintage car like his. He inquired about the specific car she had in mind, and although she could not recall the name, she described it as resembling a frog.
Akol had her heart set on a Volkswagen Beetle, and the gentleman mentioned that he knew someone who was selling one. He facilitated the connection, and after much negotiation and persuasion, Akol acquired the vehicle.
"It felt like I was proposing to this guy," she reminisces.
She persistently messaged the seller, expressing her passion for the car and her commitment to getting it back on the road. Her dedication, coupled with her passion and age, worked in her favour, as the seller was impressed and more willing to part with the car.
Restoration
The car was in poor condition, with a rusty and decaying interior, a malfunctioning engine, and a faulty gearbox. Akol embarked on a journey to restore the car, during which she gained valuable knowledge.
Reflecting on the experience, Akol acknowledges, "If I had the technical knowledge I have now, I would not have purchased that car. My ignorance led me to buy it, despite its poor condition. With the money I spent on refurbishing the car, I could have bought a vehicle in much better shape."
Despite the challenges, Akol was determined to restore the Volkswagen to its original condition. She sourced parts from the United States, United Kingdom, and Kenya, and managed the restoration expenses in instalments to alleviate the financial burden.
“Then, I was not at all knowledgeable about vehicles and that is the worst place to be. With old cars, you use various people, not only one; someone good at the engine may not be good at the body workings, then the gearbox is different but restoration of a car is the worst thing. It took me a full year to restore it,” Akol reveals.
Second Beetle
Now, Akol has two Volkswagen cars. For the second vehicle, things were better because she knew more about the car.
“I learnt that the more experience you have, the better. To cut the costs, I had to repair the interior myself. Everyone was exaggerating it and no one would do it perfectly. What I always tell people who want to do restoration projects is that it is better to buy a car on the road than one which is parked,” she says.
But as singer Rod Stewart put it, The First Cut is theDeepest, Akol carries fond memories from her first Volkswagen.
“The first car brought me a lot of things to learn and to me, that is a life lesson. When I look at this vehicle, it tells me how far I have come and how far I can go if I decide to do something. The joy I get is that whenever this vehicle goes on the road, it brings joy to many people, including the young and old,” Akol says.
She adds, “In life when you meet something, however damaged it may be, if you decide to make it work, it will work again. Restoration is possible.”
The perks
Today, people approach her to hire her for different occasions. She runs it as a business, renting out the two vintage cars to those who would like to be driven in them at their weddings, birthdays, music video shoots, and the like. When Akol started the hiring business, there was stigma attached to it. People who like vehicles also fear them because they think old vehicles are unreliable.
“So, I decided that when you hire my vehicle, you can expect the driver to be in uniform, and we provide a red carpet at the entrance and exit, as well as an umbrella,” she explains. She was inspired to add a glamorous component after watching and appreciating the way film stars did it.
She adds, “We have customised experiences for customers. For example, an old couple will be assigned an older person of their age to drive them. These are small matters, but they matter. What I realised is that we do not sell the vehicles, but we sell the experience.”
ABOUT THE BEETLE
On February 17, 1972, the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle was produced in Wolfsburg, Germany, surpassing the production record that had previously only been held by the Ford Model T. In celebration of that record-breaking achievement, Volkswagen released the commemorative World Champion special edition, which was sold through March of that year. Today, we salute the humble “Bug” and the legacy that it built as one of history’s most significant automobiles.
The Volkswagen, which remains her dream car, is 1.5cc, though she observes that with age, some of its original design and working mechanisms have changed.
