Driven by passion: RACQ member and her beloved ’56 VW Beetle

You don’t have to look hard to identify Ashleigh Smith’s passion.

It’s right there in her ‘missvdub’ email signature. It’s also positioned in the middle of her yard as “garden art,” in the form of a weathered ’72 bay window Kombi with a fake skeleton at the wheel. And it’s there in her shed, where a 2013 New Beetle daily driver is parked alongside a 1963 single-cab split-screen Kombi ute.

But the real apple of Ash’s eye is Gracie – her beloved ’56 oval-window Volkswagen Beetle. The car is also the catalyst for how we first came to meet Ash at RACQ Motorfest.

Despite her vintage, Gracie is no “trailer queen.” Ash is more than happy to point her nose down the highway from her Sunshine Coast hinterland home for the annual classic car gathering, where the rare Beetle draws plenty of admiring fans.

Growing up with Volkswagen in Perth

Like all good tales, the story of Ash, Gracie, and her passion for Volkswagens begins in a faraway place – Perth, where Ash grew up as the daughter of two equally passionate Volkswagen enthusiasts.

“It’s in my DNA,” she said.
“I definitely get it from my parents, but mostly my mother. I pretty much grew up in a Volkswagen.”

“The only way she could get me to sleep as a baby was to put me in a baby seat in the back of her little pink convertible Beetle and drive me around the block until I fell asleep.”

Life on the Sunshine Coast and FIFO work

Ash moved to Queensland in 2007, following her work as a health and safety advisor in the oil and gas industry. Today, she works FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) between Chinchilla and Roma.

She lives for her downtime back on the Sunshine Coast, where Ash and Gracie are a regular sight on hinterland roads.

Why the 1956 oval-window Beetle is special

When asked what makes the ’56 Beetle so special, Ash pauses before answering.

“It’s the refinement and simplicity at the same time,” she said.

“They’re so simple and sleek. People often refer to them as ‘the poor man’s Porsche 356.’”
“As Beetles got older and safer, they also got chunkier and fatter, whereas the early-model Beetles have lovely curves and proportions.”

Classic Volkswagen Beetles as collectors’ cars

While the Volkswagen Beetle was originally designed as an affordable people’s car, early models – like Ash’s – along with their closely related Kombi counterparts, now command significant value among collectors.

“They’re absolutely appreciating in value,” Ash said.

“But the earlier model Beetles are more sought after, and the oval window models are probably among the most desirable.”

“I wouldn’t say they’re rare, but they can be a bit harder to come by, as people tend to hold onto them.”

“When they come on the market, they sell quite well because they’re a favourite among Volkswagen lovers.”

Restoring Gracie: From parts car to showpiece

Ash’s car came from a fellow VW enthusiast and friend who had purchased two oval Beetles for a restoration project. The car that would become Gracie was originally intended as a parts donor.

At the time, it was in rough condition. A previous owner had cut it up to create a Baja-style off-road Beetle, leaving Ash with extensive welding and panel work to restore it to the pristine condition it enjoys today.

It was ultimately the car’s graceful lines that inspired its name.

“To me, she seems to have a lot of grace – everything about her is so graceful, her lines,” Ash said.

“She’s also an absolute pleasure to drive, and I wanted something with an older, classy name. Gracie sort of embodied everything she is.”

Driving a classic Volkswagen Beetle today

“I’m not afraid to drive her, either. I’ve happily taken her all the way to Valla Beach in New South Wales for the Volkswagen Spectacular held there every two years, and then driven her back to the Sunshine Coast.”

While Gracie is a capable open-road cruiser, Ash admits she shares a common trait with many older air-cooled Volkswagens, she’s not particularly fond of hills.

“She has the 36-horsepower engine with the Okrasa dual carb kit and a Vintage Speed Abarth exhaust, so she’s got a little more poke,” Ash said.

“But obviously hills are a weakness. She’ll comfortably sit on 100 or 110km/h, but because she has an older engine and I don’t want to push her, I’ll usually cruise at around 90 on the highway and just enjoy the drive.”

“But she drives beautifully, she sounds great, and even though she sits a bit low, she has wonderfully sprung seats that almost act like suspension.”

“Gracie was built to be enjoyed and that’s exactly what I do with her.”