VW Owner Takes the Long Way Home from the Netherlands to the USA

An American teacher who bought a VW Golf Cabriolet in Europe nearly 40 years ago has finally headed home with her pride and joy.

Charlene Johnson ordered her car in 1987 under VW’s Tourist Automobile Shipping Program, which allowed buyers to pick up their car in Europe, take a road trip and then have it shipped back to the USA. For most users of the scheme it’s the opportunity to see where their car was built and take European holiday for a few weeks. Several manufacturers such as Volvo, Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari still offer the service today.

However, Johnson ended up staying in the Netherlands until she retired and VW had long-discontinued its own program. The Golf had been such an important part of her life that she really wanted to bring it back to America. "We went to our wedding in the Cabriolet,” she said. “I taught my kids how to drive in it. We traveled all over Europe, and it's become a part of the family. I never imagined keeping the car for 37 years, but I just fell in love with it." She road tripped all over Europe, visiting almost every country on the continent – a far cry from what VW originally had in mind.

Luckily she still had all the paperwork and contacted VW of America, who agreed to ship the car across the Atlantic to Houston, Texas and then onwards to Johnson’s Montana home. It was “a one in a million” story said Mark Gillies, Director of Public Relations and Reputation for VW of America.

Check out the video below to hear Johnson’s story in her own words.