The owner of a car dealership and autobody shop in Export, Pennsylvania, promises to preserve a historic landmark after moving his business to a new location on Route 66, according to a Trib LIVE article.
The Volkswagen “bug on a pole” on Route 66 has been a local landmark for over 50 years. Now, it marks the new entrance to his business.
“It’s an icon,” said Michael Pampena, the owner of Murrysville Auto Sales and 66 Custom & Collision. “Everyone knows the bug.”
Not only has Pampena already incorporated the VW Beetle into his new business cards and website, but he also intends to keep it in good shape.
“We have new bumpers, and we’ll probably redo it in a year or so,” he said.
Created in 1970 by Ed Britz, the original owner of Excel Auto Body, the elevated car is actually fashioned from two front ends welded together. It was restored in 1980 shortly after Al Furney of Delmont bought the shop. In 1994, Furney and shop workers collected parts to build a replacement.
The only time the car has been off the pole in the past half-century was between 2010 and 2013, when what was supposed to be a quick round of maintenance turned into a nearly three-year hiatus.
