Western Motors Galway is preparing to celebrate a very special birthday this September – and the guest of honour has four wheels, an unmistakable shape and 50 years of motoring history behind it.
The dealership’s beautifully preserved 1976 Volkswagen Beetle, officially turns 50 years old on October 1, 2026, and Western Motors is marking the milestone a few weeks early with a special Beetle Happy Birthday Party at its Ballybrit dealership this Saturday, September 12 from 12pm to 4pm.
Finished in its distinctive red-orange colour, the Beetle will take centre stage for what promises to be a colourful and nostalgic celebration.
And it certainly won’t be the only Beetle at the party.
A passion for Volkswagen heritage
Over the years, Western Motors has built up its own Volkswagen Heritage Collection, reflecting the group’s long-standing connection with and enthusiasm for the Volkswagen brand. The collection includes an extensive range of Volkswagen Golfs spanning the generations, from the original Mk1 onwards, along with a number of other significant Volkswagen models.
For the Beetle’s 50th birthday celebration in Galway, the Volkswagen XL1 will also be on display, bringing together two fascinating and very different chapters in Volkswagen history – the iconic character and simplicity of the 50-year-old Beetle alongside the pioneering design and technology of the XL1.
The Beetle itself also holds a particularly special place in Irish motoring history. Ireland became the first country outside Germany to assemble Volkswagen Beetles, with the first Irish-assembled Beetle produced in Dublin in 1950.
That heritage has particular resonance for Western Motors. The family-owned business has been part of the Galway motoring community for more than 60 years and has enjoyed a relationship with Volkswagen stretching back more than four decades.
For generations of Irish motorists, the Beetle was more than simply a car. For some it was their first car, for others the family car, the car they learned to drive in or simply a familiar sight on Irish roads. Decades later, it remains a car capable of raising a smile and bringing back memories.
That sense of nostalgia, combined with Western Motors’ enthusiasm for preserving Volkswagen heritage, is at the heart of the September celebration.
And while there will be plenty of Beetles competing for attention in Ballybrit on the day, there will be no doubt about which one is the guest of honour.
Happy 50th Birthday, to Western Motors’ Heritage Beetle.
