Benny Cook and his grandson KJ take the family’s Volkswagen Beetle for a spin. Benny was just 9 years old when he started working on the car with his dad.
Benny and Lisa Cook got welcome news Saturday night; their vintage 1966 Volkswagen Beetle that was stolen a day earlier was found.
“The sheriff’s department found it sitting. They called Benny to tell him,” says Lisa.
The car was discovered around Hollywood in Habersham County. Numerous people reported seeing it in that area on Friday just hours after it was stolen. Eyewitnesses described the occupants as two young-looking boys. It’s not clear at this time what led to the car’s discovery on Saturday, but it came within hours of the Cooks offering a reward and sharing their story on Now Habersham.
“Thank you to everybody that took the time to share the information and get the word out. We have our family member back!”
The car, which has been a part of Benny’s life since he was 9 years old, was stolen around 6:30 a.m. on October 4 from outside the couple’s home in the Forest Lane Subdivision in Cornelia.
“We were up and our lights were on. I heard it crank up and I immediately called 911,” says Lisa. “I could hear it leaving our subdivision.”
Not only was the family scared by the brazen act, they were heartbroken over the loss of a car that has such a storied past. “This is so much more than a car,” Lisa says, “it is a part of our family.”
Family reunion
Benny Cook and his late father, Carl, owned B and C Volkswagen in Alto. When this particular Volkswagen Beetle was new, its owners brought it to their shop for service and maintenance. “Benny worked on this car from the time he was 9 years old to his late 30s,” Lisa says.
When the car went up for sale at an auction 25 years ago, Benny and Lisa were there, ready and waiting with the highest bid. When Benny’s father retired in the early 90s, the couple opened up their own auto repair shop in Demorest. The VW Beetle went with them. They named their new business G&P Auto after their kids, Greg and Pam.
In between jobs working on other people’s cars, Benny found time to work on his own beloved Beetle. He devoted countless hours and invested lots of sweat and money into restoring it to its former glory. His restoration efforts sped up when Greg and Pam started having kids of their own. “He wanted to share a part of his life and his heart with them,” Lisa says of their grandchildren – KJ, Merrick, James, and Grace.
When the car was stolen, it was difficult on all of the grandkids; they grew up riding in it and grew to love it as their grandfather does. 15-year-old KJ worked with his grandfather at the auto shop over the summer and spent a lot of time working on the Beetle.
“This is not just a car, it is a part of Benny’s past and our family’s legacy,” Lisa says. “We are thrilled we got the car back!”
The VW Beetle was returned to the Cooks with a broken clutch pedal and missing antenna but other than that, Lisa says “it is in really great condition.” She says her family is surprised by the good shape the car is in and they are extremely grateful to the community that rallied to help them find it.
“People have been wonderful,” Lisa says. “Thank you to everybody that took the time to share the information and get the word out. We have our family member back!”
