My chat with Jan Brundage - Brumos, Porsche, and the VTO

[67 Florida Deluxe]

Many years ago I purchased my '65 Bahama Blue bug from Jan whose mother was the original owner. The sale was facilitated by a 3rd party, given logistical issues. I've always had a few questions about the car and today I spoke with Mr. Brundage and many were answered. Come to find out, his mom, the original owner, is still alive (103 years young!) The next time he speaks with her he will ask her a few more things about the history of this unique car.

As we chatted I picked up a lot of interesting information that some folks may already know, but he cleared up for me that Brundage Motors and BRUMOS were separate entities and not that Brundage Motors became BRUMOS. Brundage was VW and BRUMOS was Porsche, which Jan headed up starting in 1959. This revolved around my question about the "Brundage Motors Volkswagen Jacksonville, FL" license plate frame I had. I had been told that Brundage had become BRUMOS many years before so the "proper" frame would have been BRUMOS. Not so, given that they were two different entities - VW and Porsche, respectively. However, Jan told me that after his father passed away in late '64 those Brundage VW frames may have ceased being used. Since my car was delivered to Mrs. Brundage in October of '64, he concedes it may have had one but not likely on cars delivered after early 1965. He said the BRUMOS Porsche license plate frame I have would have been proper for that time period and that finding either one was pretty rare. I told him I was still looking for the Brundage frame! No, I didn't ask if he had one and he didn't volunteer. Besides, he was the Porsche guy!

Speaking of BRUMOS and Porsches, during our rather lengthy conversation, he told me of a book that will be coming out soon chronicling the early years of BRUMOS, Porsche racing, family tidbits and hopefully some information about the elusive VW VTO. He told me that at his dealership in Pompano Beach he had a Porsche industrial engine installed in a pearl white bug and had a blue stripe painted on the side and with some other modifications the "VTO" was born - unique to his dealership. He said they made a little over 100 over a few year's time, all in Pearl White (when they did the first one in '63) or whatever off-white was the factory color of the car for that year (I think through '67.) He also told me about his circa '66 Westy that was one of his personal vehicles that he also installed a Porsche industrial engine in PLUS married it to an automatic transaxle from a Type 3, also fitting some Porsche wheels and beefier brakes.

Great conversation and I will be looking forward to the book! Hopefully, his mom remembers the '65 bug and can answer a lingering questions for me. And if anyone knows of anyone with a VTO, let me know !

-Kent
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-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental