A8

Bill Sherk

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Jerry Dick grew up in the southwestern Ontario town of Ruthven and now lives in Mississauga. After graduating from engineering at the University of Western Ontario in the spring of 1970, he headed off to Europe for work, adventure, and a set of wheels:

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Jerry Dick and friend with his 1949 Volkswagen in Europe in 1970.

"I met her on a cold, drizzling morning in a small southern Bavarian town. She stood alone, small, unmistakably used and abused, but to me she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Forty dollars and she was mine - a 1949 Volkswagen. Footsore and weary, I gratefully eased my aching frame behind the small, white cracked steering wheel. Ahead of us lay many thousands of miles of unknown and occasionally hostile European countryside throughout which she became my trusted and utterly reliable companion.

"The early hours of our trip were spent in reaching the French border, where we were subjected to an auto search. That's when I learned two things about travelling in Europe. Always keep the glove compartment full of official-looking papers and never drop the guise of a super-helpless tourist. After France was Switzerland, where I soon realized there was more than one Canadian in Europe. I was later to meet Nova Scotians in Germany, British Columbians in Austria and Ontarians in Holland.

"After crossing the Swiss-Austrian border, we were forced to climb higher and higher into the Alps. We passed the tree-line, the grass-line and entered the snow-line. The determined little VW, in first gear, chugged bravely onward into the sky. We reached the crest of the Arlberg Pass and then the fun really began on the downward descent. With ancient brakes and an arthritic transmission, we wouldn't have got there much sooner had we fallen off the mountain.

"Leaving Austria, my VW and I made a mad dash across Germany to see as much of Europe as possible before the flight home. We passed Munich, where construction crews had mangled every street in frenzied preparation for the 1972 Olympics. Even the detours had detours. Crossing into Denmark, I parked on the beach and had my first swim in salt water. Returning 15 minutes later, I saw a crowd standing knee-deep in water while admiring my car (the tide had come in). Jumping inside, I started her and spluttered across the 50 feet of sea water to firm sand.

"I visited two more countries before racing for the rendezvous with the KLM charter flight from Frankfurt. My car and I travelled 7,000 kilometers together and it was with great sadness that I parted with my little Teutonic friend."

* As a thank you, if your story is published in this column you will receive a copy of Bill Sherk's book "60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960". To share your stories or photos e-mail billtsherk@sympatico.ca or write Bill Sherk, 25 John St., P.O. Box 255, Leamington, ON N8H 3W2.