“I’ve been a VW fan for a few decades now, and I was also a VW and Audi mechanic for a similar amount of time. I took a break from dealership life and did restoration and mechanical for a specialist in air-cooled VWs, which is where I came across this ’54 oval-window Beetle.

“It was an ex-race car project that was in really bad shape and was stripped of the good parts, so I decided to undertake a full rebuild of the mechanicals and body.

“My friend Sabrina did the bodywork, while I threw a bunch of crazy ideas into the mix, from the four-spot Wilwood front brakes (Porsche 944 on the rear) to the twin-charged motor. The engine now receives boost from both a Kompressor Haus blower and a Garrett GT2052 turbo.

“A fibreglass decklid was added, the fenders were widened, and inside we installed a Bond rollcage and JAZ racing seats with four-point harnesses. The car ended up being a test bed for a lot of friends and other VW enthusiasts.

“I was over the ‘catalogue’ look of customisation given to most air-cooled VWs; I wanted something different. Like the saying goes, ‘built, not bought!’”