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A Happy Reunion  
by Doug Stuhlmann

My name is Doug Stuhlmann and I have lived my entire life in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1975, during my final semester in high school, I purchased a used, Citron-colored, chrome-bumper, 1974 MGB with approximately 28,000 miles on the odometer. The name of the dealership was Klinke Volkswagen of Alton, Illinois. I should've known with a name like Klinke-it reminded me of the word clunker-that something would be wrong with the car. The problem was quickly apparent and my high school graduation present was a rebuilt engine! (This was later to be a plus for me.) During the next two years, I drove the MG to college west of St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri, approximately 200 miles from home. I returned home to finish school and sold the car in 1978 with approximately 60,000 miles showing. The individual who purchased the car also lived west of St. Louis in a small town 60 miles away.
Time passed quickly and I found myself chauffeuring my 12-year-old daughter 26 years later to the west of St. Louis to Oklahoma City in late May to compete in a tennis tournament. About sixty miles west of St. Louis, traveling at about 75 mph, I passed a run down truck repair shop with a Citron colored 'B in the lot among some beat up trucks. The color of the car really stood out and I immediately thought of my 'B and the chances of seeing one the same color in the same area where I thought it went when I sold it 25 years ago. Three days later, on the way back from Oklahoma City, I slowed down enough to look at the car and decided to maybe do more than look.
I am a saver of what my wife calls junk, but I call "Memories". When I got home that week, I looked and found (I knew I had it) some papers on the 'B including the VIN number. I also knew I was going west again the following weekend with my daughter to compete in another tennis tournament, this time in Springfield, Missouri. Needless to say, we left early-her with a racquet and me with my VIN number.
When we got to the shop, my heart was pounding and when I checked the VIN number on the car with my papers, I felt like I had just won the lottery! Without a doubt this was my car! I opened the door and a flood of memories came at me-where I drove it, who was with me, anything that happened with the car-and it just about blew me over.
I called my wife and told her the good (?) news. Without missing a beat she bought the car for me. I then told her of some of the memories (including those involving a girl I had dated when I owned the car-open mouth insert foot-she knew her and it was almost a deal breaker!).
The car shows 96,000 miles on the odometer but with the engine rebuilt at approximately 30,000 miles, it has lots of life left. A dentist in a small town called Bourbon, Missouri owned it for most of its life and was his "toy". Sadly, he is gravely ill with cancer and the repair shop owner had power of attorney to sell the car.
I paid $2400.00 for it including the tow to St. Louis and it is now at Hi-Tech Restorations in St. Louis being sorted out as it does need some rust, suspension, steering, upholstery, and paint work. John Mangles, the owner of the shop, asked when I would like the work completed. I told him it really didn't matter-it's been so long what's another year!

P.S. When I first drove this car 25 years ago, I had hair!