'An official police vehicle'

The Beetle has made a visit to the Levin police station in New Zealand. It received the honour of having a police siren and blue light attached to its roof racks.

Ivan's father was a policeman in Levin and he used the Beetle as an official police vehicle during the 1960s. Ivan describes the Beetle's police days in For Love and a Beetle:

"It was in the days before police cars were issued and the Beetle became the region's de facto official police vehicle. The unique Beetle worked to Pop's advantage. Fights would end before the car door opened. The troublemakers didn't need to see the navy police uniform to know who they were dealing with.

"Ferrying criminals back and forth around the countryside, Pop would turn to his passengers in the back seat and ask how they were enjoying the drive in a Volkswagen. He sometimes dropped in at our house for a little sustenance for the felons he was transporting to Mount Crawford. Barely stopping to put out his cigarette, Pop would rush inside, saying, 'This man has had a drive in the Beetle but I think he needs a good Scotch before going off to prison.'"