Walter Jelinek
Automotive free thinker, artist, enthusiast and lover of unusual things as peaople describe him.
He was born in December 1968 in Neustadt / Waldnaab , Germany as the only child of a designer.
From the very beginning, he was surrounded from Volkswagens as the repair shop of the german mail office (Deutsche Bundespost) was located next door in Weiden / Oberpfalz where he grew up.
His father had a soft spot for little italian Fiat spiders and Mercedes roadsters and injected Walter a good dose of petrol in his veins.
Long before his 18th birthday, Walter started to visit the workshop down the street to learn about the aircooled VWs. When he finally got his drivers license, his grandfather bought the desired beetle Walter was after.
After a few months of ownership he stumbled across an issue of HOT VWs and was lost!
Through American friends and relatives the first parts came across the pond and Walter´s beetle got lower, wider and faster.
Whenever he got the chance he put more vintage VWs in his driveway. Beetles, type 3s, busses, Ghias…!
On the first of april 1994 the passion became a business and THE BUG BOX opened its doors in Falkenberg.
Parts and restoration where the two business divisions from the beginning. The young business man went to learn from old school engine builders, restorers and metal workers in his spare time to put his skills to perfection.
The result was an almost unique expertise and knowledge of aircooled Volkswagens.
A parallel running study of architecture was put to an end after only a few semesters in favor of the VW passion. From then on there was “non stop” Volkswagens! His own and customers’ vehicles have been restored and rebuilt .
Good was never good enough and Walter kept trying to set trends and always tried to do”things the first time”. The result is quite impressive. Various television shows were filmed in the Bug Box premises in Weiden and no fewer than 56 Bug Box built vehicle features appeared since 2000 in car magazines around the world.
As an expert for VW T1 buses and other aircooled Wolfsburg metal, especially pre 1967, his knowledge is now very much in demand when it comes to assesments , restoration , vehicle purchases and price or market developments .
For many years, he is trades with the finest and rarest VWs and created worldwide recognition.
In 2016 the self-taught vintage VW specialist decided to concentrate more on trade with these wonderful vehicles, which resulted in a change within the company , linked with a move to a new shop.
As ” finally arrived ” is the new state to describe . Leave the stress and hectic the last 30 years there and to let the attention they deserve to get customers and valuables on 4 wheels … !