This 1963 VW bus might just be the Forrest Gump of automobiles - Hagerty Media

The monetary value of a classic car is much easier to determine than the value of its story, but it’s pretty safe to say that this one is priceless. The story, that is. And that makes Carol Ann Rudat’s 1963 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon irreplaceable. It might just be the Forrest Gump of automobiles.

The bus received Classic of the Month honors last December, and we found its story so compelling that the it was also named 2017 Classic of the Year. What’s all the hoopla about? Let’s just say the tale of this rare split-window, twin barn-door VW includes the Post (Cereal) family, John and Robert Kennedy, the nation’s capital, and the FBI. And that isn’t the half of it.

“Once I knew the real story behind this van, I was like, ‘Woah, I need to find out everything I can…,’” Rudat says in our recently released Classic of the Year video. “This was just meant to be. There’s no question I was supposed to end up with this van.”

To learn the rest of the story—and its historic encounter with the Beatles—check out the video.

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Editor’s note: Hagerty’s Classic of the Year begins with a simple conversation. A member calls Hagerty and shares their story with a licensed agent. Those stories are collected, and a committee chooses a weekly winner. The four weekly winners are shared with the entire company, and employees vote to determine the Classic of the Month. At the end of the year, there is another vote to decide Hagerty’s Classic of the Year. Congratulations to Licensed Sales Agent Laurie Lawrence, who provided details about the 2017 winner.