The Easter weekend of Roberto van Dinther from Veldhoven is one to remember. On Sunday night, a fire broke out in the garage behind his house due to unknown cause. There were two Volkswagen Jettas. The old -timers, one of which would be Roberto’s wedding car, went all the way in flames.
Roberto can hardly contain that the two cars that were his great passion are no longer there. The garage where the burnt -out cars are is closed. Because of the investigation and insurance, he is not allowed to go.
“I ran out without clothes.”
Roberto was already in bed on Sunday when the neighbor of two houses away called: there is a fire in your garage. There was no saving anymore.
“I ran outside without clothes and tried to save what could be saved. But of course that is not wise. Fire brigade and the police already shouted that I should not do that. Fortunately I was able to remove a jerry can with twenty liters of gasoline, otherwise it might have ended much worse.”
Nothing is about the cars: “The car I would get married in, only the sheet metal is left. The other car has completely melted”. Volkswagen has always been Roberto’s passion: “Ever since I got my driver’s license at the age of eighteen. I have sometimes called it a disease. I have had dozens of Volkswagens, but these were really cars that I thought, I will not do them away anymore.”
“It was as if I was in a bad film. I had to watch everything went up in flames. Everything I built up with blood, sweat and tears. And not only the cars, but also many personal items were lost, such as posters and photos. I was renovating and saved everything here.”
“I think we might have to postpone getting married for a year.”
The Jettas that burned down come from the early nineties. Roberto imported one from Spain. “I have something with square cars.” Looking for other classics from the German brand, his head is not yet on that: “first clearing debris”.
Roberto also does not know whether the wedding with his girlfriend Marianne will continue next year now that the intended wedding car has gone up in flames: “I think we might have to postpone the getting married for a year. I don’t know how this will all go, I have no experience with this at all. This may cost a lot of money and of course getting married.