A woman in a world of men… Sara Perathoner, a native of Gardena Valley in South Tyrol, North Italy, is an automotive technician by profession. She managed to succeed in this male-dominated career path by becoming the President of the South Tyrolean LVH-APA automotive technician and a member of the board of AIRC, the world association of this sector. “And to think that at a training seminar years ago my male colleagues were asking who sent the secretary on the course,’ she smiles.
A former competitive skier and mother of two children, she now runs the family business, which boasts six men within its team, in Pontives, near the well-known picturesque Ortisei village. In addition to this incredible achievement Sara has another great passion… the restoration of vintage cars… one in particular: the VW Bulli. An icon born in the 1960s, which is now a true legend, a symbol of a time gone by, of carefree living and joie de vivre.
“When Dad used to take us around the valley in the Bulli, I felt like I was free from everything!” she says. Her passion for rare and unique cars, was born back then with the aim of restoring them to their original splendor, which today is valued up to 165,000 euro. Her dedication, combined with excellent professionalism, has led her to become a reference point well beyond the borders of her native region and country, thanks to hard work, passion and her family support.
In this programme we will get to know Sara Perathoner, her mother and her passion in general. From start to finish, we will follow the long restoration of her legendary car, an old and shabby VW Bulli, which she managed to find in a very unexpected place… and above all we will see the final restoration result.