My 1962 VW Beetle

But that hasn't stopped her from joining a growing band of younger people who love to drive classic cars of the past - particularly the Beetle and the little Mini Cooper.

The Beetle was one of the most popular cars ever on Australian roads, with more than 274,000 imported or assembled here.  Back in the early 1960s it was winning in showrooms, rally courses and racetracks around the country.  By 1962 it was ranked third behind only GMH and Ford for car sales in Australia.

While many saw the Beetle as noisy and peculiar with the engine at the wrong end of the car, many more loved the Beetle as a value-priced family machine. Some even saw it as funky and cool.

Rodriguez is one of those. And she says that original unique appeal has lasted well beyond the original cars' heyday.  Last year she bought a one-owner, well-travelled, nearly 50-year-old Beetle and has brought it back to life.

She has helped experts restore the cream 1962 VW over the past year.  Rodriguez says she has driven many modern cars but adores the unique styling and feel of the old 1200cc rear-engined classic.

"It's really cool, I just love it. It has classic lines, I love the chrome on it and the simpleness of it," she says.  "It's different, it's very humble, it's low maintenance. It just keeps on going."

The skin specialist is on the road most days visiting clients around Sydney and uses the Beetle as her regular drive.  "It's my workhorse. I got rid of my Toyota and I've never looked back. I've never had any problems with it," she says.

The little Beetle she nicknames "smallish bug" was in a sorry state when she bought it last year.  It had done more than 330,000 miles (520,000 km) with its only other owner.

"It was banged-up a bit," she says.  "It was on old man's car. It was his pride and joy but he didn't have the money to spend on it. He didn't do a lot to it.  It was very worn and stinky and dirty.  It had three layers of seat covers, the carpet was rotting and all the rubber was crystalised.  There was a lot of cancer, rust, under the windshield."

Rodriguez says many holes in the car had been patched up with Blue-Tack.  After paying $1800 for the car Rodriguez then got in contact with specialist VW restorers and began the process of breathing new life into the tired old bug.  She says she wanted to be involved and lent a hand where she could, even including sandblasting.

The car now boasts sporty red stripes and the doors are emblazoned with "Kelly County" sherriff-type badges.  "They put it on a as a joke," she says.  After spending $5000 there's still more to be done to replace the window rubbers, carpets, seat coverings and fix some panels.

But one item she has kept is the original number plate. It's showing its age but it is an important piece of the car's history.  Rodriguez admits that not too many women get involved in restoring old cars but she finds it a welcome release from her normal life.  "It is a hobby. It's just something different. It takes me out of the norm."

While she uses the car as a daily driver she has also gone on some VW club runs around Sydney.  And she pepped-up one club show this year by getting some scantily-dressed girlfriends to pose as Formula One-style grid girls around the car.

Rodriguez has got right into the restoration process and has even posted some videos of  the rebuild on YouTube.  One of the best treats she gets from the hobby is the look on clients' faces when she turns up.

They expect to see her in a classy sports car but instead she's aboard a funky bug.  She says: "I just love people smiling as I drive by in it."