OXFORD -- If something looks strangely familiar about Max, the quirky car conducting interviews with supermodel Heidi Klum, Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy and TV personality David Hasselhoff on national television, look to the vehicle.

John Bickel, 50, sole proprietor of State of Mind Customs, a boutique auto restoration company in Oxford, transformed a legion of spare car parts and the body of a 1964 Beetle into an HD television-worthy vehicle in 15 days this winter. It was prepped and moved to the Crispin Porter + Bogusky production studio, the Miami-based agency of Volkswagen of America, in the nick of time.

The Das Auto campaign featuring the talking Beetle began running April 1 on national television and Max makes appearances around the country.

Whenever the ads run, Bickel smiles. As one of the leading VW Beetle restorers, whose vehicles have won awards in numerous shows, he could find himself and his loosely assembled crew at a new pinnacle of quality and fame. He declined to reveal the cost to restore the Bugs but said the hardest part to find was steering wheels.

How did a national agency find a restoration expert in a distant Detroit suburb? Referrals.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the ad agency, got approval from Volkswagen for the Max commercials on Dec. 16, and approached AMCI Marketing in Bloomfield Hills and two other vendors who returned bids in two days.

As David Sherman, director of marketing for AMCI tells the tale: "VW approached us with this harebrained idea to build up 1964 Beetles for the launch of a new advertising campaign. They came to us because we specialize in vehicle testing, ride and drive and customer appreciation programs."

Sherman tapped Bickel.

"In the VW community, John is very well respected for the meticulous work, the attention to details on vehicles he restores," Sherman said. "He could look you in the eye, shake hands and his word would be gold. His team of 20 people worked almost 24 hours a day to finish."

AMCI Marketing stayed involved. Heating up hard drives, they scanned the nation for cars and parts, drop-shipping the best fit to Bickel's Oxford garage and dispatching drivers to fetch big items. The firm managed the money, time, people and materials while Bickel's team blasted rust and connected parts.

By deadline they had vehicles with running engines and red leatherette interiors, even painted undercarriages. Local subcontractors installed windshields and helped with seat covers and headliners. Each completed Beetle came with a new vehicle identification number and a lacquered overcoat. The first car was delivered Jan. 13 for digital rendering

Bickel stays busy with more Beetle and muscle car transformations.

"Restoring vehicles has been a passion since I was a little boy," Bickel said. "My dad would haul me around the country while we went to car races. I got into Beetles through my father-in-law. He took me out in his classic and everybody came up to us at the restaurant. They wanted to share their VW stories."

Now people tell stories about Bickel's shop.

"There were a large field of vendors to select, but we wanted a team with passion for the brand to bring Max to life," said Brian Shultz, producer at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. "The team of AMCI and State of Mind customs put their heart into this project and it shows."

The television ads run on television, YouTube and other social media. Volkswagen is using Max to introduce a new line of its German engineered vehicles.

"Max personifies Volkswagen's past, present and vision for the future," said Tim Ellis, vice president of marketing for Volkswagen of America.

For Bickel, Max is the shining personality he helped bring alive for the masses.