There may not be any car ever made which is more iconic and well-known than Volkswagen’s Beetle. With well over twenty-one million made, they can be found crawling out of every corner of the earth. Part of their charm is undoubtedly their rugged, simplistic mechanical underpinnings, and the other is their gradual evolutionary design. Coming within the next few days, we will be auctioning a genuinely distinctive, two-owner Beetle that has been spectacularly well-kept and documented since 1970. Here are some of the details!
Painted from the factory in Pearl White (L87) the original coat is still in excellent condition considering it has driven nearly one hundred thirty thousand miles. Chrome bumpers in the front and rear have dealership installed bumper overriders, and the chrome trim is still in good condition. 15” steel wheels have whitewall Nova radial tires attached and are enhanced with polished metal hubcaps.
Inside the cabin, red vinyl with white piping upholstery has been recently applied to the front and rear seats. During this reupholstery, the door panels received new vinyl, and the floorboards benefitted from renewed black rubber mats. Above, a modern, factory-style headliner with correct perforations covers the roof and the hand-operated steel sunroof. As a non-standard trim Beetle, this example provides drivers a mechanical fuel gauge mounted next to the 90-mph speedometer. Included upon the dashboard is a Bakelite passenger handle which is mounted above the glove compartment.
At 121,000 miles, the engine was removed and rebuilt with a forty horsepower capable case. During this procedure, the four-speed manual transaxle was also rebuilt. Current ownership has installed a factory-style air intake assembly (breather hose, intake tube, air cleaner) along with cooling ducts to the single carburetor. A 12-volt electrical system and alternator have also been fitted. To better prepare this beautiful little Beetle for its upcoming auction, an oil and filter change was performed, the shift linkage was adjusted, and the chassis points were lubricated.
Initially sold in Bellingham, Washington at Evergreen Motor Company, the original sales invoice will be included with the sale. In 2015, the Beetle left its original owner and moved to California then it was sold on Bring a Trailer in 2017. Provided with the sale are maintenance invoices since 2015 and a hand-written service logbook from the original owner dating back to 1970. The factory-supplied owner’s manual and informational booklets have been retained inside their blue Volkswagen vinyl portfolio. Plus, a tool roll and a vintage Johnson & Johnson first aid kit are also found inside the glove box. A Porsche 356 spare tire is found inside the front trunk, as is a new trunk liner and a reserve drive belt. This cheery Beetle will come with a clean California title, and the bidding begins soon!
