One-family owned cars are very hard to find to these days, but especially so when you look at vehicles from the 60s and beyond. There’s a sentiment out there that long-term ownership in one family indicates a particular love for a vehicle, and that is often the case. However, this 1966 Volkswagen Beetle takes that sentiment to the extreme as the same family that bought it new just completed a thorough restoration with extensive cosmetic improvements. The Beetle features a striking color scheme of black over red, and is listed here on craigslist for $18,500 in Vermont.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find. As the photos show, this Beetle was torn down quite extensively but it looks like it was a fairly solid car to begin with. I’m not a body guy, but having torn down a few rusty cars, it’s amazing how many places rust can hide. When looking at this car in its most exposed form, it doesn’t appear to have any evidence of active bodywork inside the fenders or wheel wells. The same goes for the rockers. So, despite living in Vermont, has this Beetle been spared years’ worth of use on salty, winter roads? It sure seems like it.

The finished result speaks for itself (well, outside of personally inspecting the quality of the work, but it looks like a clean shop in the background.) The seller notes that the body restoration was thorough, as it included “…prepping all panels as well as fenders, trunk and engine cover. All inner surfaces were treated with U-Pol undercoating, New chrome trim, wheel covers, and chrome bumpers were also added. Wheels were sandblasted and refinished in two tone to match the body.” Now, what’s interesting is that the seller highlights some mechanical restoration but not as extensive as the bodywork – which would suggest this Beetle was always looked after and just needed some freshening.

The mechanical work included a fuel system refresh, refinishing the tank, repacked wheel bearing and new shoes, a new shift linkage and bushings, and all heater box controls serviced. The interior features new seats, headliner, sound deadening and loop carpeting. It would be fascinating to see what it looked like prior to the full tear down but I’m guessing it was still mostly sound overall. The asking price almost certainly falls short of the investment demonstrated in the listing, and if the work looks as good as it does here, this is an incredibly smart way to buy a car that almost always has cosmetic needs when found in unrestored condition.