Unless you’re a student of dune buggies or kit cars, you’re probably not familiar with the Shala Vette. It was a Volkswagen-based fiberglass kit car that looked like an early C3 Chevrolet Corvette (1968-forward). They are very rare as only about a dozen are thought to have been built with no more than half that many surviving, including this project. Located in California, Missouri, this alley find has been sitting for many years and may be largely complete. It’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500, though the listing is now several months old.

The Shala Vette (or Shalavette) was the creation of well-known custom car designer Dick Dean. Using a VW Beetle chassis and engine/transmission, these had the potential of being some of the coolest of the dune buggy types that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Though usually built as a kit car, some of the 12 that saw the light of day may have been sold as turn-key cars.

The seller’s edition is said to be a 1966 model, but since the “Mako Shark” Corvette didn’t come out for a couple of more years, this must be based on ’66 Bug underpinnings. We’re told this project was found in an alley in a small Missouri town and brought to where you see it in the photos. Not a lot is thought to be missing off of it except for the gauges and the rear seat (most kit cars were only set up for two people). A stock dual-port 1600-cc VW motor is said to be present.

A complete restoration is needed for this cool find that has old-school Cragar wheels. It also uses a fuel cell which has probably seen better days. Other than cash money, the seller will entertain a trade for a “comparable” dune buggy which we assume means one that runs. If you’re looking for rare, can there be anything scarcer than a Shala Vette? This is a neat tip from Barn Finder “Zappenduster”!