When you come across a car in original, undisturbed condition, it’s fairly magical. Just knowing you’re the first one to discover a vehicle that has been forgotten about for decades, it almost ceases to matter what kind of car it is. This 1959 Volkswagen Beetle is a rare find for being an early model (or at least, on the early side of the production years) and for being clad in a short-lived paint code known as Fjord Blue. The Beetle is offered for sale here on craigslist by the seller, who claims he has too many projects and wants this one to find a new home.
The color factor is a bit subjective in terms of its importance for enthusiasts. Some of us get worked up over a rare color scheme while for others, it’s a non-factor. Personally, I’ve always heard the air-cooled faithful talk up the desirability of Fjord Blue, and given it’s an attractive color, I can appreciate while it may be a difference maker for a Beetle buff. The bodywork is in solid shape overall, but the engine isn’t original and the seller notes he’s yet to get the motor to turn over by hand.
With air-cooled Beetles, the paint scheme matches the dashboard and inner door panels, so you can see how the rare shade of blue continues inside. The details are spot-on with this car, from the correct steering wheel and dash to the original window winders and door panels. The spartan interiors may seem simple to restore, but for it to be accurate to the production year, there are lots of small details to get right.
The seller notes that while the Beetle isn’t rust-free, but that it’s pretty decent for a car that’s been off the road for so many years. The listing seems pretty accurate, which is to say that the floors are technically in place but they’re not perfect; how long you can live with them in this condition is up to your personal threshold for owning a project versus perfection. Still, this looks like a very nice project in great colors and a desirable year – it’s hard to go wrong with those boxes checked.
I get excited when I see an old Bug like this. I would think 6K is top dollar for what I’m seeing and at that entry price you could be spending more than it’s worth unless you go all out and make it perfect. Definitely worth saving and Beetles fortunately have good vendor support. Finding NOS is getting harder and much more expensive and that’s where the money is. I lean more towards a good looking driver over a trailer queen.
Looks like at least one heater channel will need replacing (I’d do both sides as well as the pans since you’re going to be body-off anyway), plus a few other areas that are going to need repair panels. I agree it’s quite saveable (and should be), but it’s going to need a lot of work to put it back on the road even as a driver (my preference) vs. a trailer queen. It will be the eventual owner’s preference on whether to keep the patina or do a respray. I’m not a patina guy, but the rare, original paint color may tip the scales that direction.
I love this Beetle. And so will someone else who is willing to spend a lot more money than I would…
After getting a few speeding tickets in my youth during my Big Block Ford and MOPAR days I discovered the serene slowness of every air cooled VW model built between 1966 to 1972. Several of each model.
But today as much as I would love owning another Transporter or Type III I’m ruined by comparing today’s prices to the $600-$1200 I spent on those cars so I can only admire the little things….
BTW: This Fjord Blue Beetle didn’t die in its present location… it’s simply “Pining for the fjords”. 😉
I got more speeding tickets in my 72 bug than any other car I’ve owned, partly due to youth, and partly due to the fear that I wouldn’t make it up a hill.
Fjord blue? How bout just “light blue”? Much easier to pronounce. I’m no Bug conisour, but I’ve seen a million light blue Bugs, or was it just a rare color in 59? Anyway, I’ve always liked the old Bugs, good little cars, gonna take a lotta work on this one, but hopefully somebody’s up for it.
The picture makes me think of the Woody Allen movie set in the future where he breaks into this garage and finds a VW that looks much like this one. And he looks at the audience with the unspoken question, “Will it start?” And of course it does. Anybody who has owned one of these little treasures of the past will remember how well they started and how cheaply they ran. Loved my 58.
It’s amazing what you can do by yourself. I did this in a few weeks and sent it to Car Craft Magazine. They offered me a job as art director magazine and I was too afraid to take it, Boy was that dumb.
I have never liked the Beetle…. send it to the crusher
Thumbs down.
Joe, I thought this was the USA and we were allowed to speak our own thoughts about things. I’ve never liked VW all these many years, and that’s my preference. So “thumbs down” on your “thumbs down” comment…. :-)
Yes, and in the good ol’ USofA people also have the right to let people know when they think that THEIR thoughts are stupid!
It’s just ignorant to suggest that someone should send a car (any car) that has some value to someone… (and in this case significant value…) to the crusher just because YOU never liked VW’s!
I don’t think anybody needs to be subjected to pointless comments like that…
Totally agree Gregg…
Two thumbs up.
“Joe, I thought this was the USA and we were allowed to speak our own thoughts about things.”
We are. And that’s literally what Joe did.
This isn’t freedom for me but not for thee, which is what a lot of people in the USA seem to think lately.
I just bought my son a 73 bug not super beetle that we are going to restore together. He’s 15 so I figured it was a good time to teach him about the bass ackwards antics that Volkswagen engineered.
Your Bug will make a great father/son project. I’ve owned and have been working on these for almost 50 years. There are two manuals I would highly recommend you get.
1) The Bentley manual. This is a VW authorized repair manual with lots of good information.
2) How To Keep Your Volkswagon Alive, A Manual Of Step By Step Procedures For The Compleat Idiot. The author occassionally does things differently then I would but it has great step by step instructions that include a lot of little steps most manuals leave out. And the illustrations are a lot of fun and very helpful. When I was first working on VWs, this manual helped me a lot.
Good luck on your project.
Still have my copy of “How to keep your Volkswagen Alive”. Best manual I ever bought. Haven’t owned a Volks in years but still love the book and its illustrations.