Over the course of 65 years, Volkswagen produced more than 21.5 million Type 1 automobiles, commonly referred to as the Beetle. The first one was assembled in 1938 in Germany and the last in 2003 in Mexico. 1977 was the last year for air-cooled Beetle coupes sold in the U.S., with the convertible or “Cabriolet” sticking around another two years. The seller has a ’79 drop-top that’s said to be in fair condition, though the photos are a bit more complimentary. Located in De Pere, Wisconsin, this open-air Bug is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $10,500.
There was a time (1960s-1970s) that you couldn’t drive a city block in the U.S. without seeing a “punch buggy”, one of the nicknames for the VW Beetle. It began as the “People’s Car” in Germany in the late 1930s and started to show up on U.S. shores in numbers in the 1950s. The air-cooled engine mounted in the back propelled the little cars for years, but by the late 1970s it was somewhat passe. German production ceased in early 1978, but assemblies of the car continued elsewhere for nearly 25 more years.
The seller’s ragtop is a Super Beetle, meaning it is a little roomier than the basic Bug, though not by that much. The seller has had this black-on-black-on-black Beetle for 13 years, receiving it then as a driver as a birthday gift. The seller will only rate it as “fair” in terms of condition, perhaps due to a motor swap of unknown mileage that runs fine. Where the mileage claim of 2,000 comes from is not mentioned.
New or newer stuff includes a switch from fuel injection back to carburetion, the tires, the front seat covers (which look a bit odd), and other interior treats, plus a new battery. The seller adds that the wheels have been repainted and a stereo with four speakers has been added. These were – and still are – simple cars, and a lot of Baby Boomers owned one of these runabouts at one time or another. Does that include you? BTW, thanks to “Lothar… of the Hill People” for the tip.
These aren’t my jam, but this one appears to be a nice specimen, even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. GLWTS.
P.S.: Somebody had to make the first comment, so here I am! 😜
My sister and I “shared” a ’74 Beetle back in the day. Lots of pep, but not much else. The conversion back from fuel injection to carburetor is an interesting move. I’ve heard pluses and curses from both sides of that debate for years. Purists loved the old carb set-up; others swore by the FI. To each there own. Wouldn’t mind putting another ol’ Bug in my driveway (if I could only explain it to my Better Half!) GLWTS!
I had a 74 with fuel injection. There were problems with the fuel injected models and mine would just die sometimes. I had it converted to a carburetor and no more problems. I wish this was closer to me.
Why isn’t this one called a “drop top” like the white falcon in the previous listing?
Looks pretty good. If it were closer & I had a place to put it…story of my life. I’ve always wanted a drop-top Super, but fate has always intervened. I’ve never had the cash, room & proximity at the same time.
I owned 3 beetles back in the 70’s, and always loved them!
A bit confused….. the article says Beetles were made till 2003. The “Old” model? Was it really still in production in 2003? My confusion comes because I have owned a 2005 “New Beetle” and currently have a 2017 “New Beetle”. They stop producing the “New Beetle”s in … gosh …. 2019? I was lucky to find mine when i did in my favorite color… Orange! It was my second Orange New Beetle! I love them. I hope they come back in 15 years when it will be time again for me to purchase a new car, LoL!
I’ve never heard the term “punch buggy” although several of my high school classmates drove VW Beetles.
Also slug bugs. If you saw one first you punched you buddy/brother/cousin who was even physically close to you at the time. As long as you thought you could get away with it. I only had sisters, so that didn’t play correctly in my family.
This would originally have had an alternator, yes? The engine swap must be to a pre-75 version if so.
The top is worn a bit. This could be fun!
I had a ’65 coupe; winters were terrible…
I owned 3 VW Bugs tho no convertible. Used 66, new 70 and 73 super. These cars were excellent, tough and easy to maintain and work on. Wish they still made them. Guess they were too good and lasted too long and VW couldn’t make any money along with government regulations.
John
Agreed on the ‘not my jam’ thing, and that this is a really nice one..I always thought they were cute, a little iconic of days gone by, but I always thought if I had one it would be the drop top version. Love the triple black motif, just not feeling the 10 large+ price tag, glwts for sure! We used to hang out with an older dude who had a coupe, probably a bit older than this one, and he took great glee in offroading it, especially thru the woods, hopping effortlessly over small logs and spinning up clouds of leaves, a fun little car to play in..I knew another dude in Winston-Salem who had mounted a 383 stroker the back of his, just an angry little smoke show it was!
The Pastor of the church I grew up in had a yellow bug convertible in the late 50’s. Yes there was a time these things were everywhere. They even made R/R fronts that could be attached in the 70’s. They were marketed as economy cars for families but they didn’t get that great gas mileage. They got about 25-30 mpg so many American cars got that good or better. Still it’s good to see one still around. Hope it finds a new home.
God Bless America
Not a big bug fan, but always appreciated the niche they perfectly filled! Owned none, drove dozens! Triple black suits it well! My father’s 62, bought new, was double black, red seats and the white headliner.I Rolled a 61 sunroof unit on a logging road in Washington, three of us used pine logs for leverage, rolled back to rubber, checked the oil & gas: drove it about 20 miles home, not really that much worse for wear.
There’s a beige 1967 Beetle down the street from me. Here in SoCal, the VW engines still have a devoted following for sand car builders.
The bug has to take the prize for the most hideous convertible roof when opened , geez are they ever fugly
boomer here.. I’ve had 7 Beetles. The worst one to get are the Super Beetles. They always seem to have more electrical problems and there are enough “special” parts to make them hard to repair. I bought my 1st one when I was 13 as a project to work on with my Dad. He bought his first Bug in 1957 and had one until he passed, last year. I’m looking for another one but never again a Super Beetle.