The Volkswagen Beetle has one of the most easily recognized shapes in automotive history. Produced as an affordable people’s car, an impressive 21.5 million of these little classics rolled off the line before production ended in 2003. This 1967 example is a promising candidate for a project. It could remain an unmolested survivor, but a simple partial interior retrim would significantly improve its appearance. The seller has listed the Beetle here on eBay in Houston, Texas. Bidding sits at $3,601 in a No Reserve auction.
The seller is sparing in their information, meaning we must use our powers of observation to assess this classic. Its panels wear a shade called Ruby Red, which was added to the Beetle color palette in August 1960. It holds a nice shine, with surprisingly few scratches and chips for an unrestored vehicle of this vintage. I see nothing suggesting that rust could be a problem, and since this VW has spent its garage-kept life in Texas, the lack of anything beyond dry surface corrosion in the underside shots is unsurprising. The glass is clear, and the trim looks acceptable for a driver-grade classic. Overall, choosing preservation over restoration would seem a valid option for the winning bidder.
This Beetle features the correct Black leatherette interior, 1-of-4 trim choices for buyers selecting a Ruby Red exterior. It is presentable, with rips and splits in the front seats that the buyer could camouflage with slipcovers for a few dollars. However, with the remaining upholstered surfaces and the floor mat looking so impressive, I would splash the $490 on a complete seatcover set to ensure uniform color across all seats. Unsurprisingly, this interior features aftermarket air conditioning, and the pushbutton radio will provide in-car entertainment.
We’ve reached the point where this Beetle becomes a mystery. It definitely features the iconic rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-four, and the seller quotes a capacity of 1,500cc. However, if that is the case, their stated 45hp engine output figure is short of the mark. Volkswagen said in its advertising literature that the 1,500 delivered 53hp, and while the difference isn’t enormous, owners would feel those few additional ponies under their right foot. The power feeds to the road via a four-speed manual transaxle, which is all standard VW fare. The mystery deepens when the question of mechanical condition is posed. The engine bay is clean, and the underside shows no evidence of significant fluid leaks. However, the seller doesn’t indicate whether this classic runs or drives. That may prompt some potential buyers to pose that question before committing funds to the bidding war.
This 1967 Volkswagen Beetle shows enormous promise, and with no apparent rust, the winning bidder could potentially enjoy it immediately while they contemplate whether to undertake any form of restoration. However, the biggest mystery with this car is its mechanical condition. With no information provided, all we can do is speculate. The impressive listing statistics and bid tally of forty-four suggest that people are willing to roll the dice. Would you do the same?
I looked into this car. The engine is a replacement and the car runs and drives.
Twelve volt system starting this year.GLWTS.
Only in ’67 VWs destined for the American market. Euro VW’s were still 6 volt through ’67 and went to 12 volt in ’68.
Auction ended, no bids. There is a very short driving video.
The ad has been pulled
Please forgive my ignorance but how do you drive an AC compressor on a 53 HP VW motor. I drove a 69 bug while stationed in Germany but there was no need for AC there. A heater would have been much more practical. The heater in the bug left much to the imagination.
Agreed. An electric heater plumbed into the duct work is a great idea.
Best year for the type 1 imho. First year of 12 volt, old style bumpers, 1500 cc engine, newer style headlights. Lot of potential in this one.
Nice simple car to work on here and the price is right.
No surprise a Texas bug would have add-on air. And no surprise the engine is not original as the a/c compressor likely hammered the main bearings to the point where the case has to be re-machined for bearing shells with an oversize O-D. Looks like the owner chose not to refit that compressor to avoid a recurrence of that problem. The good news is that you can now source electrically driven A/C compressors and possibly resurrect that system. It would require a much higher output generator though and I’m not sure how easy that would be to fit to a type 1.
Glad you mentioned the AC. I was wondering where the compressor was. I had 5 older bugs 58 thru 66 and a 67 convertible. Great cars, easy to work on and very cheap used back then (one was only $50) . The 67 was, by far, the best of the bunch, partly due to the 12v upgrade. With that, the headlights shone out further than 50′.
Everything changed for 1968. Bumpers, taillights , outside gas cap. Lacked the same charm as this.
Could it be my old 67 ? It was factory red like this one….parted these things out when I was 15 or so early 70’s…not sure how I got away with it – my dad must have been off on a tour…after parting I had buyers for the “pan” for a dunnebuggy…
Dear Barn Finds,
Don’t you ever ask a few simple questions of people who submit these ads? A simple does it run Yes/No at the beginning would eliminate all the mealy-mouthed palaver that continues to clog your write ups. And reading endless speculation “does it run or not?” makes for dull, turgid conversation.
Nice Bug, BTW. This is exactly what I am looking for. Unfortunately I have 3 cars that I need to sell first.
Auction ended on 12/15 because there was an error in the listing.
1967 was last year for “good” Beetles. In ‘68 VW started cheapening them up with plastic dashboards, less chrome, etc. Although ‘67s did lose the covered headlights, the still retain the other desirable features.
My first car was a 1967 beetle. Traded my friend’s older brother for a 1961 MFG 15’ runabout. It was green with 1 red fender, I painted it’57 Chevy tropical turquoise! Built a 2085cc engine with dual Dellorto 45mm carbs. Won a lot of races and made friends I still have 40 years later!