I’m usually on the fence regarding the coverage of a Volkswagen Type I (Beetle). There’s not much more that can be said about the iconic German compact that hasn’t already been said. Regardless, this 1960 example from Monroeville, New Jersey, is so original – it’s just “primitive cool,” so I thought I must take a gander at it. Those with an interest will find it here on eBay, where it’s available for a current bid of $7,100 with the reserve not yet met.
Volkswagen’s production numbers had been building all through the fifties, and by 1960, they managed to produce 739K copies. Detroit’s Big Three took note; as you’ll recall, the Corvair (GM), Falcon (Ford), and Valiant (Chrysler) were all introduced for the ’60 model year – obviously, there was something to this compact car craze. The Beetle remained as basic and optionless as a budget compact can be, but it didn’t deter buyers – it was an everywhere car. The seller states, “Stock and original based, probably as unmolested as they come, just a basic original well-kept car that has not had someone changing it from factory standards, it shows no accident damage, front and rear never been pushed in, does not show any rust, and repair of battery tray is excellent.” That last comment references the battery tray, which is located under the passenger side of the rear seat. They were notorious for rusting out and then it was “bombs away” for the battery, right through the floor and out onto the highway. Also stated is, “Paint is not show quality, just a car to invest in, drive and enjoy.” There’s something to be said for not having to worry about the inevitable road rash that occurs even with infrequent driving.
Laboring away in the boot is a 40 gross HP, 1.2 liter flat-four cylinder, air-cooled engine that’s attached to a four-speed manual transaxle. The seller claims, “Completely reconditioned engine, new heads, etc., transmission shifts excellently with no noise, the car drives like new.” The engine image is off-kilter, but the bottom side photos do reveal a powerplant that’s clean with no oily residue from a failed block seal or leaky pushrod tubes.
Inside, it’s pure VW Beetle all the way – just the basics. The seller mentions that there’s even an optional fuel gauge. A good college friend had a ’60, and his didn’t have a fuel gauge. In his car, you needed to open the under-dash reserve valve when the engine started to sputter. That provided you with one gallon of gas and the obvious need to find a gas station – quickly. Beyond that, the vinyl two-tone interior is in excellent condition – nothing appears to be out of place – well, a radio is, there isn’t one installed. There is a heater, but as the seller states, it’s not hooked up, and the underside images reveal the missing connection hoses.
One of the Beetle’s biggest enemies is rust! This car, however, appears to be exceptionally sound – it’s as good as it gets for a 66-year-old bug. The originality of this VW is spectacular, and that explains its nine bids and current price. I’m not one to usually notice a Beetle, but this one’s caught my attention, and I like it; how about you?
I hate correcting any author, but I believe this is a 36 HP motor. I read 1960 they changed to a 40hp in June of 1960 with engine numbers starting with 5,000,001. Also fan shroud is a 36hp and that gas gauge, called a “Dehne”, was a very rare option. In pic 17, you can still see the reserve lever next to the gas pedal. A gas gauge wasn’t offered until 1962. Pretty much has already been said about a VW Bug, they were for good times, unless the #3 exhaust valve took a hike, something remedied by the 40hp movement of the oil cooler. Make no mistake, aside from a few niceties, like sun visors, it was still a basic Bug and for $1565 new the options were few. A radio was almost $80, and omitted here. The aftermarket gas gauge, I read, cost about $55 new, and a wise decision. In 1960, Maynard G. Krebs had revolution on his mind, and Bugs were simply “puddle jumpers” for a very limited group. I’d say, it wasn’t until the late 60s, that VW Bugs really had their heyday as an iconic symbol of the counter-culture of the time. Naturally my old man hated them for a number of silly reasons. All hail the VW Bug, and the great times they represented.
I’ll probably hear from Scotty on this, but he sent me a picture of his late dads VW, not sure the year, but one of the 1st Baja Bugs. I forget which one is Scotty, but if you knew him personally, he is a spittin’ image of his dad.
“Has an optional gas gauge,” per the seller’s listing. And it doesn’t look like an aftermarket piece. I believe you are correct about the gauge being standard equipment in ’62. The way to know for sure is to see if the existing gauge is date stamped on its reverse.
My source: https://kairousinc.com/1960-vw-beetle/
JO
AFAIK a gas gauge was never a factory option before it was made standard in ’62. Looking at the one on this car with its’ vertical “thermometer” reading, it’s a period aftermarket accessory and likely very rare.
What an awesome car! Now this might be a little bit of a deviation from the topic at hand but seeing this car leads me back to my younger days when the VW was the 1st car I/we learned to “acquire” (steal) in the US Military through a course known as Surreptitious Vehicle Entry Program – in other words – “hotwire” a vehicle. VW’s were very easy to do and I can imagine this one just sitting there ripe for the taking!
That said – this really is a nice car and a great piece of history.