When I am looking for a classic car, one of the most promising attributes that I tend to look for is to find one that has been the subject of long-term ownership by one individual. That is precisely what the next owner of this 1965 Volkswagen Beetle will be receiving. The current owner took possession of the car in 1973, and while it spent 20-years parked in his garage, it has been revived and returned to active duty. It is a solid classic that is ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately. Located in Granite Bay, California, it has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $5,300, and with the reserve now met, this little beauty is set to head off to a new home very soon.

The Volkswagen Beetle can be prone to some rust issues, but the fact that this one has spent the majority of its life in California is a fairly positive starting point. The Pearl White Beetle presents quite nicely. The body generally does appear to be free of any significant rust issues, while the owner provides some underside shots that show the floors to be very clean and solid. The only rust of any note that is visible is in the running boards. These look to be repairable, but with replacements available for about $120 each, that might be a better alternative. The panels are free of any significant dings or dents, and while the chrome on the bumpers is looking a bit dull, it would be interesting to see just how it would respond to some work with a high-quality polish. The hubcaps seem to be in good condition, while the glass appears to be free from cracks and scratches.

With hindsight, the design of the Beetle involved some pretty radical thinking. Adolf Hitler was deeply involved in this process, and while he was no engineer, he is credited with saying that you only needed to look at nature to understand aerodynamics. With this in mind, he decreed that the “People’s Car” should look like a Beetle…which it did. Similarly, he wanted the Beetle to be capable of traveling along the autobahn at constant 60mph for 4-hours between stops, and the designers were successful in achieving this product aim. One of the greatest strengths of the Beetle is its essentially bulletproof mechanical package. Provided that the engine is properly maintained, they will pretty much last indefinitely. Even though Beetles of this era were fitted with a 6-volt electrical system, they could still be quite reliable, even in cold climates. Many years ago I was living in a pretty cold part of the world, and I had a 1964 Beetle as my commuter to travel to-and-from work. It used to wind over pretty slowly on the starter in the dead of winter, but it never once failed to start. In the case of our feature car, what we find under the hood of the Beetle is an 1,192cc air-cooled flat-four engine, producing 40hp. This power is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transaxle. Until recently, it had spent 20-years hidden away in the owner’s garage, but it has now been revived. All of the fluids, filters, and belts have been replaced, as have the tires and brakes. The result of this work is that this great little classic is now said to run and drive well.

The interior of the Beetle is tidy, but there are a number of areas where things remain a bit vague. The door trims look okay, but they have been cut to fit a set of speakers for the radio/cassette player that is mounted in the dash. The armrests have been removed from the doors, and while they are present, they are looking quite tatty. There are aftermarket covers fitted to the seats, but it isn’t clear what state the original upholstery is in under those covers. We can’t see the state of the carpet or the headliner, and the headliner, in particular, can be prone to deterioration. One of the greatest strengths of the Beetle, in general, is that due to the sheer volume that was built and have managed to survive to the present day, economies of scale mean that some parts are exceptionally cheap. For instance, if the seat upholstery and headliner are showing their age, full interior trim kits in the correct color and pattern material can easily be sourced for under $800. These kits include everything that the owner could want, including front and rear seat covers, a carpet set, headliner, the correct glue for the headliner, and all of the clips and hardware to complete the installation. That has to rate as potentially one of the cheapest interior refurbishments that you are ever likely to find in a classic car.

When it was initially released, the Volkswagen Beetle was seen merely as utilitarian transport for the masses. It achieved this aim remarkably well, and during its production life, 21 million Beetles found their way from factories right across the globe into the homes and the hearts of happy owners. They have been used as the basis for more kit cars than most of us would care to think about, as the foundation for dune buggies, and even in highly-competitive motorsport competition. Through all of this though, the humble and original Beetle is still a much-loved classic, and good examples are quite highly sought. That’s why I think that there might be a little way to go on the bidding for this one, and it will be interesting to see if any of our Barn Finds readers will be willing to throw their hat into the ring and submit a bid.