While a number of cars, including the Toyota Corolla, have sold in greater overall numbers than the Volkswagen Beetle, the Beetle remains the daddy of them all. With over 21,500,000 cars built during its 65-year production run, it holds the record for the highest number of cars built on what is considered to be a single platform. Even 16-years after the final Beetle rolled off the production line, they are still highly sought after, and good, original examples will command very respectable prices. This original example is in nice condition for its age. It is located in Aurora, Colorado, and is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the Beetle has currently reached $5,000, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The owner says that the Beetle wears most of its original Bahama Blue paint, and the only issue with it is that it has worn through in a number of spots, as you can see in this photo. The car is free of rust, with the supplied photos of the floors looking nice and clean. All of the trim and chrome is present, and it all looks to be in very good condition, as does the glass. From what we’ve seen so far, this Beetle really does look like a great little survivor.
Someone has gone to a bit of trouble to ensure that the Beetle’s interior is as close to perfect as possible. There are new covers on the seats, a new headliner, new door trims, and new carpet. It looks fantastic inside, and the radio that takes pride of place in the dash not only looks good, but it is also said to work. There is a bit of wear on the wheel, but even that isn’t particularly bad.
The Beetle is no longer fitted with its original engine, but it will have received a slight performance boost with the fitting of a single port 1,500cc flat-four. The original 1,300cc engine would have produced 50hp, while this upgrade would yield a further 3hp. It isn’t much, but every little bit helps. Under the hood looks nice and clean, and from the shots under the car, it doesn’t look like there are any issues with leaks. The car has recently been fitted with a new 6-volt battery, and the owner refers to it as a great driver.
The Volkswagen Beetle is an unusual car because it is a car that has really never fallen out of favor. At different times in its history, it has appealed to different sections of the community, but it has always been popular, one way or another. This is a trend that probably won’t change at any point in the near future, and nicely preserved or restored examples will remain highly sought. This one appears to be a great survivor, and this would undoubtedly help to explain the strong interest that it has generated since it was listed for sale.
In 1970 I bought a 66 beetle this same color for my girlfriend. Then taught her how to drive a manual. Guess she appreciated it so much she married me! 49 years later we’re still going strong. Had that beetle for years. Only difference was it had black seats.
This would be a great 50th anniversary present! 😀
Shes a beauty! Love it!
I would bet the reserve is north of 10 grand.
That rubbed thru paint that appears on this awesome Beetle is what real patina looks like, not the phony overdone crap that people try to pass off as patina. (BARF)
I still have my ’66 VW Dub, yes still have 6 volt electrical system and the 1300 engine, mine has a sunroof and an AM radio still works. Mine is white which I had it repainted with the original white. The floor pan was replaced due to rust. It still has the tool kit as well. I’ll keep this beauty for a while longer!
The car always has a sentimental value to it, I know, I’ve had two of them, and they are great little cars. I have no room. Someone jump on this before the prices really get unrealistic.
My first new car.
Bahama Blue. Bla k interior
Pop open rear windows
An older gentleman couldn’t stand to see someone else get his prized bug like this one. He had it crushed in Calif. during their old car removal program. He got $750, and a bus ticket good for 30 days. It was in fine shape. We had a barely running one, and got the same.
If this car was within shopping distance, I would be all over it.
However, I am sensitive about the comparison with the number of Corollas sold. I owned a few Corollas in my time and I appreciate their qualities, but to me the Corolla was just the same name given to various different cars from Toyota. They differed so much, they could not be compared to the original. Like RWD to front wheel drive, body shape and size, etc etc.
The beetle, like the Model T, basically was the same car, with improvements, for the duration of the 20 + million sales. They probably used the same workshop manual for all the different year’s models.
My dad had a beautiful dark green ‘65 VW and I had two friends who had VWs. They were dependable, economical, and fun to drive but the heater and defroster left a lot to be desired and they were underpowered! Still everyone loved them!