Volkswagen Käfer (Ovali)
Car-ID: OT0073
Vehicle Description
A garage find! For restoration, or preservation
This 1956 beetle was already a classic, when it was parked in dry storage some 20 years ago. Two decades of quiet slumber ensued, only last year the beetle was brought back to light. It shows all traces of an eventful car life, inside and out. The charm lies in the wonderful contrasts: The painted parts on the inside (doors, front section) shine in a hardly scratched, good shape, while the fabric is torn, has water stains and traces of wear and tear. The sky, once bright, has darkened.
On the outside, the paintwork is faded, but the car as a whole sound. And, as befits a beetle, it runs and runs, and so on. Well you know.
The next owner may decide which way to go: Exhibit, restoration project, or just preservation of the original substance of this sympathetic classic.
Who has not heard of the Beetle that runs and runs and runs?
As early as 1945, mass production of the VW Beetle was commenced – the last one rolled off the line in 2003. The VW Beetle was produced over 20,000,000 times and had become a classic during its production period, enjoying a wide fan base right until today.
In early 2014, more than 10 percent of all registered classic cars in Germany were “creepy crawlies”, making it beyond any doubt the most popular classic car of all times.
Over the decades, the beetle has undergone numerous changes, the most obvious concerned the shape of the rear window. The two-piece oval rear window (“split”) was replaced in 1953 by a larger one-piece oval window. As of August 1957, this was replaced by a much wider rear window. Quite a few owners of older models had these “modern” windows installed subsequently, making the original singular-oval window variants more desirable and valuable today.
