1969 Volkswagen Beetle

This Beetle started life as a 1500 model, though it’s now sporting an even more powerful 1600 engine – it also began its life on the other side of the world in Australia. Here it was painted orange in the care of a long-term, female owner, who doted upon her Bug. She even kept a mileage diary – the best owners usually do.

After decades spent in Oz, the car was imported to the UK in 2014, where it was given a fresh coat of paint, in a more period-correct shade, and was apparently extensively restored. The engine was allegedly rebuilt to the tune of £1000, though there’s no evidence of this in its history, it certainly seems to run and drive very well indeed.

Left largely unmodified (barring the odd window winder) this Beetle presents very well indeed. The car’s paint is good, though could easily be made excellent in some small areas with a further cut and polish. The best news of all is that the car appears to be almost totally rust-free. We only found the odd patch of very light surface staining on the floors and a few small rust spots on the bottom of the headlight bowls. No doubt the consequence of living in Canberra for much of its life, it seems to have survived its 53 years extremely well.

Brightwork and trim present well, though we did notice some cracks to the rubber seals around the headlights and some pitting and corrosion to both bumpers and tail pipes. The paint finish is good, as mentioned, and it certainly draws plenty of admirers. Glass is clear and largely free of marks too.

There are a few little details that will bug (see what we did there?) the die-hard enthusiast. Chiefly, the fact that the badges are missing. The vendor searched for the correct ‘1500’ type but came up short. There’s also a mismatch of budget tyres front to back, with the former sitting on 15mm lower profiles than the rears. This does create a bit of a 1970s hot-rod vibe – we’re not sure that was intentional. Either way, it didn’t bother the MoT tester, as this Volkswagen comes with a 10-months remaining of its test – not that it needed one, of course, being an historic vehicle – the reassurance of a tester’s eye can’t be overestimated.

Wheels have been finished in body colour and covered in period chrome caps, all of which shine nicely, yet all bar one display shallow dents from over enthusiastic fitting. Window and screen rubbers appear to have been renewed recently, suggesting the glass was taken out for the respray. Though we did find areas of that previous orange paint under the engine lid and in the back corners of the ‘frunk’.

The cabin presents well with clearly recently trimmed seats, front and back, standing out for the right reasons. The latter bench is even still covered in plastic, likely not sat in since the car’s restoration. Painted panels in here mostly look great, but there’s also some areas showing original paint from sloppy masking. There’s orange showing through under the steering column and what looks like masking tape painted over the shift pattern diagram. We also found specs of overspray on the gearstick and knob. These are very minor complaints in the grand scheme of things and could be put right in a matter of minutes with some paint thinners and a rag.

More importantly, the car’s patina hasn’t been covered over with new paint. There are lovely lived-in touches like the cracks to the horn push on the wheel and the delightfully period stereo facia. A toggle switch has been added to the dash, we’re not sure of its function – perhaps the washer? The pedal rubbers seem to be in amazing shape for their age, as are the majority of the often-touched components – gear knob, sill top trims, steering wheel and grab handles. Door cards and headliner appear practically unmarked and fit well.

Along with its fine mechanical health and general highly-presentable condition inside and out, the underside of this Beetle is also no let down. Floors look rock solid, as do the sills and inside of the wheel arches. Everywhere we tried to find rot we were pleasantly surprised – though there’s evidence of a little cosmetic filler work to the bottom of the offside rear wing. Door bottoms looked intact with no obvious signs of corrosion. The same can be said of the front wheel well – a common Beetle rust trap.

While we were in the ‘frunk’ we did notice the slightly DIY approach to installing the windscreen washer motor and its tank – the latter is secured in place via a jubilee clamp. The correct 1500 Beetle front anti-roll bar remains in place and its bushes seem to be in good shape, with no obvious cracks or signs of perishing. The front brake flexible lines look new, as do the fuel lines at the rear and various other clips, clamps and pipework. We also didn’t encounter anything beyond a light oil mist to the underside of either the engine or transmission.

As we said earlier, there’s sadly no documentary evidence pointing to when, and how comprehensively, this car was restored. It’s clearly been repainted, relatively recently and its engine sounds strong. It’s also keen to start and willing to give every ounce of its 60bhp when on the move. We’ve therefore no cause to doubt the vendor’s claim that he’s had it rebuilt, though we obviously can’t guarantee that’s the case.

The history file has come over with the car from Oz, which is great as it shows consistent care and fastidious ownership (remember that mileage diary?) for decades. The bad news is that there’s very little from its eight years spent in the UK. We have the cleared import document from 2014, with an invoice for a number of parts and their fitting from November 2019, which is likely the end of its restoration period.

That bill lists new front wheel bearings, front discs and pads, rear wheel cylinders, track rod ends and rear brake shoes. There’s also a load of peripheral parts for the MoT including the horn, that washer pump and rear tyres. It was then registered and road legal from the first of January 2020. Along with that registration, and the car’s period plate, is a letter of confirmation from Volkswagen that this Beetle was manufactured on the tenth of April, 1969.

This Beetle is about 95 percent restored, depending on your attention to detail. You could happily run and drive it as it is, indefinitely. Its paint is very presentable, though some closer scrutiny of a few areas will leave the most discerning wanting a little more. The interior is a similar case. It all appears very neat and tidy with new carpets, door cards and re-trimmed seats, but look a bit closer and a few areas need further finishing. Nothing that a weekend of fastidious work couldn’t put right.

With the correct tyres all round and these little niggles amended this would be a show-stopper. As it stands, it’s a highly presentable classic VW that you can use sparingly in the summer and not feel guilty about adding the odd stone chip or scratch. We think that’s got to be worth £8,000 - £12,000 of anyone’s money.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with its vendor in Northampton, United Kingdom. To arrange an appointment to view, use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions.’