1969 Volkswagen Beetle

This specific Beetle is a highly sought-after Karmann coach-built model. The Karmann cabriolets were four-seat models, which gave them a much wider audience, particularly in the United States where they sold well. The Karmann cabriolet generally mirrored the development of the Beetle during its life, both mechanically and in body features, although the top mechanism maintained its distinctive appearance. When folded, the top did not disappear, but sat proudly on the rear deck, covered with canvas. This Beetle comes with a 1,600cc OHV flat 4-cylinder engine with a single carburetor making roughly 38bhp at 3,900rpm mated to a 4-speed manual transaxle. The car also has 4-wheel independent suspension and 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

The exterior to this VW Beetle is finished in white. The paint overall is in good condition, but there are some flaws. There are chips in the paint on both rear fenders and around the engine bay. There are also two scrapes in the paint, one on the passenger side front bumper, and the other on the driver’s side of the rear bumper. The chrome front and rear bumpers as well as the headlight covers could use some hefty polishing. All 4 hubcaps are clean and have no surface corrosion; however, the rear passenger side hubcap is slightly scraped up. The soft top's exterior is clean when fully extended, but the rubber around the rear window has deteriorated over the years. It should also be noted that the rear hood appears to have slid slightly out of place, with one side hanging noticeably lower than the other. The original canvas cover appears to be disintegrating all over, but included with the sale is a brand-new cover that appears to be made out of much more durable material. This Beetle has its bumps and bruises, but in the grand scheme of things it would be very minor work getting the exterior back to show level condition.

The black interior of this Beetle has become weathered over the years, but just like the exterior, no major restoration efforts will be necessary in order to get this car back to its glory days. The convertible top is failing on the inside, it appears to have torn in at least two areas and some of the fabric now hangs down onto the seats. The leather on the driver's seat has torn in a few places, but it is still structurally sound. While the passenger seat is in much better shape than the driver, that has not stopped a small section of the threading on the seat back from coming undone. That being said, it does not appear that the seat has any tears or holes. The rear bench is in great shape. The floorboards are clean and the rubber floormats fit snugly into their respective positions.

For the most part, the underside of this Beetle is clean. There is some surface corrosion on the exhaust pipes and near the rear passenger wheel. The engine bay is fantastically clean, but there are some chips in the paint around the edges.

Since being purchased by the seller, the car has been kept in the garage and driven on weekends around the neighborhood. To date, this car has had 4 owners and is in very solid original condition. It appears to have had only one repaint over the original. The car does run and drive.

The last of roughly 330,000 Karmann Beetle Cabriolets was completed on January 10th, 1980. 53 years later, this ’69 Bug is still ticking. Sure, it might be a little rough around the edges all these years later, but this one of the most mass-produced vehicles of all time. Finding replacement parts for it will be an absolute breeze, and not many replacement parts are even necessary to get this car back up to snuff. This Beetle really just needs some attention to detail, making it a fantastic candidate for a simple do-it-yourself restoration.

We are excited to offer this car for auction with an estimate between $7,500 and $10,000.