1958 Volkswagen Beetle

Between 1950 and 1959, a number of changes were made to the Beetle’s design. In 1950, hydraulic brakes and folding fabric sunroofs became optional extras. In late 1952, the split rear windshield was abandoned for a single oval shaped rear windshield. Many of the lights around the car were either improved or relocated in 1953. In 1954, Volkswagen added 2mm to the engine’s cylinder bore and redesigned the crankshaft. These upgrades resulted in a power bump from 30hp to 36hp. 1956 saw the addition of a now beloved Beetle feature, the classic twin chrome tailpipes. Finally, in 1958, the instrument cluster was revised for a second time, and larger rectangular rear windshield replaced the oval added in 1952.

This Black Beetle is in phenomenal shape. The jet-black paint reflects more detail than a mirror. Speaking of mirrors, the always-classic Fuchs wheels show no flaws or surface corrosion. This Beetle does feature the folding fabric sunroof and it looks excellent. There are no visible holes or tears, but there is some very minor threading happening on one of the seams; however, a pair of scissors could easily address this. The chrome front and rear bumpers are clean and straight. One particular area that attests to the quality of this Beetle is the front license plate mount. Normally these two small metal pieces beneath the front bumper are the first pieces to corrode on the average Beetle but here, they shine just as brightly as the chrome bumpers. One walk around the car makes it blatantly obvious that this Beetle has been exceptionally maintained. Well done.

The red leather interior pairs with the black exterior wonderfully. The seats are fantastic, the driver’s seat has just the slightest bit of creasing but the rest look as though they just came back from the upholsterer. The white Bakelite steering wheel and black metal dash have no chips or scratches to speak of, and all the gauges are clean. It also appears that an aftermarket Pioneer stereo was cleverly stashed inside the glove compartment for some modern convenience. The rubber floormats are in great condition, although they seem to be having a little trouble fitting properly around the pedals. Furthermore, the carpet directly above the pedals does not have the greatest fit either, but the carpet itself is in great condition and this can likely be adjusted. The only real visible flaw in this interior is that some of the paint appears to have been chipped off on the shifter, that is it. The folding fabric sunroof looks excellent both closed and open. The frunk is clean and another wonderful surprise is an extra Fuchs spare wheel and tire.

The underside of this Beetle is not hiding any major damage whatsoever, in fact, it is unbelievably clean. There is no area underneath this car that raises any alarms. Equally as clean, is the engine bay. Everything looks as though it has been freshly detailed. It would probably have been a challenge to find a speck of dust that is out of place when these photos were taken. Furthermore, there are no chips around the edges of the engine bay either, which speak volumes about the condition this Beetle is in.

The Volkswagen Beetle is far and away the most produced and widely known vehicle of all time. However, with over 21 million units produced, Beetles in rough shape are a dime a dozen. Especially when one looks for increasingly older years. Today’s example could not be any further from that if it tried. What we have here is an absolutely stunning Beetle with a fantastic exterior/interior combination and little to no flaws to be seen anywhere. The underside is just as clean as the exterior, which is just as clean as the interior, which as just as clean as the engine bay.