1972 Volkswagen Beetle Tesla Powered

The highlights

  • Unique appeal
  • Low mileage
  • Recent restoration
  • Retains historic status

The Background 

Probably one of the most easily recognized cars on Earth, Volkswagen’s ‘Beetle’ became hugely popular all over the world. Simple, tough, economical and, well…ugly, and with that distinctive air-cooled, flat-four sound, the ‘Bug’ was the best-selling car on the planet by 1968. 

By 1972, and with more than 15,000,000 made, the Beetle surpassed Ford’s Model T record production numbers. Indeed, it carried on in production in Brazil and Mexico long after its German parent company had ceased building it (in 1978).

During its lifetime, innumerable variations of the Beetle were produced or custom-built, such as the cabriolet, most notably built by Karmann-Ghia.

The History 

The Beetle has led a pretty quiet life, amassing only 34,000 miles driven in its 50 years on the road. And probably its most recent keepers have changed its life the most. The VW’s previous keeper was a classic car restorer (the Beetle being his personal car), who restored the car in around 2016. 

Having driven few miles since the restoration, the car was recently acquired by the proprietor of South Yorkshire-based EV Retro (evretro.co.uk) and converted to electric power, its 1300cc air-cooled four-pot being swapped out for a 120hp HyPer 9 three phase motor.

Interestingly, the Volkswagen still retains its road tax-free Historic Vehicle status, its upgrades being seen as an ‘environmental improvement’. The new electrics will also been given a 12 month warranty by EV Retro.

The Paperwork 

There isn’t a lot of paperwork to go with the car. MOT certificates go a long way to corroborating the low mileage, while the original receipts for the new hardware tell you pretty much all the componentry that has gone into the conversion.

The Exterior 

Overall, the Volkswagen makes a very good impression. All panels are straight and shut lines around the vehicle remain consistent. The slightly brighter than sage shade of green looks both contemporary and classic. The paint finish is excellent across the car’s length with all panels retaining a deep gloss and showing no dents or scrapes. 

The chrome is likewise in top condition, with bumpers and headlights offering a most lustrous appearance. There are one or two scuffs on smaller parts, but nothing that detracts from the overall appearance of the car.  Details such as the screws of the headlight surrounds, joins, seams and junctions in the metal and the hinges are also tidy; clean and rust-free. Seals and rubber mounting supporting the metal parts are as new and the beading between body panels and wheel arches is straight, clean, and shows no signs of overspray.

Everything looks standard Beetle. However, if you open the fuel filler flap, you will see the connector for the on-board 3Kw trickle charger.  (The correct cable comes with the car).

A very tidy and appealing example.

The Interior 

Like the exterior, the Volkswagen’s cabin retains all of its Bauhaus simplicity and functionality. Again, the only hint you will get that this is an electric vehicle is the BMS monitor to the right of the steering wheel telling you the car’s remaining power and range. Although the radio looks quite ‘period’, it offers Bluetooth connection. There are also four Pioneer speakers in the cabin.

The interior metal has also been repainted and shows no chips or scratches. Switches, the big white steering wheel and the gear stick knob show negligible wear, and the door furniture too is in fine condition. (Note the more sporty Wolfsburg Edition window winders). The vinyl on the door cards is clean and straight (mounted with even, clean screws) and the light cream seat material too is clean and tear free. 

The piping shows one or two minor marks. The driver’s seat appears a little saggy but is actually firm enough. Neither show any real patina to speak of. 

The headlining is clean and, for the most part, tight – only in the rear corners does it sag a little.

Should you be wondering at the three conventional pedals on the floor; the Beetle can be driven using its gears – and brakes – or simply switched over to a more ‘conventional’ one-pedal electric drive.

The Mechanics 

Underneath, the car looks a little weathered – there is some surface rust– but overall, everything appears solid and robust. The underside of the car looks sound. You’ll notice that the car has had new shock absorbers all round as well as new disc brakes up front. (The VW features regenerative braking). Tyres are also new.

The HyPer 9 motor looks like it was made for the car, such is its shape, size and location. The fitting appears well executed, with very tidy cabling and ducting. There are five 5.3Kw Tesla modules (batteries) in the car, giving a total of 26.6Kw of power. 

Three are in the front luggage compartment (there isn’t really room for anything else), and two are behind the rear seats. Again, positioning, installation and connections appear to be very good. Though where you might stow your weekend away case is another issue.

The Appeal

It's quite an odd thing to see the Volkswagen move but not hear its signature syncopated clatter, so whether an electric Beetle is for you is going to be a very individual choice. 

As already implied, somehow the new power source suits the Bauhaus aesthetic the car possesses. It’s installation frees you from the angst related to spiraling fossil fuel costs, while allowing you to retain all those on-road (tax) privileges related to owning an older vehicle. 
Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller’s discretion.

Please see our FAQs here and our Terms & Conditions here

Vehicle specification
  • Year 1972
  • Make Volkswagen
  • Model Beetle
  • Colour Green
  • Odometer 34,000 Miles
  • Engine size
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Trade
  • Town Sheffield
  • Location Yorkshire
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
44 bids
  • Mi•••• £34,000 11/03/22
  • mi•••• £33,750 11/03/22
  • Mi•••• £33,500 11/03/22
  • mi•••• £33,250 11/03/22
  • mi•••• £33,000 11/03/22
  • Mi•••• £32,750 11/03/22
  • mi•••• £32,500 11/03/22
  • Mi•••• £32,250 11/03/22
  • Mi•••• £32,000 11/03/22
  • mi•••• £31,750 11/03/22
Message C&C Auction Team

The gallery

The safest way to buy a classic car online

Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller. More about buying with us
Safe, secure payment process

About Max Bids

The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.

Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.

Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.

Auto-bidding increments

  • If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
  • If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
    • Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
    • We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.

Bid Amount Increment
£0 to £9,999 £100.00
£10,000 to £49,999 £250.00
£50,000 to £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Automatically outbid immediately

When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.

You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.

Matching max bids

When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.

Pre-authorisation

We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.

What are pre-bids?

A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.

Problem with your bid

Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.