Description
Käfer, Coccinelle, Escarabajo, Maggiolino... In any language, and all over the world, the Beetle has become an absolute myth, a legend! However, it was in a bad way, since it was developed at the request of Chancellor Hitler for the entire German people at the end of the 1930s. In the end, it was Ferdinand Porsche's design office that won the contract. He will then propose something totally innovative and without any competition on the market: a small car for the whole family, 2 adults and 2 to 3 children, their luggage, and with a level of comfort quite incredible for the segment and for the time: the Volkswagen, literally the people's car. Compared to the first studies of the Citroën 2CV which have been presented just one year later, it's pretty much the opposite. The Beetle is a robust, reliable, comfortable car, and it has an unusual configuration with its air-cooled, rear overhung, flat-4 engine. An architecture that will prove its efficiency and ingenuity, as it will give rise 10 years later to the birth of the Porsche 356.
The first generation Beetle, produced from 1938 to 1952, is obviously the most emblematic with its split rear window: the Split, or Brezel. It was followed by the Oval, produced until 1957, and then the first models with this large rear windscreen, which it later kept, enlarged by a few millimeters almost every year. This is also what characterizes the Beetle: each new vintage brings its lot of novelties, improvements and changes. Sometimes technical, sometimes aesthetic. The most important of these came in 1967, with the adoption of a resolutely more modern design (vertical headlights, large bumpers, etc.), which brought the Beetle into the hippy years. It's a totally different car, and the current classic car world is not mistaken.
The Beetle has also been the basis of many transformations, made by the factory or by independent workshops. Several bodies have been proposed in the catalogue: Sedan, Ragtop (then sunroof from 1964), Cabriolet, Hebmüller roadster, but also ambulance, airport vehicle "follow me", police car with on-board radar, and many others! Whatever it is, everyone has adopted the Beetle, including in rallies in the 50's to 70's where it has signed some nice victories. Its worldwide commercial success is perhaps its greatest achievement, with more than 21. 5 million Beetles produced between 1938 and 2019! An absolute record!
This Volkswagen was produced on February 18th, 1959, and left the factory the next day, as attested by its birth certificate. Delivered new to a lady in Hamburg on March 2nd of the same year, it remained her property until February 1988, before having 3 successive German owners between Hamburg and Lüneburg. Its current owner bought it 16 years ago with only 67, 500 km on the odometer, and in an exceptional preserved condition! He drove about 50. 000 km at his wheel.
This car is a rare and desirable Ragtop Luxury version, typical of the 50s. It is in its original Capri Blue color, which was only produced for 6 months. The year 1959 is the last "good" year for purists, bringing together important elements: two-pieces "moulded foot" engine, semaphores in the door pillars, "fridge" door handles, enameled hood badge, and second generation of batwing steering wheel.
This Beetle is still equipped with its original gearbox, with non-synchronized 1st gear, and its original engine which has been recently rebuilt by one of the best specialists, only with NOS parts. The interior has also remained totally original, and crystal covers have been fitted on the front seats to protect the original upholstery. It is equipped with many period accessories: "Waso" anti-theft lock on the gear lever, "Sico" soliflore, "Bambus" shelf, coconut carpets, wing flag pole, "Blaupunkt Frankfurt" radio with "Hirschmann" antenna, sun visor, rear mud flaps, "Peka" heavy hitch, and an extremely rare "Aerorex" ragtop deflector.
Perfectly maintained by its owner, this emblematic car, a must in any good collection, is ready to take you around the world with your hair in the wind, its reliability being no longer to be proven! It comes with its 1959 papers and all its manuals, including the radio warranty!
