Description
The Volkswagen Beetle, officially Type 1, is one of the most iconic cars of the 20th century. Designed in the 1930s by Ferdinand Porsche as the “people’s car”, it uses a simple, ingenious layout: an air-cooled, rear-mounted flat-four engine, rear-wheel drive, and a sturdy build that makes maintenance straightforward. After the Second World War, production restarted in Wolfsburg and the Beetle quickly became a worldwide sensation. Its mechanical simplicity, reliability and low running costs explain its exceptional success, with more than 21 million examples produced in total.
In the early 1970s, the so-called “Super Beetle” generation appeared, starting with the 1302 and then the 1303. Introduced in 1972, the 1303 stands out with a strongly rounded windscreen, a modernised dashboard and enlarged rear lights. It mainly adopted a MacPherson strut front suspension, replacing the torsion-bar front axle used on classic Beetles. This development significantly improves road holding, steering accuracy and comfort, while retaining the traditional rear-engine architecture. Although European production ended in the mid-1970s, the Beetle continued its career elsewhere, notably in Mexico, where it would keep evolving technically.
The example presented is a 1982 1303 Beetle. Originally, it was fitted with a 1400cc fuel-injected engine, typical of the latest Beetle developments produced outside Europe. It is now equipped with a 1600cc engine—the best-known Volkswagen air-cooled flat-four. This four-cylinder boxer develops around 50 hp at 4, 000 rpm, with torque of about 106 Nm, fed by carburettor and paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. This engine is well regarded for its durability, ease of maintenance and widespread availability of parts, making it one of the most popular mechanical setups among Beetle enthusiasts.
This car underwent a complete restoration in 2000, during which both the entire mechanical components, the bodywork and the interior were refreshed. More than twenty years on from that overhaul, it shows signs of use—perfectly normal for a car driven since its restoration—but overall it remains sound and coherent. It is fitted with electronic ignition and a new carburettor. The gearbox has recently been rebuilt (shift forks, gears, bearings).
It reflects significant restoration work where everything was redone, and today it remains a charming Beetle at an attractive price.
