Highlights

Volkswagen beach buggy with vivid bright green tubular bodywork
Conceived by London-based sculpture artist, designer and fabricator Benedict Radcliffe
Comprehensively modified engine with a raft of upgraded components
MOT/road tax-exempt and ULEZ-compliant due to age

The Appeal

The Volkswagen Beetle’s simple mechanical layout, vast production numbers and instantly recognisable shape have made it one of the most frequently reimagined cars of all time. From beach buggies to Baja conversions, few classics have proved more adaptable, but very few interpretations are as visually arresting as this lowered Radcliffe Beach/Road cruiser.

This 1966 Volkswagen was converted to a tubular chassis Meyers Manx buggy in 1975. Around 5 years ago, London-based sculpture artist, designer and fabricator Benedict Radcliffe removed the Meyers Manx fibreglass body to expose the tubular chassis. The result is part car, part rolling sculpture, retaining the unmistakable proportions of the original while presenting them in an entirely unexpected way - RSR-style seats, deep-dish Fuchs wheels on new Toyo tyres and vintage dials and switches make this into a striking restomod buggy. Recently, this was centre stage on the EMPI stand at Classics at the Clubhouse last month.

Finished in vivid green and fitted with a comprehensively reworked engine, it should appeal to a buyer seeking something far beyond the usual classic Volkswagen. Whether displayed as an automotive artwork, shown at events or used as an extraordinary mobile conversation piece, it is a highly individual renovation with a character all of its own.

Like it's Orange sibling this buggy can be acquired individually and would be a memorable event car in its own right. That said, there is obvious added appeal in uniting both Radcliffe creations as a pair.

Key Information

Mileage: 31,152 miles (indicated)
Country of registration: United Kingdom
Technical inspection status: MOT-exempt due to age
Technical specs: 1.7-litre air-cooled flat-four, four-speed manual gearbox
Paperwork: offered with limited documentation

The Detail

Bright green tubular chassis/bodywork
Black Porsche RSR-style seats
Fuchs split-rim wheels with Toyo tyres
Interior features a three-spoke steering wheel, original-style speedometer and separate tachometer
Standard Beetle front suspension with ball-joint beam
Coilover front shock absorbers
Independent rear suspension with adjustable spring plates
Modified IRS Beetle ‘Freeway Flyer’ gearbox with upgraded internals, taller final drive, heavy-duty side plates and hydraulic clutch
Engine specification includes 94mm Autolinea race case, 86mm counterweighted crankshaft and 5.4-inch I-beam conrods
Engle FK8 camshaft with 30mm followers
Steel-backed main bearings
CB Performance Panchito big-valve cylinder heads
Pertronix billet distributor, 8mm HT leads, 1.4:1 ratio rockers and bolt-up rocker shafts
44IDF carburettors with CSP bell crank linkage
Super Competition exhaust by Co-Built
32mm oil pump with full-flow cover
External oil filter
Lightened 8-dowel flywheel
Kennedy Stage 2 clutch
Chrome alternator
Bolt-on rocker covers
Billet crank pulley

BEFORE YOU BUY

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