1969 Volkswagen Beetle

1969 Volkswagen Beetle When production started on Herbie the Love Bug, Disney set up a casting call for about a dozen cars, and kept them outside the studios for the crew to examine during their breaks. The lineup included Toyotas, Volvos, and of course, the pearl white Volkswagen Beetle. When the crew walked by to inspect the cars, they would kick the tires and grab the steering wheel to see how it handled. However, when they came across the Volkswagen, they began to pet it, so the Beetle got the job. Thx IMDB. I don't know if this confirmation of the Beetle's cuteness, or commentary on people in show business, but either way, the presence of a Beetle instantly turned it into a film icon and sold a few cars for VW along the way. For consignment, a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle with 23,501 miles on the odometer, but the true miles are unknown. This former Californian received a frame off restoration and has lots of upgraded parts. It was also featured on the 2024 JBugs.com calendar! It will come to you with a binder full of repair and parts receipts. Exterior Sure, the two stage Peru Green paint is spectacular, but what sets it apart is the blacked out treatment of all the trim. Components that would otherwise be chrome or polished metal are now black including the light rings, bumper brackets, and emblems. A Porsche emblem appears to conjure up VW's origins and black centered stylized 914 four lug 15-inch wheels also wear the Porsche crest, each wrapped in 185/65R15 tires. Even the tailpipes are black and there are two sets of twin pipes out the back while a subtle spoiler is perched on the downslope of the roofline. Sport mirrors have been moved a bit lower on the A-pillars and the running boards pull the exterior design together. Some imperfect paint around a wheel opening, some touched up scratches, a few rock chips up front, and touched up chips make up the list of flaws we note on an otherwise very clean exterior. Interior Textured vinyl door cards fill the space and are framed in green while blue piping surrounds the tall cloth black bucket seats in front, and they are in nice condition, and the same material covers the rear bench. An ergonomic Momo steering wheel fronts the green painted dash with clean, black VDO gauges added to the central speedometer. There's a Bluetooth radio on board and an Empi shifter rising from the floor that's completely covered in tightly woven gray carpet. The black perforated headliner is in good condition and the frunk is loosely lined with a gray mat and houses a spare and jack. Drivetrain The engine makes a clean and tidy presentation, a fine example of a rebuilt 1600cc flat 4 cylinder with a 1-barrel carburetor and backed by a 4-speed manual that keeps power at the back, routing it through 4.120 gears. Undercarriage The underneath is almost as clean as the topside and the painted belly pan shines bright amongst clean componentry. The dual exhaust travels a short distance to a stock style muffler which sends two pipes into splitters out back. Newer suspension consists of a transverse torsion bar up front and semi trailing arms on the independent back. Brakes are configured as front disc and rear drum. Drive-Ability This is a solid running VW with all the fun you'd expect from a classic Beetle with nimble handling, straight tracking, and enough power to warrant a spirited run. Visibility eventually became a Beetle strong point, augmented by the upright driving position. All functions operate as they should and we regretfully end our drive so that this car can take its place on the showroom floor. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Classic Beetles come through our Hallowed Halls and tend to leave as if the Orkin man just showed up, especially nice ones like this. The V-dub nation is as enthusiastic as ever and if you