1968 Volkswagen Beetle

1968 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible In 1968 the Beetle was modernized and set the template for all Beetles until production ended in 2003, and for a car that prided itself on making only small, incremental changes over the years, was the biggest and most obvious set of changes and updates ever seen. With that in mind, it's not hard to imagine that nailing down the final form and details may have taken a bit longer, to the point that a brochure like this one would have been produced before all those changes were truly finalized. The Autopian, pointing out the subtle, (to us), differences of the brochure Beetle and production model, October 2025. For consignment, a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle convertible showing 5,599 miles, but the true miles are unknown. Owned by our consignor since 2016, this car received a frame off restoration and mechanical overhaul completed in 2021, claiming just 2,500 miles since completion. Exterior Two stage Cumulous White covers our car like a bright cloudy day, and one of the most recognizable cars in the world is topped by a newer dark blue canvas top which provides a nice contrast. In back, are the new tail lights for '68, described as tombstone shaped, replacing the oval units of Beetles past, and it's here we note a slight difference in the red color of the lenses. A chrome bumper circles the rounded tail, like a halo and casts a shadow on the twin exhaust pipes that exit the rear apron. Arching extended bumpers contribute to the Beetle's cuteness and they're connected by a black, rubber topped running board. 15-inch slotted wheels are painted to match and finished with a VW embossed chrome hubcap. Chrome is also present on the handles on all four sides of the car, mirrors, trim, and topping the fender mounted turn signals. A ding in one of those hubcaps and a nearby paint chip is the only imperfections we find on this fine Bug. Interior The standard black vinyl door cards are in great shape and provide a nice contrast to the body color inner doors, and weave patterned black vinyl covers the familiar bucket seats up front and rear bench. The People's Car sports a simple control panel, from the two spoke steering wheel with horn ring, to the single gauge in the dash and textured plastic panel, here with contrasting face plate and glove box door, all in great shape. Clean black carpet covers the floor and a simple shifter rises from the central hump. The front trunk is finished and clean and practically show worthy. Drivetrain Out back, we have a cleanly presented and rebuilt 1493cc flat four cylinder with a 1-barrel carburetor and capable of 53 horsepower, (Herbie would approve!). It's now mated to a 4-speed manual transmission with a new clutch, keeping power in back with 4.125 gears. Undercarriage Like the rest of the car, the bottom side is pretty clean with just some general patina. Drum brakes are at all four wheels with turned drums, new brake cylinders and a new master cylinder. Suspension consists of transverse torsion bars up front and torsion bars with semi trailing arms in back. Dual exhaust travels through a stock style muffler and much of the underside is covered in clean, black belly pans. Drive-Ability The four cylinder fires right up and we scoot this comfortable little car onto the test loop where it provides a fine ride that elicits zero complaints. It performs just as you would expect from a well sorted '68 Beetle and all functions are in good working order. 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. Sixty-eights are special in that they set in motion a new standard for the Beetle and many of the design cues and features stayed around for a very long time. Here's one that has been fully restored and presents in a great color combo that's clean on the inside and out, not to mention the top and bottom sides! It al