1968 Volkswagen Beetle
How "big" was the original Beetle? For the 1968 model year 399,674 cars were sold in the United States with nearly 10,000 of those being cabriolets. Bigger bumpers, vertical sealed beam headlights, taller taillights that included reverse lights and for the first time, the fuel fill was moved to the fender after being under the hood from the start.
For consignment, a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle that was a California car up until about 2002 when a father bought it from his son and shipped it east. How's that for a twist? It had just gone through paint, body, and engine work in California was well sorted when it arrived and has remained in the same family since 2000.
Exterior
Our Beetle is finished in Ivory which is complemented by chrome features including the headlight rings, handles, midline trim on the hood, bumpers, and marker light housing, all in great shape. It's also contrasted by dark features such as the window trim, bumper braces, fender beading, running board, and of course, the tires. What we're saying is that Ivory is a fantastic color on this car! VW hubcaps adorn the color keyed 14-inch steel wheels and we note some chipping on a few of them. The body is straight and so are the gap lines and few imperfections exist. We note a paint drip, an area of orange peel, a scuff, and a crack in the paint.
Interior
The black vinyl door cards are clean and mostly straight with some separation on the edge from the body colored door. Tall backed black cloth seats are lined in black vinyl including the headrest and look to be in good shape as does the rear bench which is upholstered in the same velour like cloth. Basic configuration is found from the steering wheel forward, all in clean and tidy condition, a single gauge in the sightline relaying speed, fuel, and miles traveled. An ivory mesh grille is embedded in the black plastic dashboard and matches the painted glove box for a clean and coordinated presentation. Looped carpet mats in black cover the floor where we find the shifter with some patina on shaft and knob, the shift pattern is on the dash as a reminder. The white perforated headliner is in decent condition save for the dome light which has come loose and is hanging but the wire. The visors look good and the "frunk" is covered in a remnant carpet piece in black and has a spare.
Drivetrain
Out back, we pop the rear engine cover to find a very clean 1600cc flat 4 cylinder powerplant fueled by a 1-barrel carburetor and tied to a 4-speed manual transmission which keeps the spin to the back and 4.125 gears. Drum brakes are on all four wheels.
Undercarriage
Starting from the back, the headers and exhaust pipe have typical surface rust, enter a stock style muffler then exit via a longer than normal tailpipe. We also note some oil on the transaxle but from there it's clear sailing as clean belly pans cover the rest of the underside. Wheel components are clean and rubber boots are intact. VW suspension consists of transverse torsion bars in the front and semi trailing arm with torsion bar in the back.
Drive-Ability
There's a 90% chance I was brought home from the hospital in a mid-60's Beetle after being born so this all seems very familiar, except for the diaper. Anyway, the upright and no nonsense Beetle interior is stoic and at the same time, playful. The car started right up, runs well, tracks and brakes well, and all functional items worked as they should. We return to the mall after a short drive because it's my naptime. 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.
Here's a clean Beetle that needs nothing other than a new caretaker to enjoy. These tossable little classics will never go out of style, will never cease to garner smiles and attention, and will always be collectible. You don't have to be an expectant mother to want this car, and it will be a little bundle of joy for whomever takes it home!
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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