Volkswagen Beetle 1303

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One of the most influential cars of all time, the remarkable VW Beetle was designed in the late 1930s by the equally remarkable Dr Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the company which ultimately developed the air-cooled ‘Bug’ into the world’s most revered supercar, the Porsche 911.

Dr Porsche was responding to a brief from Hitler himself to develop an utterly reliable ‘volkswagen’ (‘people’s car’) capable of carrying two adults and three children at 100kmh (62mph) for under 1,000 Reichsmarks – about the price of a small motorcycle.

Beautifully functional, the bodywork was attached to the nearly flat chassis with just 18 bolts and was so tightly constructed that it would float for several minutes if driven into water. Suspension was independent all round, using torsion bars for compactness. The air-cooled, rear-mounted, flat-four engine drove the rear wheels and was constructed of lightweight alloy, as was the gearbox.

The VW proved famously reliable in both the coldest winters and the hottest summers, and was capable of charging along the new autobahns flat out all day without protest. Remarkably ‘elastic’, it always felt more powerful than it actually was. While the overall appearance of the Beetle changed little, it received over 78,000 incremental changes during its incredible 65-year production run.

This 1972-built 1300 Beetle was first registered in January 1973 and has just undergone a thorough refurbishment by a team of mechanics primarily employed by the vendor to maintain a fleet of wedding cars, but put to work on the Beetle to keep them busy in quiet periods.

The engine has been fully overhauled along with the rest of the running gear, new parts being fitted where necessary. The bodywork has also been restored and treated to a glass-out repaint in metallic blue, while the underside has been rust-proofed and treated with a protective anti-stonechip coating.

The interior has been fully retrimmed and a woodrim steering wheel and alloy door handles fitted for a more sporty look – which is continued on the outside with a set of chunky 8-spoke alloys and new tyres.

Now said to be in excellent condition throughout and to drive well with an MOT until May 2015, it also comes with a nice number plate which, together with the sparkling paint, is sure to attract plenty of envious ogling!