Volkswagen Beetle 1200

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Back in 1933, Germany's Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, declared that he would put the population on four wheels. He gave a brief to Ferdinand Porsche to design a car which would carry two adults, two children, do 60mph and cover 33 miles on a gallon of petrol. It should also cost under 1,000 Reichmarks, the going rate for a motorcycle which was a very tall order indeed!

By 1935, Daimler-Benz had produced a number of Porsche’s prototypes, which were given to 200 soldiers to run continuously in shifts to see what would happen. The cars were modified and re-tested as weaknesses came to light, before finally being declared fit for manufacture. "Alles in ordnung" as the Germans say!

Initially called the KdF-Wagen, (Kraft durch Freude – Strength through Joy), a purpose-built factory was erected, surrounded by a new town called KdF-Stadt which was later re-named Wolfsburg. These first modifications to the KdF-Wagen were the precursor to 78,000 documented improvements to the model during its astonishing 65-year production run.

This very smart three-owner Beetle 1200 was sold new to a customer in Hertfordshire in 1971. He used it until 1980, selling it to its second owner who lived in York. He drove it until 1989 when he emigrated to America, putting the car away in a garage where it was to remain for the next 25 years. The vendor acquired the car from him two years ago at which point it had covered just 60,845 miles, a number of old MOTs confirming this figure.

Having been parked up for so long, it needed a thorough restoration, and that is exactly what it got. The car was stripped and the body removed from the floorpan. This was professionally repaired where necessary, the brief being to keep as much of the original as possible. A photobook of the bare metal rebuild is included in the file, which shows the extent of the work carried out. New wings were fitted during the build-up, although the originals have even been kept as part of the car’s history.

The brakes were replaced throughout and the car put back together with its existing interior and glass which was refitted using all new seals throughout. The engine was sent away for checking and detailing and was serviced with a new distributor, plugs and leads and the car fitted with a new petrol tank. Its original wheels were then refurbished and fitted with new tyres and the original chrome work put back in place, the vendor advising that most of it is in excellent condition, although the wing-top indicators could probably do with replacing.

Now with some 61,500 miles under its wheels and MOTd until November 2016, it is only reluctantly offered for sale due to lack of suitable storage. The vendor has left the original carpets out of the car so that the depth and quality of the car’s restoration can be fully appreciated.