Volkswagen Bugatti replica

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For those with time on their hands, a bit of space and a rusting Beetle, a whole new world of opportunity opened up in the late 1960s.

A new industry emerged which offered a bewildering range of fibreglass kits that could fill your driveway with a faux Mercedes SSK, dream Bugatti Type 35 or simply a fun-loving Beach Buggy, all built around the bullet-proof VW platform.

Their lightweight bodies meant that they had plenty of zip, while off-the-shelf megaphone exhausts made sure that other road users could hear you coming. Fun with capital ‘F’, they didn’t pretend to be the real deal, but appealed to those who wanted something a bit different on a shoestring budget.

As with all such home-built projects, the quality of the final construction varied enormously, this smart looking example having been better-built than most. On offer from a deceased estate, it was acquired in 2013 having emerged from a lock-up in a Leicester where it had sat for approximately five years.

Reputed to have been built in the late 1970’s it is based on a late 1963 1,192cc Beetle and was recommissioned shortly after purchase, including the fitment of its attractive stainless-steel dash. Its most recent MOT expired just last week, the car firing up quickly when taken out of the garage for the photographs.

Although there are a few areas of wiring that could do with tidying behind the dash, it looks very smart and is guaranteed to give its new owner a grin from ear-to-ear. This bright red head-turner is offered at no reserve, so the highest bid takes it.