Vehicle Description
1966 Volkswagen Beetle - 1600cc 4 Cylinder - 4 Speed Manual
Transmission - Nice, Clean Example (Please note: If you happen to
be viewing this 1966 Volkswagen Beetle on a website other than our
Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some
of our many photographs of this vehicle due to third-party website
limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 160
photographs and a short startup-and-walk-around video, please go to
our main website: GarageKeptMotors.) The best Beetle of them all.
�€"Paul Niedermeyer, Curbside Classics, 6/7/15 To the untrained,
all VW Beetles looked so similar, many people conclude that only
relatively minor alterations were made to the original design
through the years. But in-the-know VW Beetle historians, like the
author quoted above, know that some Beetles rise far above others.
So, considering how many millions of these cars were produced by
the Wolfsburg company, best Beetle is quite a claim. Twelve years
earlier in 1954, the Beetle was given a 1200cc motor rated at 36
(gross) 30 (DIN/net) horsepower to replace the much smaller engines
up to that point. As the Curbside Classics writer put it: The
Beetle now had a top speed of exactly 68 mph. And in 1961, the
power of the 1200 was bumped to 40/34 hp, and top speed went to 72
mph. That changed in 1966 with the launch of a new engine. The...
1300 had by far the biggest one-time jump in power, a whopping 25%,
from 40/34 horsepower (gross/net), to 50! (44 net) Wow; ten
additional ponies.... That was suddenly good for a solid 80-82 mph
top speed. And acceleration was dramatically improved. Zero-to- 50
now came in only 14.5 seconds, and zero-to-60 in about 22. In
today's standards, that's laughable. But it was quite close to what
a 1960 Falcon did, with twice the engine (2.4 L) and almost twice
the horsepower (90). Another way to look at it was that the new
1300 had the exact same horsepower that the Porsche 356 1300 did
just about a decade earlier. The 1300 engine achieved its improved
performance still using the same gear ratio in the 1200. That fact
was cleverly captured in one of the classic VW ads from the brand's
long-running campaign. The headline? We made the car ago faster.
And the engine go slower. The 1966 Beetle shown here in metallic
medium green over black vinyl is a terrific example of this special
Volkswagen. The car has been well-maintained through its lifetime
and now shows a mere 1,196 miles on the odometer, which has been
the mileage since restored. It does have an upgraded and rebuilt
1600, not 1300 for power. This is a very reliable and very drivable
classic with power delivered easily through the floor-mounted
4-speed shifter. Too many Beetles have suffered from well intended,
but ill advised updating and modifications that reduced the model's
appeal and value. Not here. The exterior paint great condition for
its age, as is the brightwork, glass, and steel wheels with chrome
VW-logo hubcaps. Emblems-including the 1300 on the rear hood-are
properly mounted and display only light patina from age. The body
is free of damage with tight panel-fit. Chrome bumpers with
over-rider protection retain their original luster. The engine bay
is complete and tidy, and the same is true of the undercarriage,
showing only minimal surface rust on un-protected metal. Inside,
the pristine painted dash matching the exterior color is unaltered
with the exception of an aftermarket Pioneer audio head unit with
speakers concealed behind the rear seat. Ivory-colored vinyl
upholstery is free of wear, damage, or signs of abuse. Tan
carpeting is in place throughout the cabin. The large, round VDO
speedometer and square VDO gas gauge is framed by the original
steering wheel wearing the traditional Wolfsburg-castle VW logo (in
homage to the company's northern Germany hometown) in its center. A
single, characteristically simple chrome highlight runs the width
of the dash. The original wicker parcel shelf is
