Vehicle Description
1969 Volkswagen Beetle Coupe
Bela Barenyi, an 18 year old Hungarian student, submitted a chassis
design for a "Volkswagen" in 1925 and is recognized as designing
the basic VW Beetle. Ferdinand Porsche, an Austrian automotive
engineer, created the Volkswagen Beetle after receiving a contract
from Hitler in 1934 for prototypes. The Beetle's air-cooled flat 4
engine was designed by Franz Reimspeiss not Ferdinand Porsche. Even
with 20 plus million being built to date, he received less than
twenty dollars for his work.
We proudly have bugs here at the Classic Auto Mall! No, not the
kind that makes you itch or the kind you swat, but the type built
in Germany by the millions and that have invaded countries around
the world. For consignment, a VW Beetle with more custom touches
than there are cicadas in South Eastern PA. A full on brood of
paperwork and photos that document the entire restoration, from the
litany of Porsche parts used in this build to the painstaking
attention to detail in each and every part. Nothing has been
overlooked here and this Beetle won't have you swatting anything
but the hoards and hoards of onlookers admiring your ride.
Exterior
Lauren Green covers the laser straight panels on this bug. All gaps
are well minded, and the curvature of the rounded fenders is
flawless. While the non-integrated fenders, a design which dates
back to the 1920's, are still present, they are now attached front
and rear by billet aluminum running boards. The factory chrome
bumpers have been replaced by billet aluminum bumpers, a very nice
touch. A Laurel Green metal sunroof resides up top, all glass and
trimmings are near perfect. The front and rear lighting has been
replaced by 1959 pieces for a smoother look. 15" and 17" Chrome
Fuchs Porsche wheels adorn all 4 corners and are wrapped in like
new staggered size rubber, 195/65R15 on the front and 225/50R17 for
the rear. Nothing to fly off the handle about here.
Interior
A press of a button on the remote and the driver's door swung open,
but low and behold it has been reverse hinged, suicided if you
will. Saddle door panels with a shallow horizontal tuck and roll
pattern greet us. This pattern is broken up by a stainless strip
that even curves around the armrest. A shiny chrome door release
and a snazzy drilled window crank are the only other deviations
from the supple Saddle vinyl. This same Saddle follows along into
the cabin as a pair of bucket seats with a vertical tuck and roll
pattern float above a sea of beige carpet. An EMPI shifter rises
from between the seats and is comfortably within reach of the
driver. The rear bench seat, which emulates the buckets in design
and material appear to never have been sat in and pop out rear
windows give extra ventilation on those rides to the beach. A huge
shout out to the Porsche seat belts for both front and rear seat
passengers. A polished 3 spoke wood rimmed Porsche steering wheel
fronts the stamped steel Laurel Green dashboard. Round chrome
trimmed Porsche gauges provide the driver with all necessary engine
feedback. We open the glovebox to find a hidden surprise...a
Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo to drown out the buzzing of the bees.
Drivetrain
Opening the hood, we were blinded by the bling going on in the
engine bay. A mirrored panel sits below and gives a great view of
the 1600cc flat 4-cylinder engine which was just tuned up in May of
2021. Everything on the engine is either polished, black or a
natural aluminum finish and clean enough to eat off of. A 4-speed
manual transmission is attached to the engine and sends power to
the tires via a 4.210 final drive ratio. Just the sight of this
mechanical masterpiece puts butterflies in my stomach.
Undercarriage
Showing minimal to no wear and only minor traces of road dirt down
here. No rust to speak of in any form, it was all handled during
the restoration. Disc brakes have been added to all four corners
for superior stopping power. Independent suspension with transverse
torsion bars are up front while a swing arm independent suspension
is on the rear. Dual exhaust feeds a single muffler then out a dual
set of tail pipes. The only thing we note is the passenger side
heater channel hose is missing, maybe carried off by a Polyphemus
Moth?
Drivability
I love getting to drive European cars of yore and this car did not
disappoint. A turn of the key and I was met with those exhaust
sounds that only can be heard from an older VW. The car ran
swimmingly, shifted effortlessly, handled corners competently, and
came to a halt fast enough to give change thanks to the 4-wheel
disc brakes. I was happier than ants at a country picnic after this
drive!
A full-on bolt off restoration and customization with no stone left
unturned. A striking color combination and 1969 German engineering
never looked so good. Based on past experience with Beetles you had
better hurry over to the Classic Auto Mall to beat the swarms of
people buzzing around this one.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.