1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Semi Auto
Car History
The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, or in
parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, is a two-door,
rear-engine economy car, intended for five that was manufactured
and marketed by German automaker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until
2003.
The need for a people's car (Volkswagen in German), its concept and
its functional objectives were formulated to be a cheap, simple car
to be mass-produced.
We have a very rare 1971 Beetle here at Adventure Classics that is
equipped with a rare semi-automatic transmission coupled with a
stock engine that makes for a pleasant driving experience.
Ours is a one owner car still in the original owner's name car will
need light restoration of mainly the outside paint as the inside is
wonderful and it drives wonderful too. It has a gas heater with the
top in wonderful condition, miles are actual, and the floor pans
are all original.
Engine & Drivetrain
The Beetle's manual gearbox has always been admired for its pin
sharp precision changes, but for those who wanted to give their
left leg a rest, there was the option of the semi-auto.
Introduced in 1968 and made available on the 1300 and 1500, the
semi-auto Beetle was inherently more stable with the double-jointed
driveshaft type independent rear suspension instead of the
conventional swing axle, it handled better than the manual Bug of
that era.
The most obvious difference inside, of course, is the fact that
there is no clutch pedal. The gear lever itself looks stock, but
there's only four positions; three forward gears (L, 1 and 2) and
reverse, arranged in the conventional H-pattern.
Because the torque converter is able to apply power over a wide rev
range, only the top two gears are used for normal driving, with 'L'
only being needed if starting on a slope or tackling tight parking
maneuvers.
The engine can only be started in neutral and when cold it idles
much faster than when warm, so before engaging gear the brakes have
to be applied to prevent the car lurching forward.
As soon as the gear lever is moved, a solenoid in the top sends an
electrical instruction to disengage the clutch. When a gear is
selected, the accelerator is pressed and the torque converter takes
up drive, with first being good from rest up to 55mph.
Position 2 takes you right up to motorway cruising speeds. If the
oil temperature warning light glows, however, it's telling you to
drop down a cog. You don't need to take it out of gear when at
rest, although you do need to keep a foot on the brake to prevent
'creep'.
Our engine and drivetrain looks exactly in the factory stock
condition as when it left the factory.
Interior
The interior looks stock too with the factory seats, door panels,
and headliner. It is in wonderful condition and really looks nice
with the good carpet, factory painted dash with gauges, a radio
system, and a gas heater.
Exterior
The factory stock red exterior could use a light restoration of
mainly the outside paint as the inside is wonderful and it drives
wonderful too. It has a convertible top in wonderful condition,
miles are actual, and the floor pans are all original.
It rides on the factory wheels and hubcaps with blackwall
tires.
Conclusion
The very rare 1971 Beetle we have here at Adventure Classics is
equipped with a rare semi-automatic transmission, factory stock
engine and a great interior and top that will make the basis for a
great restoration if you choose and a pleasant driving
experience.
Call or email us at:
[email protected]
(727) 688-1148 OR (727) 580-9919
AdventureClassicCars.com