Vehicle Description
It sure looks like the days of inexpensive Beetles are drawing to a
close, which is probably a good thing. This cheerful red 1974
Volkswagen Super Beetle is still an economical way to join the
hobby, featuring a fresh paint job, comfortable interior, and a
lively air-cooled Flat 4 motor. Better yet, this dialed-in little
Bug is believed to only have 27,449 miles on the clock. There's a
very large group of folks out there who love these wonderful icons,
and beautifully preserved examples like this are always at the top
of the list.
Is there anything about the VW Beetle that hasn't already been
said? There's more than one reason why they have endured for
decades as the world's most popular car, and this one makes it easy
to understand why they've recently started taking off as legitimate
collectables. The cheeky good looks impressive build quality all
work together to make one fantastic hobby car. This Beetle has been
lovingly maintained, and the fact that it has spent most of that
life as a weekend car (the super-low reported miles certainly tell
that tale) lets us all know the bones are good. The recent repaint
is pretty close to the original color and looks exactly right on
the vintage runabout, straddling the line between flashy and
traditional. Everything lines up neatly and the doors open and
close with a precision that belies the car's affordable price tag,
and while it's not a show car, it still looks great as a top-end
driver. The sought-after Super Beetle offered a curved windshield,
larger indicator lights, and subtly reshaped body panels, but the
overall look is pure Beetle.
The gray interior is an excellent complement to the bright red
bodywork, and the textured and durable tweed material that lines
the cabin does a good job of keeping you cool on warm days, and
cozy in the winter. Sporty 1980s-era Recarro-style buckets were
swapped in up front to provide better bolster support, and they're
in great shape, much like the matching rear bench. The Super Beetle
was upgraded inside, as well, including a more stylish instrument
panel, although it still embraced the VDO single gauge motif with
the gas gauge inside the speedometer face. All the switchgear has a
very no-nonsense look typical of German cars of the period and the
leather-wrapped steering wheel has a substantial feel that's pure
Volkswagen. The tweed upholstery on the headliner and door panel
inserts is also in great shape, as are the industrial-style gray
carpets that insulate the floors, and the shiny black dash is clean
as can be and completely free of any cracks or ripples. Like most
VW's of the era, options are limited, but this Super Beetle does
still carry its original AM radio (although it's in need of an
upgrade if you want tunes), along with a heater/defrost unit that's
still working great. The forward-mounted trunk is outfitted the
same as it was in 1974, and includes its original spare tire and
jack set.
The air-cooled 1600 cc flat-four under the boot is likely the Bug's
original engine, and it still whistles along without complaints.
With such low mileage reported on the clock, it's still an
excellent runner that feels very strong up and down the throttle,
especially with that smooth-shifting 4-speed manual transmission
behind it. It starts easily with that distinctive VW whistling
exhaust note, and delivers just the right amount of performance for
around-town errands. It remains quite stock, from the carburetor to
the hoses to the air ducts, and thanks to routine maintenance
through the years, it fires up with ease and doesn't puff out any
smoke from the exhaust - somewhat of a rarity in Beetle's from this
era. Stir the 4-speed manual properly and it's entertaining to
drive, thanks to a stable suspension and decent brakes, which never
seem to work very hard on the lightweight VW. It's original
underneath and very solid, and even though you couldn't exactly eat
off the big floorpan, it looks just about right for a car you're
going to want to drive. Minilite style wheels are the lone upgrade
to this Bug's curb appeal, but they're certainly welcomed and come
wrapped in grippy blackwall radials.
You'll probably find that everyone is your friend when you drive a
Beetle, and the way the market is moving, they won't be this
affordable for much longer. With great looks, spirited performance,
and super-low reported miles, this might be your last opportunity
EVER to buy a Super Beetle this special for under $20k. Call
today!
