Vehicle Description
1968 Volkswagen Beetle (Please note: If you happen to be viewing
this 1968 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 the car due to third-party website limitations. To
be sure you access all the more than 135 photographs, as well as a
short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main
website: Garage Kept Motors. The men who make the VW make it very
well. The inspectors make it perfect. - Period VW Beetle
advertisement The copy in the advertisement cited above went on to
celebrate the fanatical level of detail pursued by inspectors of
Volkswagens. This was a particularly strong selling point at a time
when American manufacturers were known for haphazard quality
control. There are thousands of inspectors who literally pick every
Volkswagen to pieces. For the paint job alone, no less than eight
inspectors check every VW. The photograph in the ad showed a
block-shaped mass of crushed metal, a Beetle that failed to pass
one of the inspections. While the period magazine advertisements
for the Beetle became a high point in advertising history, that
fame only mirrored the success of the car itself. In its May 2011
issue, the British enthusiast magazine, Classic Motoring,
encapsulated the history and some of the allure of owning a VW
Beetle: It's the 'Poor Man's Porsche' with a similar air-cooled,
rear-mounted boxer engine and transaxle driving the rear wheels.
Until recently it held the record for the biggest production run
(21,529,464) and the longest, having been produced continuously
from wartime until just a few years ago. As ever, VW Beetles make
timeless practical classics that never seem to go out of fashion
and thanks to Volkswagen's shrewd marketing policy from the outset,
spare parts have never been a problem. The number of independent
specialists means repairs and servicing are similarly sleep-easy,
and there's a massive fan base... in the US, where it became a
hippie icon. The 1968 Beetle 1500 shown here in dark blue over
black vinyl is a largely original survivor. The car has been
well-maintained through its lifetime and now shows a mere 67,980
miles on the odometer, under 1300 miles per-year on average since
new. 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 reduce the model's appeal and
value. Not here. The exterior dark blue paint is in good condition
overall showing patina from age. The brightwork, glass, and steel
wheels with chrome VW-logo hubcaps show very well. Emblems are
properly mounted and display only light patina from age. The body
is free of damage with tight panel-fit. Chrome bumpers retain
near-original luster. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear
and uncracked. Inside, the painted dash matching the exterior color
is unaltered with the exception of an aftermarket Pioneer audio
head unit. Original black textured-vinyl upholstery is free of wear
and damage, but is loose, particularly on the rear bench seat. Door
-panel inserts are also black vinyl. The Beetle's dashboard hosts
the large, round VDO® speedometer and 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. Rubber matting covers the cabin floors. The shift lever for
the 4-speed manual transmission is located on the floor. The car's
front trunk houses the spare tire for added crash-protection. The
car's venerable 1500-cc horizontal-4-cylinder is complete. The
engine bay is clean and tidy, and the same is true of the
undercarriage, showing only minimal surface rust on some
un-protected metal. This has been a well-maintained car. While the
more than 135 high-definition photographs and the short
walk-around-and-startup video