Vehicle Description
Before you scoff at the price point, please realize that is not
some run-of-the-mill, patchouli-scented, Mexican-built Bug. No,
this stunning 1957 Volkswagen Beetle represents the last year of
the Oval Window People's Car, making it one of the most valuable
model years to own. In addition, it may be the nicest,
fully-restored Beetle we've ever seen. After undergoing a
full-blown, pan-off restoration completed at West Coast Classics,
we're confident making grandiose statements like that. We've had
the pleasure of selling hundreds of these 'der K�fers', and almost
none have been as comprehensively restored and darn near perfectly
executed like this one. If you want a show-quality Beetle that
faithfully represents Bela Barenyi's original design, here it
is.
1957 is largely considered to be the final year of the 'classic' VW
Beetles, and finding one that's still alive, let alone completely
restored like this beauty, is quite rare. Thanks to a revolutionary
marketing campaign, sales of the Beetle took off into the
stratosphere in the '60s, reaching production numbers that quickly
ballooned over a million at the beginning of the decade. 1957 was
important for the Bug, not only representing the final year of the
vaunted rear 'Oval Window', but it's also one of the final years
before Madison Avenue took the 'People's Car' worldwide. In 1957,
Beetles were not quite yet a household name, in fact they had
little competition as there was nothing like them on the road, so
in many ways this is a noteworthy model for historians. Many will
have you believe that aesthetically, the Beetle didn't really
change through the decades, but they'd be categorically wrong. In
total, over 78,000 incremental changes during it's lifespan, and
although it's true that the overall appearance wasn't altered much
from 1938-on, the pre-'60s Beetles are arguably the best-looking
(and definitely the most valuable) of the bunch. This Diamond Gray
beauty was restored with the help of an open-checkbook, and the
pros at West Coast Classics outdid themselves once again by
delivering this show-quality Bug. The period-perfect finish looks
fantastic on the trademark Beetle curves, it's miles deep with a
wonderful luster and shine, and despite our best efforts spent
crawling all over this Bug, we couldn't identify any demerits worth
mentioning short of a miniscule rock chip in the hood area. As you
may know, any dark color needs a laser-straight body underneath in
order to look good, otherwise every little imperfection will show.
And unfortunately, a lot of folks don't think VWs are worth the
investment, but that's definitely not the case here. With a
full-blown, pan-off restoration, it's obvious that the builders
spent a lot of time and money getting the rounded bodywork as
straight as possible. It fits together extremely well and the doors
open and close with just a light touch. There's a single line of
bright trim running the length of the bonnet and the body that
dresses things up quite a bit, and the rest of the chrome and
brightwork is in excellent shape overall as well. North
American-spec bumper guards and tubular overrider bars look great
fore and aft, the taillight housings are a work of art all by
themselves, and the Abarth quad-tip mufflers that exit out back
look extra sporty. In a sea of custom, lowered, chopped, shaved,
and modified Beetles, this 100% stock 'Tortoise Car' stands out in
a very refreshing way.
Much like the exterior, the interior was impeccably restored
back-to-stock - finished in beautiful red vinyl with white rope
trim on the seats that will probably outlast us all. Fresh door
panels, a new set of thick carpets, and a gorgeously painted dash
make it feel young again inside, and the original white steering
wheel is big enough to make the manual steering feel light and
direct, which is by design. The single, circular binnacle VDO gauge
ahead of the driver minds the speed and mileage, and there's a
vertical fuel gauge at its right flank, but precious little else is
needed since vintage VWs tend to be so reliable that keeping a
constant eye on them isn't necessary. Like most Beetles from the
era, options are light, although you do get a Motorola Volumatic AM
radio, wipers, seatbelts front and back, and a manual choke and
emergency brake. Although it's been finished for a few years now,
this Beetle has really only been shown and driven sparingly, so
everything inside still looks, feels, and even smells like new. The
back seat has likely never been sat in, while up front the trunk
has been properly finished in matching black rubber and offers a
full-sized spare tire and wheel assembly.
The 1200 cc flat-four (aka the 1192 CC) air-cooled 'boxer' engine
lives under the deck lid, fully sorted and running great today.
There's a familiar air cleaner up top, a big generator making the
electricity, and a stock carburetor to make it go. OEM heater tubes
and ducting are intact, so this VW is happy in cooler weather
although it's still probably not well-suited for Minnesota in
January. Underneath you'll find the best evidence of the pan-off
restoration, with sheetmetal and components clean enough to eat
off. No modifications, no questionable upgrades, just an insanely
clean and solid Beetle that works just like it did when it rolled
out of the factory in Wolfsburg. It does have a dual exhaust system
with Abarth quad-tip outlets, which is a great addition, and it
motors down the road with that traditional VW whistling exhaust
note that's so beloved. Factory 15-inch wheels with chrome hubcaps
are the perfect end caps, wrapped in 5.60-15 bias-ply whitewalls
that look new.
Rarely have we seen a Beetle this 'over-restored' and well-cared
for. If you want the best, you just found it. Call today!
