Vehicle Description
1957 Volkswagen Beetle
The word Volkswagen means "People's car" in German. Its
headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. It was started in the
1930's, at the request of the country's leader, Adolf Hitler, to
produce a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche.
For consignment, a car ordered by Hitler for the masses, and
designed by Ferdinand Porsche, wrapped in deep black, dog dish
caps, and bumpers in chrome with vertical pushers, and some fender
plated chromed protectors aft for the front and fore for the rear.
It does not get any better folks, right out of 1957, and the
capability to perform a bit of "schnell".
Exterior
Ich bin ein Berliner, but in reality, it was Wolfsburg where this
little droplet of automotive history was born. All bathed in black
it has the classic Dub look with the oval rear glass, W embossed
steel engine compartment lid and small tail lights. A simple design
that changed little over time, this version sports a front fender
that is exactly like the rear fender, chromed rockers and small
running boards. Also not seen in today's bugs is the beltline
chrome trim spear adding a little bit of class, not that it needs
it. A nice retro look.
Interior
A swing of the simple door, and we see oxblood original factory
door panels and a nifty scrunched pouch with exterior matching
metal around the edge. The knobs are like new. The seats are low
back buckets showing off in oxblood vinyl and some nifty white
piping on their edges. A back bench is in and looks like new. An
original slightly aged and yellowed steering wheel with no cracks,
and it matches the long shift lever and knob. The dash is exterior
matching black and is peppered with simple chrome and 1 instrument!
A chromed Motorola radio is in the center and just in front of the
speaker panel is a bud vase. The floors are ribbed rubber and toe
kicks are gray corduroy. A KISS look for this original
interior.
Drivetrain
The condition of the cars and attention to detail that come into
this place never cease to amaze me, and this one is no exception!!
Take a gander at this totally rebuilt 1192cc horizontally opposed 4
popper topped with a 1-barrel downdraft carb. This is backed by a
4-speed manual tranny. A 4.38 rear axle is in and all is looking
just great for this engine and bay. Right down to the dimpled
insulated engine liner all around.
Undercarriage
Giving this classic a lift we are greeted by German fastidiousness
in the form of nearly all rust free steel with a black straight
unibody and nearly showroom floor pans and underside. Transverse
torsion bars upfront provide the ride, and swing arms with
transverse torsion bars are on the rear. Drum brakes are all
around. We note a small area of invasive rust just in front of the
rear swing arm pivot point.
Drive-Ability
These older V-dubs are just a bomb and one in this condition turns
my screws. So I hopped in and turned the key and was off like a
prom dress. A quick starter and smooth shifter, this car for the
people runs excellently. It is very comfortable and turns on a
dime. A nifty ride and the musicfrom that flat 4 is just iconic and
cannot be replicated. Call it tinny, call it on the borderline of
knocking, I just cannot get enough of it! An all working example
save for the radio. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these
functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot
guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your
purchase.
These classic bugs are just getting better and better. Reminiscent
of a bygone simple era where the German invasion came in the form
of a VW, and not a Panzer. The Americans gladly scooped up this
German engineering by Mr. Porsche, and some have thankfully
survived. This is a wonderful preserved example, rust free, and
just a beautiful engine bay, and interior.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
