1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Karmann Cabriolet in Turquoise
Why This Car Is Special The 1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible is
not your average open-air classic. Every Beetle cabriolet sold
through Volkswagen dealers was hand-built by Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
in Osnabrck, Germany the same coachbuilder responsible for the
Porsche 356 Cabriolet and the Karmann Ghia. Karmann received Beetle
body shells from the Wolfsburg plant, then cut the roof, reinforced
the body structure to compensate for the lost rigidity, hand-fitted
the folding top mechanism, and finished each car individually. The
process was labor-intensive enough that Karmann never came close to
matching the production volumes of the hardtop Beetle. The result
was a car that cost considerably more than the standard sedan when
new and has consistently held stronger collector values ever since.
By 1971, the Beetle had already outlived virtually every prediction
made about it. Volkswagen had sold more than 15 million of them
worldwide by that point, and the cabriolet variant remained in
production all the way through 1979 long after the Golf had
replaced the standard Beetle in most markets. The U.S. market in
particular kept demand for the open Beetle alive, which is why
Karmann kept building them for American buyers even as the hardtop
was being phased out. That history gives the 1971 Volkswagen Beetle
Convertible a specific place in the collector market it is old
enough to be fully appreciated as a classic, yet mechanically
simple enough to be driven and maintained without specialized
infrastructure. This particular 1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
presents in turquoise over a tan interior, and wears its Karmann
badge on the body. The undercarriage photographs confirm what every
serious Beetle buyer wants to see a solid, clean pan with no rot,
no patches, and no signs of the floor corrosion that has destroyed
so many of these cars over the decades. Features List - 1.6L
Air-Cooled Flat-4 Engine - 4-Speed Manual Transmission - Karmann
Convertible Body with Karmann Badge - Tan Soft Top - Bosch Ignition
Upgrade - Pioneer CD Stereo - Color-Matched Custom Wheels - Nexen
165/80R15 Tires - Clean Undercarriage - Drum Brakes All Around -
Front Bucket Seats with Integrated Headrests - Rear Bench Seat -
Sport Steering Wheel - Chrome Side Mirrors - Dual Exhaust Tips
Mechanical The 1971 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible is powered by the
1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four engine that VW introduced for the
1970 model year, displacing up from the earlier 1.5-liter unit.
This engine uses a single Solex carburetor, a fan-cooled cylinder
arrangement with separate cast-iron cylinders and aluminum heads,
and produces approximately 60 horsepower in stock form enough to
move the lightweight Beetle with reasonable confidence. More
relevant to daily usability than the peak horsepower number is the
engines fundamental character it is air-cooled, meaning there is no
radiator to maintain, no coolant to leak, and no water pump to
fail. Properly maintained, these engines are straightforward to
rebuild and inexpensive to keep running. This car has received a
Bosch ignition upgrade, visible in the engine bay photographs as
the blue Bosch coil mounted to the left of the engine. Replacing
the original points-based system with a more modern ignition setup
is one of the most practical improvements an owner can make to a
vintage Beetle it eliminates points wear, improves cold-start
reliability, and produces a more consistent spark across the entire
rev range. The upgrade is reversible if a future owner prefers full
originality, but for a drivers car it is a meaningful functional
improvement. The 4-speed manual transmission is the correct unit
for this model year, with a floor-mounted shifter and a gear
pattern familiar to anyone who has driven an early Beetle. The rear
suspension uses a swing-axle design on the 1971 model, with torsion
bars at both ends front and rear rathe WeBe Autos Specializes in
Marketing and Advertising Muscle, Classic, Vintage and Specialty
Cars. We offer Professional Photography, HD Movies, and Staging
that Sells Cars. Let us showcase and sell your specialty car.
Please visit our website for more details. Keep in Touch, Michael
Runnalls Specialty Car Marketing & Media WeBe Autos Ltd. Long
Island, NY 11780
[email protected] www.WeBeAutos.com
(O)631-339-0399 (C)516-729-2003 Skype webeautos (F)631-389-2605 - -
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