Chassis No. 5279106

The Volkswagen Beetle is a car of such iconic status that it must be considered among the most, if not the most, important cars of the 20th century. What started as a "people's car" for Germany, with the design genius and engineering influence of Ferdinand Porsche, withstood the test of time to such an extraordinary degree that the Beetle didn't truly cease world-wide production until 65 years and 21 million units after it was produced. This, of course, doesn't include the countless iterations and models that owe their genesis to the Beetle, including the Karmann Ghia, Type 2 "bus", and Thing, not to mention VW-powered derivatives like the famous Dune Buggy, of which the Meyers Manx is surely the most famous.

Although engine output gradually grew over the years, in order to keep pace with increasing motorway speeds, the "classic" and original mechanical specification remained in place through 1966. And while millions of Beetles were built, the fate of the overwhelming majority of them is to be expected - a utilitarian life well lived, heavy modifications, or high mileage are reasonable expectations of any Beetle, with the occasional exceptions being concours-quality restored examples.

This particular Beetle, however, doesn't fit into any of those categories. Rather, it is a stunningly original time capsule, seemingly never restored and maintained in virtually as-new condition throughout. At the time of cataloging, the odometer only indicated 6,865 miles and, based on the car's cosmetic condition, this is almost certainly original mileage. From the Ruby Red finish to the white leatherette interior, gauges, brightwork, and even the original wheels and tires, this Beetle's originality is truly astonishing. Offered today from a distinguished private collection, it was formerly owned over the past decade by two respected Porsche collectors, the first of whom evidently purchased the car from a Volkswagen collector. During inspection by a Broad Arrow specialist, the engine was noted to be original to the car, based on factory-provided documentation, and the car ran and drove exceptionally well on a short test drive. Needless to say, opportunities to acquire a Volkswagen Beetle are plentiful... but the opportunity to acquire a time-capsule, all-original example from 1963 with 6,865 miles is almost certainly unrepeatable.