I'm partial to all Volkswagens, It's no secret. At this year's Amelia Island Concours there will be several outstanding examples of the Peoples Car available for purchase through Bonhams and Gooding & Co. Here's a few of the gems.
Starting at Bonhams we find two wartime VW offerings a 1944 Type 166 "Schwimmwagen" and a 1944 Type 82 "Kubelwagen". Just as the Jeep was the American warhorse of WWII, the same can be said of the Kubel and Schwimmer for the German army. It is rare to come across examples of either of these wartime creations let alone a pair from the same collection. The Schwimmwagen was given a full restoration which was completed in 2006 and finished in swap pattern camouflage has had every component restored to working order including the 4 wheel drive system and as well as the propulsion components for the swimming feature making this VW truly a go anywhere car.
Followed by the Kubelwagen or "Bucket Car", this was VWs direct equal to the Jeep and was the grandfather of the VW Type 181 "Thing". Based on the original Beetle mechanicals, the Kubel featured a raised suspension and reduction boxes which allowed it to climb over rough terrain due to the lack of 4 wheel drive. The example offered at Bonhams was produced near the end of the war. It has been given a full restoration and features a slightly larger 1.1 litre engine from a Schwimmwagen.
Moving to Gooding & Co, we find this 1973 Beetle sedan. What makes it special you might ask, as by 1973, there were already over 15 million Beetles on the road. Well this one has a mere 1,900 miles on the odometer. This museum quality example is complete with its original tires, tool kit, jack and manuals.
If low mileage Beetles are your thing, take a look at this 1979 Super Beetle Cabriolet also at Gooding. This example of the final year Beetles were available in the U.S. has only 242 miles on it from new. With bodywork by Karmann, these were the last hurrah for the Beetle. Since 1977, all Beetles sold in the U.S. were convertibles and collectors knew it was the swansong for both. In my opinion these convertibles with little to no miles aren't that unique as its not hard to find one that was tucked away buy collectors and there's usually at least one at all the major auctions or available for sale online any given day. But collectors are taking notice of them and no real car collection is complete without a Beetle and as such prices for 1979s has been steadily increasing.
Back at Bonhams we find a very nice 1967 Type 2 Bus Camper. 1967 marked two significant changes for the Type 2. First it was the final year for the classic "Split Window" front end. And secondly it marked the major addition of a 12 volt electrical system. This example features A42 camper option with the supplement of a full interior Westphalia
camping package which included internal accessories such as a stove,
sink, seats and fold down bed. What is unique is it does not have the "Sub Hatch" roof which could pop up for standing room which is rare to see on a camper. This example has an older restoration and was given a mechanical refresh in 2015.
Lastly, we come back to Gooding & Co with a beautiful 1965 Karmann Ghia coupe. Showing just over 31,000 miles, this Ghia is finished in the original Sea Sand with a Pearl White roof in a rare factory two tone paint job over the original brown vinyl interior. Karmann Ghias are a rare sight today. While over 450,000 of them were built between 1955 and 1974, so few exist in good condition. This is one that I have my eye on. It would look great in my VW collection with my 36,000 mile 1974 Karmann Ghia.
Followed by the Kubelwagen or "Bucket Car", this was VWs direct equal to the Jeep and was the grandfather of the VW Type 181 "Thing". Based on the original Beetle mechanicals, the Kubel featured a raised suspension and reduction boxes which allowed it to climb over rough terrain due to the lack of 4 wheel drive. The example offered at Bonhams was produced near the end of the war. It has been given a full restoration and features a slightly larger 1.1 litre engine from a Schwimmwagen.
Moving to Gooding & Co, we find this 1973 Beetle sedan. What makes it special you might ask, as by 1973, there were already over 15 million Beetles on the road. Well this one has a mere 1,900 miles on the odometer. This museum quality example is complete with its original tires, tool kit, jack and manuals.If low mileage Beetles are your thing, take a look at this 1979 Super Beetle Cabriolet also at Gooding. This example of the final year Beetles were available in the U.S. has only 242 miles on it from new. With bodywork by Karmann, these were the last hurrah for the Beetle. Since 1977, all Beetles sold in the U.S. were convertibles and collectors knew it was the swansong for both. In my opinion these convertibles with little to no miles aren't that unique as its not hard to find one that was tucked away buy collectors and there's usually at least one at all the major auctions or available for sale online any given day. But collectors are taking notice of them and no real car collection is complete without a Beetle and as such prices for 1979s has been steadily increasing.
Back at Bonhams we find a very nice 1967 Type 2 Bus Camper. 1967 marked two significant changes for the Type 2. First it was the final year for the classic "Split Window" front end. And secondly it marked the major addition of a 12 volt electrical system. This example features A42 camper option with the supplement of a full interior Westphalia
camping package which included internal accessories such as a stove,
sink, seats and fold down bed. What is unique is it does not have the "Sub Hatch" roof which could pop up for standing room which is rare to see on a camper. This example has an older restoration and was given a mechanical refresh in 2015.
Lastly, we come back to Gooding & Co with a beautiful 1965 Karmann Ghia coupe. Showing just over 31,000 miles, this Ghia is finished in the original Sea Sand with a Pearl White roof in a rare factory two tone paint job over the original brown vinyl interior. Karmann Ghias are a rare sight today. While over 450,000 of them were built between 1955 and 1974, so few exist in good condition. This is one that I have my eye on. It would look great in my VW collection with my 36,000 mile 1974 Karmann Ghia.
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