1972 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

The car presented today is a 1302 cabriolet with chassis number 152 2692 460 produced in 1972, equipped with a 1600 engine with serial number AD116219x. It is presented in what appears to be a Kansas Red (20B), with a black faux leather interior.

The exterior presentation of this 1302 is overall charming. The paintwork is uniform, and the alignments seem very good. The soft top is nicely stretched and has no obvious defects.

A few discreet scuffs and scratches are visible here and there on the paintwork, notably on the right door hinge, under the right door handle as well, and on the top of the windscreen (all visible in the gallery). Near the Karmann badge as well, we find some minor paint defects.

The paint on the rims seems to be a bit damaged, and one of the headlight rings shows the beginning of corrosion (nothing that will be too difficult to replace). As for the rest, the headlights, windows and other fittings, nothing major is obvious.

Inside, we find a black woven faux leather upholstery, which in addition to having an indisputable charm, resists very well to the years. Apart from a few small scratches and tears, it seems to be well preserved.

In the cockpit, we find the minimalist world of the Beetle: a 4-spoke steering wheel and a speedometer including a fuel gauge. A more recent radio seems to have been installed in the centre of the dashboard, while we find the glove box with lock on the right-hand side which seems to be worn.

It also seems that our 1302 is equipped with all the features of a luxury version: pocket trays, rear ashtrays, full carpeting, a mirror on the passenger sun visor and rubber inserts in the bumpers. What luxury!

Apart from that, we only find the classic patina expected on a car of this era, only the speakers installed in the door panels stand out, it will be up to the future owner to remove them or not.

Under the rear bonnet we find the air-cooled flat 4 in its AD version. It is a 1584 cc engine fed by a Solex 34 pict carburettor developing 50 horsepower. The AD type corresponds to the version and year of our 1302 in European S specification. In the engine compartment, nothing out of place or worrisome is evident.

Underneath the car, we don't find much to complain about either, we don't see any significant rust or any worrying deformation. According to the seller, the car has undergone a body-off in order to be properly restored, however we have no record of when or where this was done. It goes without saying that a pre-purchase inspection is recommended, in order to get a better idea of the car's real condition.

Unfortunately, we have no documents that accompany this car apart from its Dutch registration document. According to the website rdw.nl, this car was first registered in May 1972 and had its first Dutch registration in August 1998.

A Beetle is the ideal gateway to the world of vintage cars: easy to drive, affordable, easy to maintain (even by yourself) and a wide availability of spare parts. The car we are presenting today is a fine example of a Beetle, not only in terms of condition but also in terms of desirability: a 1302 LS convertible is now one of the most sought-after versions for collectors.

This vehicle is being offered without reserve and represents an opportunity not to be missed. We think it will fetch something in between 10.000 – 15.000€.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in Uden, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.