1967 Volkswagen Beetle Custom 'The Wolf of Reno'

One like this, you mean? This is a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle Custom that's been very neatly modified into what's affectionately (and famously) called ‘The Wolf of Reno’. It's said to be running a heavily modified 1.6-liter flat-four with numerous performance upgrades, non-standard tires, and large wheels, and as you can probably tell from the photos, it sits lower than usual. Lovely presentation throughout! Underneath the shiny bits is a mechanically solid car, although it must be noted that there are some smoke from the freshly rebuilt engine when driving. The owner suspects that there might have been a mistake in engine reassembly and some recommissioning or sorting will be needed by new ownership.

Unless you ask a Volkswagen historian (or an ardent fan), the Beetle's exterior stayed largely unchanged for the entirety of the car's life. Of course, it'd be highly ignorant to miss the styling upgrades that the car got on its way — from being pretty much the only car that VW made and sold in huge numbers to being the second fiddle to the Golf. Regardless of how you look at it, and irrespective of the year we're talking about, the original Beetle continued till the very end (in the early 2000s) as a handsome yet cheerful thing. And this custom 1967 example amplifies that. Finished in red, the car sits lowered and is visibly more confident than it's ever been. The paintwork is as shiny as the chrome bits with brilliant execution throughout, the Minilite wheels are damage-free, and there's not much that immediately gives away the car's vintage. The pans are a sight to behold, worthy of eating off of much less riding atop of. Not a hint of rust or repair exists.

The Beetle's crazy momentum didn't lessen until the arrival of the Golf, and even after that, it continued to operate in the niche that it had carved for itself. The interior of the early cars is understandably what would be referred to today as basic or barebones, whereas the later cars got the molded dashboard. Beetle lovers have shown a rather keen liking for the former, and that's also because the simpler layout doesn't meddle with the car's classic, evergreen appeal. This 1967 Beetle has a pretty straightforward, to-the-point dashboard. The custom bit in its name has lent itself a snazzy interior with custom seats and upholstery, full carpet underneath, a classic radio, an aftermarket wheel, and even a ridiculously long gear stick with a wolf-shaped knob — true to its name.

The Volkswagen Beetle's fuss-free underpinnings are also one of the reasons why it became a household name among collectors. The unadulterated charm of an air-cooled boxer engine firing its way to produce modest power, sending all of it to the rear wheels, propelling this cute-looking thing to new unattainable heights... This custom example is fitted with performance-enhancing parts, while it is, we're informed, running a 1.6-liter engine — a pretty common upgrade among Beetles. The exhaust is releasing smoke, and it might require some form of repair. But with the cost of VW parts today being low and availability being plentiful, it should not be a large impediment to enjoyment. Apart from that, as you can see in the photos, it's very clean underneath, too!

We are happy to report that this Beetle is accompanied by a rather large history file. Keen observers will note, this car is dubbed 'The Wolf of Reno' but a large amount of the files actually come from Pennsylvania. It appears the car was under care with a former owner in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2014. During that time, several thousands of dollars were put into the vehicle for varying repairs and upgrades alike. The documents are digitally available today and can be studied in the gallery.

Volkswagen shifted more than 21 million units of the Beetle, and it'd be very hard to find an instance where the owner hasn't enjoyed it or has failed to form a bond with the car. As a classic, its appeal quadruples, because where else would you find a car that looked like that but turned out to be as easy to drive and run as a modern vehicle? The custom example that's listed here seems to be everything a classic Beetle ought to be but in a nicer, more polished form. Quite a likable thing, isn't it?!