1973 Volkswagen Beetle Karmann Convertible

“The Bath Air-Cooled Volkswagen Owners’ Club examined this car and produced a detailed report, which I still have, and in it stated that it was ‘the best Beetle they had ever seen…’”, explains the vendor.

He himself purchased the car almost four years ago from its previous owner who had spent three years, and considerable financial outlay, on a ground-up rebuild. “That included a full body-off restoration, installation of central locking, a bespoke cloth interior, a new hood, fresh chrome, disc brakes all round, and Porsche Fuchs wheels. The engine tinware was chromed at the same time, with a front wheel bracing kit and electronic ignition also fitted”.

That isn’t the end of the work carried out though, as the vendor has replaced the engine with an uprated 1600cc unit breathing through a pair of twin-choke Weber carburettors. “It’s responsive to drive. I’ve been over to France in it, and it’s equally at home in town or on the motorway. The Beetle has been MOT’d on a regular basis; the previous two were in 2020 with 27 miles on the clock, and in 2021 with 419 miles on the clock”.

Other recent work includes the replacement of a brake caliper, new springs and shock absorbers, gear linkages, as well as a new windscreen washer motor. The vendor has a file full of receipts for both the restoration itself and post-resto upgrades and works.

“I’m selling now as I’ve not been using it much, with only 460 miles completed since 2021”.

That decision means that this restored, and thoroughly uprated, first-class example of the breed is now set for pastures new.

The tin-top Beetle silhouette is iconic, but in soft-top terms the Karmann one is just as good. With the hood lowered, sitting proud at the rear, it’s a glorious ode to summer motoring.

Finished in a glorious Red colour, this is one smart VW. Panel fit is excellent, with the chrome trim on both flanks lining up very well. The paint retains a very deep shine and is complemented by good brightwork and those delectable Porsche Fuchs alloy wheels.

There’s a touch of tarnish on the front bumper and on the kick-plates that sit at the bottom of the rear wheel arches, but a good going over with some Autosol (other products are available) and a polishing tool should see them come up dandy. Bumper brackets are finished in gloss black and in superb condition, while up top the Mohair hood presents superbly, with the colour complementing the car’s overall aesthetic.

It's a remarkably clean example and it’s still easy to see why the Bath Owners’ Club was so smitten by it. The additional front spotlights lend it a bit of a sporty pep, too.

Inside, it’s just as arresting as it is on the exterior. The checked black, red, and white cloth is really pleasing and complements the paint scheme perfectly; the seats are in supremely smart condition, as are matching door cards. Colour-coded seat belts are fitted, with lap belts in the rear. As you’d expect on a car where attention to detail is key, they’re accompanied by chrome clasps.

Carpets are pretty much blemish-free. You’ll find a three-spoke Mountney Motor Products steering wheel and cheeky 8-ball gear knob in situ, while a wind deflector is fitted in between the front and rear seats of the cabin.

Pop the ‘frunk’ and you’ll find that it’s trimmed in immaculate, matching carpet.

This is one smart Dub.

“It drives very well in modern traffic”, says the vendor. “The throttle is responsive – helped by the twin Weber carburettors – and the disc brakes are good, although there’s no servo fitted. The gearbox also shifts well. In terms of noise, the engine sounds a little sedate, but this could be cured by a sports exhaust; I have been considering that, as a mechanic friend believes it would make a massive difference.”

As mentioned earlier, the addition of electronic ignition ensures it starts first time, and other nods to modernity such as the central door locking ensure that the Beetle is easy to use on a regular basis.

Popping the boot reveals a lovely looking engine bay; sitting proud is a shiny air-cooled power plant. The time and effort in chroming the tinware has certainly paid dividends and the next owner can happily put it on display at a VW show or a pub car park meet.

The underside looks to be equally clean and well protected. There are one or two very small areas of surface corrosion on the odd metal edge here and there, but these should be very easy to tidy up with a wire brush and some protective underseal product.

First class.

The vendor has a history file full of receipts and invoices for the VW, some of which are illustrated in the gallery below. These do support our claim that this car has been restored, and then maintained, to the highest of standards.

We have carried out a comprehensive history check on the vehicle and that can be viewed below.

There is one constant in the classic motoring world and that is that Veedubs never, ever, go out of fashion. Buy one and you’re buying into one of the biggest motoring sub-cultures out there; you can drive it, enjoy it, and be safe in the knowledge that there will always be a healthy audience when it comes time to part ways.

Of course, it does help when you’re the custodian of a simply superb example. As the vendor himself has intimated, this lovely Convertible drew high praise in the written form from an Owners’ Club, and since then it has been further uprated with the addition of a more powerful engine and fresh shocks and springs.

As such, we think this excellent older restoration will achieve a price of somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000. For that, the next owner can be assured that it’s a properly sorted example and one that is going to endow them with some seriously enjoyable Germanic top-down action.

Spring and summer are a comin’ – time to bag some funky wheels to do ‘em justice.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at the vendor’s Gloucester home; 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’.