There will never be another car like the Volkswagen Beetle. Statistics aside (around twenty-one million built so far, and still in production in Mexico), as a consumer durable designed to do a job of work, it is probably without equal.
It remains one of those rare machines which solves more problems than it creates. It has always been relatively cheap to buy, and very cheap to run; it's straightforward to restore, extremely simple to maintain and, more importantly, a thoroughly practical means of transporting four people from ‘A' to ‘B' in reasonable comfort.
Buying a Beetle is not without its problems, though. There's still a fairly good, if dwindling, supply of cars on the market in reasonable condition, but its long-term popularity has always kept prices high for what is, after all, a basic family saloon.
Neither is it immune to corrosion and wear and tear as its origins may suggest. Even the youngest German-built car will now be about 18 years old and the oldest around 56, so look carefully for signs of rust beneath layers of hastily applied filler and paint.
As ever, it's the structurally sound, rust-free and largely original car which will be the best buy. There are still so many around that there's no need to end up with a lemon. It's not like a Morris Minor or an MG Midget, where you've got a smaller and smaller number of cars being chased by ever more eager punters, and you can afford to be choosy. In fact, you've got to be choosy: it's not with bothering with cars that aren't in good condition.
Don't expect to have an award winner from a total wreck. If you want an award winner then find a sound, original car as your basis and spend your time and money improving that. It'll be the cheapest way in the long run.
And don't be a slave to the fashionability of earlier cars. In simple terms, the earlier the car, the more you'll probably have to pay for it, regardless of condition.
The major turning point was from six- to twelve-volt electrics in 1966, along with the change from sloping to upright headlamps and four- to five-stud wheels, although these pre-'66 cars are nowhere near as sought after as the oval-window cars built up to 1958. The very earliest split-rear window cars are worth even more, just because of their rarity value.
The good news, however, is that spares are generally no problem, even for these early models. The enduring popularity of the Beetle and the fact that the cars are still used on the road in huge numbers has long encouraged the remanufacture of basics like mechanical and body spares as well as dress up parts like chromework, trim and rubber (but watch for the poor quality stuff).
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