Like many people around the world, I’ve been watching Peter Jackson’s 9-hour-long Get Back documentary. I highly recommend it. It casts a new light on the Beatles’ difficult final year, through their own words. It’s far more complex than Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary Let It Be, which was made from the same material, and it includes several performances I’d never heard before. It makes for essential viewing for Beatles fans and non-fans alike.
The Beatles made me think of the Beetle. Can’t think why. And it just so happens I had this sexy 1969-ish Bug in my files, so something kind of clicked. After all, the VW Type 1 is one of the cars associated with the group, being featured on the cover of Abbey Road. Is that the only link between the Fab Four and the flat-4? Maybe, but surely others can be conjured up.
Let’s see. A Beetle is reliable as hell (Don’t Let Me Down). It put Germany back on its four wheels after the war (Revolution), conquered America and the world (Across the Universe), and was extremely popular with Boomers (When I’m Sixty-Four), but really appealed to all generations (Come Together). It started as very basic and rather underpowered, but was gradually improved (Getting Better) without losing its original spirit.
Our feature car’s paintwork is splendid, I definitely Dig It. Baby’s In Black – a classic and classy hue for the Type 1, and when I Saw Her Standing There, this Bug demanded to be photographed. It almost called out “Don’t Pass Me By” as I looked at it. Don’t Ask Me Why.
Do You Want To Know A Secret? I prefer it when Beetles are not too modified (my policy is Let it Be), but with this one, it’s almost like Every little Thing has been given a special treatment, Here, There And Everywhere.
As I said before, I’ve Got A Feeling this VW never came out of Wolfsburg like this, as it seems to marry older-style fenders with a post-‘68 body. I’d say You Can’t Do That, but someone obviously did. It’s also probable that the colour isn’t original (someone must’ve said “Paint It Black…” Oops, wrong band!), but that particular mod Don’t Bother Me.
Could you fit four Liverpudlians All Together Now in a Beetle? Maybe not to go out for a Day Tripper or some kind of Magical Mystery Tour, but for a short distance. If it had to last A Day In The Life, that would surely be sheer Misery. Beyond the lack of legroom, the car might not be able to Carry That Weight.
Apologies for this Long And Winding Road post, but the Things We Said Today needed to be said and we’re finally reaching The End. If I made one of my trademark misdiagnoses about this Beetle, all I can say is I Should Have Known Better. Do please point them out in the comments section, and in case you get No Reply, thank you in advance for your Help!
Are you sure this is a 1969 model??
I had a ’69 and it had larger tail lights and single lens headlights and larger turn signals on the front fenders with a single bar for the front and rear bumpers. Maybe this is a “63 or ’64.
Initially, I had the same reaction. But Tatra pointed out that the body is newer and was fitted with fenders of older MY beetles. And I agree. The engine hood has a flat bottom like newer versions, the fenders are of older versions.
Black Beetle and Black Coffee is a good start of the week for me.
It’s a 1972 or later. That’s the year the rear window was enlarged, for the last time. This one has that; it’s a bit bigger than the ’67-’71 rear window.
As to the rest of it, I assume someone wanted a classic-looking Beetle and made all the requisite changes to make it look like an older one. That’s hardly uncommon.
Interesting find, I agree with your preference for stock beetles. Isn’t it a Pity that so many have been modified in the same way so as to become Run of the Mill.
Although All Things Must Pass, I am trying to keep mine looking as it did All Those Years ago.
TATRA87 I think you could be a great Paperback Writer.
Second that!
I find it fascinating that so many restored Beetles are shown with that roof rack, considering that they were virtually unknown in my part of the country (western PA) when the cars were new. I guess going down the dealership catalog of bolt on accessories isn’t just endemic to 50’s and 60’s American cars. It does give a slightly skewed idea of how the cars were actually equipped back in the day.
Well, here in Norway at least, roof racks were, and still is, a must have on any car, so if you want the period 60s look you better get one.
The truth is somewhere in between. Given the Beetle’s very limited trunk space, roof racks were disproportionately more common on them. I bought one for my ’64 as I needed to haul more stuff.
But here’s the thing: they were very easy and quick to demount, and I did that unless I was using it as it whistled. And a lot of other folks did too.
If I had to guess, I’d say that some 15-20% of Beetle owners had a rack, maybe a bit more. But they were not always mounted.
Keep in mind that the features of a ’69 Beetle varied quite a bit depending on what market they were built in or sold in so it’s entirely possible that much of this car is original (or close to it). From what I know it definitely doesn’t have the features of a US or Western European ’69 model but if sourced from elsewhere (Brazil, South Africa, maybe Australia if they were still assembling the kits there), this could be close to how it came from the factory.
Not Oz. It’s LHD.
Besides, by ’69, they were assembled and no longer manufactured here, so we got essentially what Europe or the US got.
It’s a generational thing.
I’m too young to have anything but cramped backseat memories of cold, rusty, slow, and stinky Beetles. My dad loved all of his, but as one of his kids stuffed in them and hoping we never crashed in it, my perspective was completely different. Even one as pretty as this one. That roof rack though, really? That’s ridiculous. Like someone really wanted to load up their Beetle and make it go even slower and catch the wind even more when a larger vehicle blew by you.
. . . and if that rack wasn’t enough, imagine the performance once the AC compressor kicked in.
An interesting custom, many would never guess it’s not bone stock .
I wish I could find an honest painter that good in Los Angeles ! .
-Nate
Bone stock differs depending on where it was built SA still used the wide bolt pattern hubs with the smaller bolt pattern wheels and adaptors and drum brakes when most markets had front discs the US has universally interchangeable front fenders when everyone else got different front fenders in 63, the safety etching on the glass will tell you where and when it was built.
@ Bryce ;
Just so , in 1969 you could still buy 36 & 40 HP Beetles and they were 6 volts too .
I’ve had a few Brazilian made Beetles one didn’t come with any heater .
Ly 1982 Mexican built Beetle was a 1600 low compression twin port and still had drum brakes on all four wheels .
‘ve had multiple graymarket direct imports including right hand drives from England and Japan, each market was *slightly* different in standard equipmant .
My Canadian standard Beetle has flashing turn indicators and body trim strips but a 36HP engine and full crash box tranny .
-Nate
It is well-known, Dr Tatra, that puns are a lowered form of twit.
Help! is all you need, love.
My apologies, my worms are aren’t a-peering in the Reich hor d’ oeuvres today. I shall racefully expire from the seen.