The original owner did exactly what I'd do if I got one. Leave it in garage.
Not my cup of tea whatsoever. Abysmal car.
Not my cup of tea whatsoever. Abysmal car.
1964 Beetle listed in Hemmings for 1 million $
- Thread starter tomlct
- Start date
- Status
You can ask whatever you like for something. But will someone pay it?
I'm skeptical about buying a very low mileage vehicle anyway. If you drive it, it's no longer very low mileage. And if you don't drive it, why would you want it (storage costs, insurance costs, etc). Show it to your buddies, sure, but where and how?
I'd rather buy one with 40,000 miles in very good original condition (or with 140,000 miles and thoroughly restored) for $6,000 to $10,000. I could drive it whenever I felt like it, keep it in great condition, and eventually sell it for a good price.
For $1,000,000 you might get a very early and rare model. You may have read about the #6 prewar prototype that has been exquisitely restored at great expense. Though you couldn't touch it for $1,000,000.
I'm skeptical about buying a very low mileage vehicle anyway. If you drive it, it's no longer very low mileage. And if you don't drive it, why would you want it (storage costs, insurance costs, etc). Show it to your buddies, sure, but where and how?
I'd rather buy one with 40,000 miles in very good original condition (or with 140,000 miles and thoroughly restored) for $6,000 to $10,000. I could drive it whenever I felt like it, keep it in great condition, and eventually sell it for a good price.
For $1,000,000 you might get a very early and rare model. You may have read about the #6 prewar prototype that has been exquisitely restored at great expense. Though you couldn't touch it for $1,000,000.
Had a 66, so many memories, thanks. Probably 8 pages of stories.
I would like to hear more about how it was preserved so well. Belts, hoses, gaskets, seals, lack of corrosion, etc................... very difficult to attain this level of preservation. I read never washed, covered with a sheet, etc. but it takes more that to be so nice.
Last edited:
I've read this thread....I'm totally unfamiliar with VW prices....I too remember being stuffed into the scratchy carpeted cargo hold behind the rear seat with my cousin in a 1961.
I'd bet the seller is hoping for a pigeon....a pigeon with an automotive romantic streak.....and money.
I'd bet the seller is hoping for a pigeon....a pigeon with an automotive romantic streak.....and money.
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
6V electrical system, little/no heat, no A/C, top speed of 63 MPH on flat ground, dog slow & would get run over on the roads today. Also, no safety equipment, no engine in the front to protect in a head-on crash. Have I mentioned my first car was a '64 Beetle? I couldn't wait to get rid of it!
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
6V electrical system, little/no heat, no A/C, top speed of 63 MPH on flat ground, dog slow & would get run over on the roads today. Also, no safety equipment, no engine in the front to protect in a head-on crash. Have I mentioned my first car was a '64 Beetle? I couldn't wait to get rid of it!
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
Here's a cheaper one.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
I had mine from 1980 to 1982. By then a couple dents existed. I believe I sold it for around four million pennies.
My first car was a white 1964. Same interior as that one. Happy day when I traded it.
That is a better built car than most of the stuff on the road...
I'm shocked the basic manual transmission roll up window BITOG crowd isn't already in a bidding war on it.
I'm shocked the basic manual transmission roll up window BITOG crowd isn't already in a bidding war on it.
I still have a 65 that I converted to 12 volts and put in a 1600 motor. Run it 65=75 all day on the interstate at that speed and tows easily behind the Class B camper. Mine has heat though. Heater channels not rusted out and the heater boxes are tight. End up turning the heat down. I don't drive it though when there is salt or slurry on the road or when it is rainy. It has been in our family for 35 years now. Payed for it several times over with insurance and license plates. Only takes 2 and 1/2 quarts of oil and it gets changed annually. Only use 30wt HD.
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
My mom had something worse-- a water cooled Renault Dauphine in college. The French had little metal, little manufacturing capacity and no hard currency after the war so they made really tinny cars and dumped them in the US for cheaper than the beetles.
Hers overheated every time she drove up a particular mountain, so she had a favorite pull off and added water. We wouldn't put up with our kids having to do this, these days.
When she graduated her dad got her a brand new bare-bones beetle. It was a step up.
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
My mom had something worse-- a water cooled Renault Dauphine in college. The French had little metal, little manufacturing capacity and no hard currency after the war so they made really tinny cars and dumped them in the US for cheaper than the beetles.
Hers overheated every time she drove up a particular mountain, so she had a favorite pull off and added water. We wouldn't put up with our kids having to do this, these days.
When she graduated her dad got her a brand new bare-bones beetle. It was a step up.
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Here's a cheaper one.
Herbie, where have you been?
Here's a cheaper one.
Herbie, where have you been?
Our new 67 Beetle was about 1600 dollars on the sticker...best car we ever had..no complaints.
Originally Posted by vwmaniaman
I still have a 65 that I converted to 12 volts and put in a 1600 motor. Run it 65=75 all day on the interstate at that speed and tows easily behind the Class B camper. Mine has heat though. Heater channels not rusted out and the heater boxes are tight. End up turning the heat down. I don't drive it though when there is salt or slurry on the road or when it is rainy. It has been in our family for 35 years now. Payed for it several times over with insurance and license plates. Only takes 2 and 1/2 quarts of oil and it gets changed annually. Only use 30wt HD.
I remember the 2 1/2 oil changes,,lol
I still have a 65 that I converted to 12 volts and put in a 1600 motor. Run it 65=75 all day on the interstate at that speed and tows easily behind the Class B camper. Mine has heat though. Heater channels not rusted out and the heater boxes are tight. End up turning the heat down. I don't drive it though when there is salt or slurry on the road or when it is rainy. It has been in our family for 35 years now. Payed for it several times over with insurance and license plates. Only takes 2 and 1/2 quarts of oil and it gets changed annually. Only use 30wt HD.
I remember the 2 1/2 oil changes,,lol
Originally Posted by CourierDriver
I remember the 2 1/2 oil changes,,lol
Ah yes, and the "true" rock catcher oil screen, no oil filter. I bought a new 1972 standard Beetle for $1,995
. Except for the emission control issues it was a real nice car. It was comfortable and well built, though heat and defrost in the NJ winter's was somewhat lacking to say the least
. It would run at 75 mph all day easily, if it wasn't too hilly
. But the gas mileage was abysmal for a small car compared to today's small cars, it ran in the 18 mpg range usually
. Our much heavier 2017 4X4 Explorer gets in the mid 20's mpg. Even my much more powerful 2.0L Zetec 1996 Ford Contour gets ~28 MPG around town and ~37 mpg on the highway. The only other real downside to the Beetle in my youth was it wasn't conducive to drive in movie romance fun, that's why I borrowed my father's 1966 Ford Custom 500 with a front bench seat
.
Whimsey
I remember the 2 1/2 oil changes,,lol
Ah yes, and the "true" rock catcher oil screen, no oil filter. I bought a new 1972 standard Beetle for $1,995
Whimsey
I bought my first new car in 1972. I test drove 2 cars, the VW Sunbug and the Toyota Corolla 1.6 L with a 4 speed. The VW was tempting with the manually operated sunroof but I chose the Corolla. $2,200 new w/o AC and it was the upgraded 1.6L rather than the base 1.2L. It was head and shoulders above the VW in features and quality plus it was much faster than a VW!
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
6V electrical system, little/no heat, no A/C, top speed of 63 MPH on flat ground, dog slow & would get run over on the roads today. Also, no safety equipment, no engine in the front to protect in a head-on crash. Have I mentioned my first car was a '64 Beetle? I couldn't wait to get rid of it!
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
Not so! The VW also did a fine job transporting Ted Bundy from crime scene to crime scene, across the country. Occasionally, it WAS the crime scene. . . One of his is even kept in a crime and punishment museum somewhere, I've heard.
Seriously though, there were certainly worse. The Reneault and Peugeot lines were particularly putrid, even in their "prime." The Beetle's really strong suit is (was?) it's rugged simplicity, which allowed it to descend gracefully into the old-cheap range while still running relatively well. Today's tight, clean, computerized cars can't do the same. I had a '69 for a couple years (79-80-ish), which had many issues (New England rust finally took it off the road), but ran well for me right up until it failed inspection for rust. . . The engine was strong, though. It was my first car; I liked it while I had it.
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
6V electrical system, little/no heat, no A/C, top speed of 63 MPH on flat ground, dog slow & would get run over on the roads today. Also, no safety equipment, no engine in the front to protect in a head-on crash. Have I mentioned my first car was a '64 Beetle? I couldn't wait to get rid of it!
Worst car ever sold in the United States...they did nothing well except "cute".
Not so! The VW also did a fine job transporting Ted Bundy from crime scene to crime scene, across the country. Occasionally, it WAS the crime scene. . . One of his is even kept in a crime and punishment museum somewhere, I've heard.
Seriously though, there were certainly worse. The Reneault and Peugeot lines were particularly putrid, even in their "prime." The Beetle's really strong suit is (was?) it's rugged simplicity, which allowed it to descend gracefully into the old-cheap range while still running relatively well. Today's tight, clean, computerized cars can't do the same. I had a '69 for a couple years (79-80-ish), which had many issues (New England rust finally took it off the road), but ran well for me right up until it failed inspection for rust. . . The engine was strong, though. It was my first car; I liked it while I had it.
- Status
Similar threads
