Getting a rare Beetle ready for auction – LEB limited edition last Beetle

In 1978 production of the Beetle ended in Germany.

To mark the occasion, the final run of 300 cars produced for the United Kingdom were released as a special edition – called the ‘Last Edition Beetles’.  These were painted metallic silver, upholstered in blue cloth, and each had a commemorative plaque giving its unique number within the batch.

The owner of this car had driven the car only a few miles from new and the car had been living under blankets in a barn for over 40 years. Our customer wanted to sell the Beetle at a specialist car auction. There was only one snag: we had just 2 days to get the car running perfectly and ready to sell!

We are very lucky that our chief Mechanic is an ex RAC roadside mechanic and he got to work fast. What was staggering was how well things had survived, and the general time-warp condition. The underside needed no work at all other than blowing of the cobwebs. The engine needed a good few replacement parts but we got it ready in time. At the last minute it was realised that the glove box was locked and it held all of the original paperwork but the key was missing. A trusted supplier got us a new lock and key in record time.

The Result

The car made it to auction in time and made a healthy return for its owners. It’s nice to think of it back on a road where it belongs.