So, farewell to the Volkswagen Beetle. Twice this year, I’ve been asked to give on the radio what is in effect an oral obituary for the long-serving model. The Beetle’s backstory is a fascinating one and it bears retelling, although not here. It isn’t a practical buy, but a style one. Its unaerodynamic blunt front eats into the mpg and the boot isn’t the biggest – but at least it isn’t another boring hatch.
Shall we take a peek at what the classic market is up to? Well, £4450 buys a fully operational 1971 1200 Beetle that’s apparently unrestored and used as a daily, which surprised me a bit. There are some Californian imports for similar money and projects at the £1500 mark, so if you fancy some work and rust, knock yourself out.
When it comes to the reborn Beetle, these are proper bangers now and presumably the £300 examples are worth more in bits. I found a 2002 1.6 petrol local to me with a couple of months’ MOT for that money and only a cracked windscreen and 175,000 miles on the debit sheet. Then a few miles more in the other direction was a 2001 2.0, which was blue with black wheels and a full year’s MOT for £500. Then there was a 2009 1.6 Luna with 90,000 miles and a full MOT at £1800. Not bad for a decade-old cared-for example.
The Beetle is all about showing off and, for £1500 upwards, there are a ton of cabriolets around that are perfect cruising buys. For example, there was a 2004 1.6 with reasonable miles and a private plate chucked in for £1500. Personally, I would respond more warmly to the subtle rumble of a 2.3 V5. No one else wants those, so there are tidy one-owner 2001 examples at £750. Dealer prices can be £2995, but they should be pretty mint and warranted.
Then there is the last-of-the-breed Beetle 2, which isn’t quite so lovable. The petrol 1.2 TSI starts at £5500, so a contemporary model at a reasonable price. I have a lot of time for a 1.6 Bluemotion, which does address the older cars’ fuel economy issues and deliver 65mpg, officially anyway. A 2013 one with over 90,000 miles is £5995. A bunch of special editions increases the choice and I like the idea of a Fender I can actually drive. I saw a 2013 2.0 TDI with 50,000 miles, a DSG gearbox and Fender logos. The sound system should be decent, it had a DAB radio and it was a two-owner car for £9999.
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I was always taught that the
I was always taught that the secrets of washing your car and avoiding scratches were using plenty of water so that the paintwork didn't dry out, and keeping your cloth, sponge or whatever you were using well rinsed and away from dirt and grit. But then I see tests of waterless cleaners, that you just spray on and wipe off, and the results are supposedly excellent. How can this be?
catnip wrote:
Sorcery? :)