EURO 1960 Volkswagen Beetle

This 1960 Volkswagen Beetle is a European-market example believed to have been sold new at the Hans Moosmaier dealership in the Upper Franconian city of Bamberg in Germany. It was imported to the US at an unknown time and resided on the East Coast until it was relocated to Washington State in 2011 and subsequently refurbished over a multi-year period coming to completion in 2015.

The body was reportedly refinished in Beryl Green over beige vinyl upholstery as part of the refurbishment and features a sliding canvas sunroof and semaphore turn indicators in addition to fender-mounted turn signals, “snowflake” taillight lenses, and chrome bumpers with overriders. Power comes from a replacement air-cooled 1,192cc flat-four, which is mated to a four-speed manual transaxle. Semaphore turn indicators were discontinued on US-market Beetles for 1955, though they continued through 1960 for European models. Interior elements include a radio block-off plate, a fuel reserve flap, a heater, and a foot-operated high/low-beam switch.

The two-spoke steering wheel wears a chrome horn ring with a Wolfsburg crest center cap and frames a 140-km/h VDO speedometer. The speedometer was refurbished in 2020, at which time the five-digit odometer was reset. The replacement air-cooled 1,192cc flat-four was installed under previous ownership and is fed by a Solex 28 PCI downdraft carburetor topped with an oil bath air cleaner. A replacement generator was installed, the carburetor and heater boxes were rebuilt, and the battery was replaced along with miscellaneous seals and gaskets under current ownership. The engine stamping 1991060 is shown above and corresponds to a production date of August 1957. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle. 

The Ron Sturgeon Collection