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14 March 2018
Here's what's special about Aussie-built Beetles
By 
The Volkswagen Beetle is the quintessential classic car. Instantly recognisable across the world, it is a global superstar with plenty of history here in Australia.
The Beetle is a truly unique car that symbolised freedom for many owners who required simple transport from A to B. This Australian built Beetle Survivor is one of very few factory built with a sunroof, and is a stand out example of this very charming car.
The story of the VW Beetle is a long one with many incredible chapters, including links to Adolf Hitler, Ferdinand Porsche, and also a Hollywood movie series featuring it as ‘Herbie’, the Love Bug.
The Beetle started out as a car for the people – engineered and designed for cheap mass production – but it's now one of the most recognisable cars in the world. More than 21 million Beetles were produced, assembled and built in more than 15 countries over an amazing 65 years, before the final Beetle was produced was on June 30th, 2003. The Volkswagen Beetle Sedán Última Edición was immediately shipped to the Volkswagen museum in Wolfsberg, Germany.
The winning formula would seem to be attributed to three determining factors: Affordability, Functionality, and Simplicity. The car had to be affordable to the majority of people, the price was set at just under 1,000 Reichsmark (ℛℳ) which was roughly half a year’s salary. It had to have the ability to carry a family at 100km/h while not using more than 7 L/100km. It had to be simple, meaning that parts and components should be easily serviceable, accessible and repairable without too much fuss.
People all across the world loved the Beetle. It was a happy car, and made personal transport accessible to many that previously could not afford it. The demand was such that Volkswagen set up manufacturing and assembly plants to cater for the volume of sales, Australia being just one of those locations.
A production facility was established in Clayton, Victoria in the mid-1950s (Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) now occupies the same premises). CKD kits (completely knocked down) supplied from Germany were built. The growing success lead to full Australian manufacturing of the Beetle in 1959, and by the late 1960s the Beetle was constructed with 95% local content.
Australian built Beetles have some unique differences to other Beetles, including locally built VDO gauges, paint colours, and hubcaps. Many of the locally built parts featured the VW logo surrounded by two kangaroos – meaning that our Beetles carried kangaroos with them everywhere they went! There was lots of optional equipment for Beetles, including sun visors and roof racks, as well as some interesting child seat restraints for the rear of the car. We’ve sure come a long way when it comes to child safety in modern cars!
In 1968 Australian production reverted back to CKD kits from Germany, as upgrading the equipment was way too expensive to justify. The Beetle continued to be assembled locally until 1976, when the production facility was bought by Nissan.
In 1961, Spencer Motors in Coburg, Victoria imported 50 Beetle cabriolets to Australia to test the market and promote at motorshows. This cabriolet never eventuated in Australia, though more than 330,000 were built and supplied across the world. The Australian alternative was a ‘sunroof’ model, which was very different to the sunroof we see in today’s modern cars. The roof was a roll-back waterproof cloth, allowing the driver and passengers to let the light in and experience a similar open top experience to the cabriolet.
Our featured 1964 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe is a car that must be seen to be believed. It has a few war-wounds and scars from car park battles over the years, and some minor wear and tear that you’d expect to see on a car that is more than 50 years old. But, it is the small things that impress the most – like the chromework and the glass – which are in great shape.
Original owner Keith Dunn bought the car in June of 1964 from Spencer Motors in Coburg, Victoria. The impeccable service history shows how regularly the car was maintained, and how seldom it was driven. It is a testament to Keith, who clearly took care of his special Beetle from day one.
Dario Ascenzo is a fan of muscle cars, and enjoys driving his 1977 Chevrolet Corvette and his 1956 Chevrolet Belair as often as he can. He never thought he’d end up owning one of the best Australian Beetle’s going around.
“I was visiting my in-laws when I met their old friend Keith. He lived up the road, my mother-in-law would sometimes cook for him and my father-in-law would help him around the house. He didn’t have any family and was never married, he ended up being a part of our family instead,” Dario explains. “I remember going up to his place and spotting the Beetle in his garage, it looked pretty good,” recalls Dario, “I asked him a few times if he’d consider selling it – he always said no”.
Dario was visiting his in-laws and had a passing conversation with Keith about the Beetle, where Keith mentioned it was time to let it go. “He was well into his eighties, and hadn’t been driving it much at all. The car was just sitting there, so he told me I could buy it and the deal was done. My mother had a VW Beetle when we were younger, so it brought back many great family memories.”
Sadly Keith has since passed away, though there are some keepsakes that remain with the car, such as the vintage fire extinguisher which appears to be almost as old as the car itself! Dario continues to keep this Beetle Survivor in its original form, “I have no plans to touch it at all – I like it the way it is,” says Dario. “As they say, they’re only original once!”
Source: Survivor Car Australia
Can you think of a classic car more iconic than the Volkswagen Beetle? Tell us in the comments.
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