Chassis No. 10771855

Body. No. 687746

Engine No. 2700531

Early versions of Volkswagen's Type 1 Sedan, affectionately known as the Beetle, were well known for two things: practical engineering and a plucky attitude. The 1950s were good to VW, a company that rose from obscurity to global acclaim, earning a reputation for offering the world's best-selling car. Powered by an economic air-cooled flat-four engine, it featured sensible engineering, torsion-bar suspension, and a sturdy yet elegant design. At the same time, the Beetle gained a loveable reputation via Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) with their new era of groundbreaking "Think small." advertisements. Naturally, this affection led many to treat the Beetle as an extension of the family with addons and accessories to rival any domestic luxury offering.

This 1955 Type 1 Sunroof Sedan has taken the meaning of tasteful period accessories to new heights. Originally optioned with seven options including leatherette upholstery, safety glass windshield, and bumpers with overrider this exceptional Beetle features a comprehensive restoration in its original shade of metallic blue and has received an impressive manner of period-correct parts inside and out. Accessory hubcaps adorn VW steel wheels with wide whitewall tires whose spray is held in check by rear VW logo mudflaps. Headlights are fitted with correct VW marked lenses while the front driving lights and the rear backup light are from Marchal. Body colored wheel spats, an Iron Cross badge, and rear bumper-mounted safety star adorn the body. Inside, the houndstooth fabric interior is outfitted with a Golde fabric sunroof, Ra-Bambus caned under-dash shelf, a Motorola Volumatic radio, dashboard accessory gauges from Motometer, a rear window blind, and a 100,000 kilometer Christophorus badge on the glove box and on the banjo steering wheel's horn ring.

Once ubiquitous around the world, today the early Beetle is occasionally seen on the street. However, the best are most often seen on display at car shows and local Volkswagen based meetups, with those highly accessorized early Beetles, like this example delivered to San Francisco-based Riviera Motors in 1955, the most highly prized among them.