1950 VW Beetle For Sale
SOLD!
The Beetle that started it all...the plain and simple standard model split window.
From these humble beginnings, a legend was born.
I dont think anyone had any clue how big it was going to get and how this little car changed the face of the
automotive world forever.
This car, a 1950 Beetle Sedan has a pretty important spot in the timeline of Beetle history.
The little write-up above explains it.
In short...this is one of the oldest Beetles officially built by VW for the US market!
(Note: another earlier standard has just been reported, but it is parts in a basket at this point)
The documentation with the car is excellent, from the Birth Certificate direct from Wolfsburg
to a full array of other papers and it is indeed a "matching number car" all the way through.
1-0182800 ... If you look up the "Hoffman Registry" online you will come up with a thread
on the popular website www.thesamba.com where a list of existing Hoffman cars is being gathered.
This is currently the earliest known running 11-A (Standard) Model.
The original numbers matching engine remains in the car which is simply miraculous,
Fully rebuilt and running excellent.
Original 1950 owners manual, in English of course.
Dated inside
This is a reprint of an original Hoffman sales brochure that is included in in the sale.
Many other documents are included, copies of original correspondence between Hoffman
and prospective dealership owners. Hoffman was going all the way in the US...his plan was to spread
the cars as far as possible and he was quite successful in doing so. From the 160 cars in 1950 to double
that in 1951 and then the numbers rose. The market in the US was big and Max Hoffman started the flow.
Unfortunately for him, the numbers were too large and VW took over distribution to the US themselves in 1953.
From there, things really grew massively.
This is an extremely rare original sales brochure from Hoffman that is included in the sale.
The standard model was offered by Hoffman and inported in small numbers,
but the chrome hungry US market gobbled up the Deluxe models more.
When VW took over, they dropped the Standard model completely from the US market.
The Standard is a rarity here, and even more-so being one that was brought in when new by VW.
A lot of these that you come across in the US have been brought in through Europe by collectors.
To find one that has been here since new is extremely uncommon.
The restoration of this car has been recently completed and it was a ground up, every nut and bolt affair that
stretched over several years and through a few different hands before being called "done".
The completed car is quite beautiful and shows very well.
It has been photographed for a full feature in a major VW magazine that will be coming out this summer.
It has only been to one event, where it was on a VW dealership floor once again , coming full circle.
The interior cloth was sourced through a German fabric mill that was reccomended by the VW Museum
and stated on the birth certificate. The carpet is the proper square weave wool material
and the rubber mats are a blend of originals and quality reproduction.
Being a standard model, the headliner is only in the center of the roof, which leaves the interior body metal exposed.
This gives for a very unique feeling when inside...even more simple and more industrial than the posh deluxe model.
The door panels have been done in the matching seat material.
The handles are the correct early grooved design and are done in chrome as spelled out on the
birth certificate...something that Max Hoffman wanted for the US market perhaps.
European standard models normally had a grey painted handle.
All of the glass on this car is original large logo Sekurit stuff...even the windshield!
Currently the roll up door windows are new glass, but we have sourced original ones that will come with the car.
Under the hood is very cleanly detailed, the wiring harness is the cloth covered wire
as original, the fuel tank with large VW logo cap is correct.
Matching 16" wheel and tire for the spare, correctly date coded by the way.
Clean in all the deep corners
The rubber mat behind the pedals is a reproduction, but the floor mats are thought to be originals.
A tunnel mat in the proper design is being hand poured from a mold of an original and will be installed
before delivery. Many of the Split era parts are very unique, and are not easy to find.
Parts had to be sourced from all over the world to put this car together correctly.
The dash pod is in excellent condition and all lights are functioning.
I did notice during the test drive that the speedometer is not functioning, but I will trouble-shoot
this and hopefully repair it quickly...I believe the cable may have slipped from the wheel.
Fenders are all originals as are the running boards that have the central support.
The rubber is the correct thin groove design.
Semaphores are fully functional
All lights are working.
What a beautiful car!
This car is also soon to be featured in the upcoming documentary
The Bug Movie, by Damon Ristau.
The car has a clean California title
The New York 1950 plate was chosen to celebrate it's New York roots, being the home of Hoffman.
The engine is the correct, numbers matching 25 horsepower unit that it rolled off the factory line with.
It has the correct early parts such as the seamed fan shroud, Star coil, D regulator, big nut thin pulley
and flat top distributor. The T aircleaner is also correct.
The engine runs fantastic and the car is a fun one to drive.
Everything is detailed well under the lids.
Correct aprons, proper taillights...it is all here.
The keys...
Manual choke and dimpled shift knob
on the proper shifter. This shifter was sourced in Belgium by the way...
you gotta go where you need to in order to find the early parts!
Nice details such as the mirror base with its screw heads all lined up.
The car is not without fault...currently there are a couple of small paint flaws such as this small shadow within the paint on the roof.
There is also a scratch on the hood as seen in this photo.
We have contracted with a painter to do these repairs and will have them done or negotiate accordingly
with the buyer so that they can have the repairs done themselves if they desire.
You need to look close to see them...but they are there.
Bumpers are correct, the blades are originals, the guards are high end reproductions
Proper single tip exhaust
Very nice bodywork...the body and paint was done by Lanny Hussey in BC Canada, a painter well known among
the VW scene and no stranger to the pages of the magazines.
The wipers are the correct wire style arms.
The bump on the roof is correct by the way...supposed to be there.
Three spoke steering wheel is beautiful in its simplicity
Bosch script NOS headlight lenses.
Very clean underneath and done in the proper original sheen...
Not "overrestored" like quite a few that I have seen.
16" Firestone tires.
Hand painted centers on the caps.
Here are a couple of "on the lift shots"
Very nice!
The car maintains its original cable brake system by the way, well adjusted and operating smoothly.
Many of these standard models have been upgraded to hydraulic brakes over the years...but this one is as it should be.
Fender wells have all been sprayed with a light stone-chip resistant finish to add some durability long term.
All in the same color as the exterior of course...no undercoating here
This finish should hold up extremely well over time, much better than if painted smooth without protection.
All hardware is new and clean.
Rear fenders have the correct pressings on the edge
Proper split window only "dimples" in the fender for the taillights.
Very very clean
Great muffler!
Wheel centers have been painted a deep blood red, a color that was applied to a few of the Hoffman cars
The story goes that some of these standard models had a matching blood red pinstripe to match this wheel.
Original windshield is something special.
It does show some signs of it's age as you would expect, but no cracks or big chips.
The fact that it is original is quite a rare detail.
Very clean finish
Correct early hood.
Date stamp on the spare wheel
Aluminum hood handle as original
Nice
Detail of the chassis number
Kamax bolts hold the tank in place
Cloth wire harness is beautiful
Luggage rail in back as original
Do you want to hold these keys?
On closing this is a very beautiful Beetle and the history behind it makes it a once in a lifetime find.
The split era Beetles are on a steep rise these days in value and are getting snapped up by collectors
at a feverish pace. I have even seen a couple break the six figure barrier for a very early example.
This is a smart investment and a ton of fun.
SOLD!
For More Info...CALL
951 767 1600
or Email oldbug@earthlink.net