1959 Volkswagen Beetle Black

The seller bought this 1959 lkswagen Type 1 Deluxe , now universally known as a tle, through mings in 2019. The car was reportedly refurbished by the previous owner, including a repaint and a reupholstered interior. The seller reports more recent professional work on the front suspension, a rebuilt carburetor and distributor, and other work noted below. It is not known if the miles shown are accurate. “This tle is a beauty on the exterior and interior and is mechanically sound,” the seller states. “I don’t drive it much and want to buy a newer car.”

The lkswagen Type 1 , aka tle, was in its 10th year in when the slightly improved 1959 model arrived to roam among herds of land yachts festooned with chrome trim and towering tailfins. VW had been making steady, annual improvements to the tle, and for 1959 that included a strengthened chassis floorpan, stronger clutch springs, and an improved fan belt. tle sales here had been steadily rising each year and hit nearly 90,000 for the first time in 1959. ( s would continue rising after that, of course.)

The 1959 tle was equipped with an air-cooled 1.2-liter OHV flat-four, rated at 36 horsepower by the manufacturer when new. At some point, this car’s engine was reportedly replaced by a later 1.2-liter, 40-horsepower flat-four from a 1964 lkswagen, based upon its serial number. The seller says starting requires five pumps of the gas pedal and then holding it about one-third down while turning the key. He says it will idle well after about a minute. A recent muffler replacement is indicated. The car occasionally weeps oil, per the seller, which is not unusual for an old tle. The four-speed manual transmission, which has a non-synchro first gear, is said to shift as designed.

The repaint in the original black hue, believed done under previous ownership, was reported to be via two-stage process with a hand-rubbed urethane clearcoat. It shows well in the provided photos. The seller reports “a few faint scratches” but no dents or chips. He says there are no issues with the windshield or window glass and indicates good seals for the windows, doors, engine hood, and front trunk/gas tank compartment. He says he is unaware of any rust, and none is observed in the provided photos, which show a clean underside and inner fenders. All lighting is affirmed to work. The roof-mounted luggage rack was an add-on.

Per the seller and the provided photos, the tle’s cabin appears to be in good condition, with no damage or blemishes seen on the seats or door cards. The previous owner is said to have had the interior reupholstered with new red vinyl upholstery featuring white piping, along new black carpeting and a gray headliner. The seller says all the work done remains in good condition. The steering wheel shows some cracking. The heat and speedometer are affirmed to work, but not the AM radio. The front seatbelts were added by a previous owner.

The seller says that the tle’s suspension was serviced with new axle seals, inner and outer wheel bearings, and king and link pins. He says the shocks are in good condition. The age of the whitewall tires, which appear to be from mixed brands, is not specified and DOT date codes are not visible in the images provided. The painted steel wheels and chrome hubcaps appear in good condition, and the seller says there are no vibrations at highway speed. The steering is reported to track straight. The seller says the brake master cylinder was replaced in gust 2022 and that there are no operating issues with the four-wheel drum brakes, which were indicated as refurbished under the previous ownership.

The seller states that this vehicle will be sold on a clean title in his name. Some repair receipts will be included with the sale. Wearing an apparent older restoration nicely, this 1959 lkswagen Type 1 Deluxe , or tle as it’s commonly known, is said to need nothing to continue puttering around while gathering admiring glances.