5 of the Rarest VW Beetles Around Today

The Volkswagen Beetle is the most iconic cultural car of all time. Once mass produced for the mass market, it sold over 21 million vehicles worldwide – proof that the odd, roundly-shaped automobile had wide-reaching mass appeal.

In January 1980, by the time the last German-built Beetled rolled off the assembly line, 21,529,464 Beetles were built. This marked the end of an era for the longest-running production car ever built using the same platform. 

Today, VW Beetles have gained collector status, with pre-1968 production models commanding the most interest. However, there are a number of Beetles so rare that only a select few collectors can afford to buy them, fetching prices between $50,000 - $128,000 (+-R700k – R2 million) and up.

Porsche VW 39 Prototype 

Units built: 14

Figure 1:Image source: Carbuzz.com

Designed and manufactured by Ferdinand Porsche in 1939, Porsche originally planned to produce fifty VW 39s, but his intentions were disrupted by World War 2.  Nicknamed Pretzel Beetle due to the split rear windows, only fourteen were produced, but by the end of the war, all but one were lost. The remaining car was found after the war in bad condition under rubble and ruin. It was sold in 1948 to a collector in Hamburg who, over many years restored the car with more modern parts to keep it going and changed its original colour. 

In 2014, the car made its way to the founders of the Automuseum Prototyp in Hamburg, Thomas König and Oliver Schmidt. After three years of restoration with many components specially manufactured, the last VW 39 has been restored back to its original glossy Nitro Black condition. 

Zwitter Beetle

Units built: Unknown

Figure 2: Willem-Aart van Dorpen

Early Beetles were manufactured with split rear windows and sold between 1948 and 1952. During mid-1952, Volkswagen replaced the split windows with a single oval-shaped window which improved drivers’ road visibility.

Manufactured and produced from October 1952 up until March 1953, Zwitters were a ‘crossover’ Beetle, produced with the old split window as well as all the updated features of the upcoming cars. Hence the name Zwitter, meaning hybrid or hermaphrodite. 

The split-window Beetles are rarer than the later oval-window models. They are considered the purest examples of the original design, making them highly valuable.  

Super Beetle 'Epilogue Edition' 

Units built: 900

Figure 3: Image source: Bonhams.com

The final German manufactured Beetle was produced on 10 January 1980 by Karmann of Osnabrück. During the final year 1979, only 900 special edition ‘Super Beetles’ were produced. Dubbed the ‘Epilogue Edition’, they were and are indeed an important part of Beetle history, marking the juncture between the classic and the modern.  

Each convertible wore a triple-black motif with thin-line whitewall tyres. A wooden dashboard, clock, radio delete, aircon, and black leather upholstery were some of its interior features. Today, it’s estimated to fetch between $55,000 - $70,000.  

Herbie The Love Bug

Units used in filming: 11

Figure 4: Image source: Wallpapercave.com

Herbie the Beetle was born on 24 May 1963 and by the age of 5, became a Disney movie star. Its rise to fame and popularity was evident in the making of a series of another four movies: Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). There was also a TV series production named after the original movie. It does seem though that it’s the original Love Bugs from the first movie that are most loved and coveted by collectors.

According to the AACA Museum (an automotive museum in Pennsylvania, USA who exhibit vintage vehicles), out of the original 11 identical Beetles used, only three are still around today. 

To keep track of them, each one was numbered 1 to 11. Herbie #10 was eventually sold by the film studio in the 1970s. Then in 2016 when Herbie went up for sale again, it sold at the asking price of $85,000. But this is by no means the highest price anyone has paid for a Herbie. Try the princely sum of $128,700 (+-R2 million) when in 2018, a Herbie that starred in the 1977 and 1980 movies went up on auction. 

New Beetle RSi

Road units built: 250

Race units built: 67

Figure 5: Image source: Motor1.com

Segue into modern day – in 2001, VW announced a limited run, ‘New Beetle’ performance edition to its lineup. Essentially a performance Golf-based platform with VW looks and parts, the RSi came standard with a 3.2-litre VR6 engine, 6-speed gearbox, and 4-wheel drive system. You could say It’s the highest performance trim of any Beetle ever. 

With only 250 of these machines built from 2001 – 2003, there are only a handful left and you’ll be lucky to site one. The RSi is recognisable by its wider fenders, larger wheels, and its most distinguishable feature, the massive rear wing that gives it a distinct sporty look. It is after all, the fastest Beetle ever built. 

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Conclusion

As fewer of these iconic vehicles survive and become more rare, their auction prices will continue to go up. So if there’s an old Beetle hanging around in your possession, take good care of it, it’s a piece of history that may be worth a fortune. 

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