With February upon us, love is in the air as people think about the Valentine’s Day season. And what better way to talk about love than with “The Love Bug” – a classic comedy film from 1969 about a beloved Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie who left a mark on both cinema and car culture alike.
The Pick of the Day is a 1957 Volkswagen Beetle listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Walnut, California. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Gorgeous, clean-document Beetle received a subsequent mechanical refurbishment that included rebuilding the air-cooled flat-four and four-speed manual transaxle along with refreshing the brakes and suspension,” the listing begins. The car is finished in a Horizon Blue paint job (code L331) that was refinished under prior ownership, and the beige leatherette interior is tidy in its simplicity and presentation.
The idea behind the Beetle was always “less is more.” It was an economy car designed from its very beginning to be simple, straightforward and reliable. Due in large part to its universal price affordability and subsequent sales success, the Beetle had the longest-running generation of any automobile on the planet. Back in 2022, Volkswagen shared what it called an “Ode to the Bug” – a play-by play chronology of some of the noteworthy dates and milestones for the Beetle.
While the listing doesn’t call out specifications for the engine, it is more than likely a 1,200cc air-cooled flat-four that was rated at 36 horsepower and 56 lb-ft of torque when new. The seller says the engine was rebuilt by George Schmidt and is fitted with 80mm pistons and an upgraded camshaft. In addition, the carburetor, distributor and fuel pump were rebuilt. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a rebuilt four-speed manual transaxle. An included video shows a start-up and warm-up, and the car sounds healthy.
Being a historian with a love for documentation, my favorite photo in the listing is number 27, which shows a binder of records. A mileage log shows mileage accrual by year. According to that document, as of 1989, the car had 47,765 miles on the odometer. Today, it is listed with 51,539.
Were you a fan of “The Love Bug” or one of its five (wow!) sequels? Fall in love with a Volkswagen Beetle this season and drive it home!
The asking price is $39,000 or best offer.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, you can find it at Pick of the Day.