1978 Volkswagen Beetle Jubilee with Only 40 Miles on the Odo up for Auction

If there’s one car that has withstood the test of time, that’s the original Volkswagen Beetle. And even though more than 21 million Bugs were built between 1938 and 2003, it’s not often that you stumble upon a pristine example with only delivery mileage on the odometer.

The one you see pictured above is a 1978 Beetle Jubilee with a mere 40 miles on the clock that has never been registered. It’s up for sale by UK-based CVA Auctions.

"It is a 1200cc silver Jubilee model with a silver plaque stating it's car number 214 of the last 300,” CVA Auctions boss Jim Ronan told uk.Autoblog. “It is in great condition as you would expect and we have all the relevant documentation should someone wish to put it on the road."

The auction house’s boss said that buyers from all over the world were interested in the car.

"I think it will go to a serious collector or maybe even a museum. In my opinion, registering it would devalue it. I'm really not sure what it will go for," he added.

Source: CVA Auctions via uk.Autoblog

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VW Says “More Masculine” 2012 Beetle will Appeal to Men, Convertible Said to Join the Range Next Summer

Volkswagen is confident that a higher percentage of men as well as younger consumers will buy the 2012 Beetle compared to its predecessor when U.S. sales start in September.

VW of America’s Vice President of marketing and strategy Rainer Michel told Autonews that “a more masculine appearance, including a higher beltline, and 20 more horsepower for the base model, should do the trick”.

While female buyers accounted for more than 65% of the previous Beetle’s sales, Michel believes that the percentage for the all-new 2012 model will be split between the two sexes.

He also predicts that the new model will attract younger buyers as well and that the average age of Beetle owners will fall dramatically from 58 to 36 years old.

At launch the Beetle will be available in the US with two gasoline engines: a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine with 170HP and a turbocharged 4-cylinder with 200HP. Prices will start from $19,765 for the 2.5 and $24,165 for the turbo.

Next spring will see the addition of a diesel variant while Autonews reported that a convertible model will be launched in the summer further increasing the Beetle’s appeal.

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VW Begins Series Production of 2012 Beetle in Mexico

Volkswagen announced that it has commenced regular production of the 2012 Beetle at its factory in Puebla, Mexico, where its predecessor was also built. To mark the occasion, Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Board Member for Production and Logistics at VW Passenger Cars Hubert Waltl visited the plant in Puebla.

“The Beetle is a strong symbol of our brand. It combines the emotional heritage of the original Beetle with the future of Volkswagen,” said Hubert Waltl .

“The new Beetle and the engine plant we are building in Silao represent the great confidence we place in Mexico as a manufacturing location. As one of the main manufacturers of compact class vehicles, Volkswagen de México is a key building block in our growth strategy for North America” the VW official added.

The Puebla factory is the largest automotive plant in Mexico. It already supplies North and South America with the new Jetta and the Golf Variant. It employs 15,000 workers and its annual production in 2010 was 435,000 units.

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