The Volkswagen Beetle (officially the ‘Type 1’), although a product of the Nazir egime to create a people’s car – suitable to mobilise a nation and use the country’s growing road network but simple to mass produce and repair – went onto become possibly the most widely recognised car in the world. Designed in the 1930s, volume production did not commence until after the War – initially under British control – and, such was its enduring popularity, production only ended in 2003 after more than 21 million cars had been built. Whilst the car went through various style changes in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, and acquired larger, more powerful engines, it retained its original distinctive shape – giving rise to the ‘bug’ and ‘beetle’ nicknames.

As part of the model evolution, Volkswagen introduced the 1300 in late 1965. With an enlarged engine of 1285 cc, the appearance of the car was notably altered from earlier variants with an increase to the size of all windows – front and rear screens, side and door windows. Other updates followed – revised bumpers front and rear; redesigned head and tail lamps; 12-volt electrics; dual circuit braking; radial ply tyres and, in 1971, a modest power increase to a claimed 44bhp. Production of the model ended in 1975.

The 1300 offered here was first registered, new in the UK, in August 1972. We have no early history for the car until June 2005, when the then owner commissioned a full professional restoration with Woolleys of Norwich. The car remained in the UK until 2012, when it was purchased by a Jersey resident and re-registered in the island, with around 77,000 miles recorded. Having changed hands once more in Jersey, the 1300 has been maintained in excellent condition, with limited use and now shows a little under 81,000 miles.