1953 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe Sedan

The story of the Volkswagen Beetle is an amazing one - from the original design brief to create cheap, reliable transport for the German masses through to the myriad of production changes and variations created over the next five decades. The original ?People's Car? created by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and his team has become the most successful automobile of all time, with no less than twenty million units produced to date. Although the basic concept remained unchanged over the years - all Beetles retained the air-cooled flat twin motor located behind the rear axle - the model underwent constant refining and each year saw various small improvements take place. In 1952, deliveries of German-built right-hand drive cars began and Export cars featured extra brightwork along with a number of interior upgrades (including an ivory-coloured steering wheel, grab handles etc.) and cone-type syncromesh on second, third and fourth gears. From October 1952, all Beetles received a new dashboard, a Solex 28PCI carburettor and 4J-15-inch wheels. From March '53 onwards, the old split rear window was replaced with a new oval window, largely to improve rear vision but few other significant changes were made during 1953 apart from minor improvements to the front and rear suspension and some detail changes to the interior. The oval window Beetles from the 1950s are seriously desirable today, having been made to a very high standard and command a substantial premium over later examples. The Beetle is a perfect classic car for the modern era - cheap to both run and maintain, fun to drive and with a universal popularity few other automobiles can lay claim to.