Oldbug's 1966 100,000th Beetle

[Oldbug.com]

I just picked up a pretty interesting 66 Beetle off the classifieds. It is the 100,000th Beetle produced at the Emden factory in Germany. The Emden factory opened in 1964 to build Beetles primarily for the US market and to help keep up with world demand. On January 11th 1966 the 100,000th Beetle came off the line, production stopped shortly for a photo opportunity and small celebration, and then the car was loaded onto the boat with the rest of them, destined for California.

The car was sold new in the San Francisco area and spent it's early years in the fabled Haight Ashbury district, the epicenter of the Hippie movement. The second owner of the car was deep in the scene and has told stories of giving rides to singer Janice Joplin in the car, as well as dancer Fred Astaire filming a commercial in the area, with the Beetle in the back round. A yet-unfound box of photos and memorabilia in his hands will hopefully come to the surface to further document the cars more "colorful" history. When this gentleman moved away from the city, he settled in a rural area and the Beetle developed engine issues and it was parked out in the yard to bask in the sun. A VW enthusiast in the area watched the car for the next 25 years, asking and begging the owner to sell. Eventually a deal was done and it was brought to Oakland California. Then a change in priorities required the sale of the car and ads were posted on Craigslist and TheSamba. I spotted it online several months prior to making an offer, and surprisingly it did not sell. After contacting Volkswagen in Germany to verify the history just recently, I struck the deal and have just taken delivery at my workshop. Plans for a full restoration are in the works and perhaps a reunion trip to San Francisco to visit the previous owners and if dreams can become realities, a return trip to Emden would certainly be the trip of a lifetime!!

I have posted some photos on the Oldbug.com Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284359&id=151352572628&ref=mf

I will post a couple here too.

Just too interesting of a car and a story to keep it to myself...this one I want to share with everybody!
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Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

[marklee]

Hey Randy saw this on FB, good find!!
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CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
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[Oldbug.com]

_________________
Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

[veedubcrazy]

How cool is that!
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1967 Deluxe Sedan

[Hammarlund]

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

So it WAS the real deal after all? I was definitely skeptic.
How did VW verifiy it as being "the one"?
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aka Ken {o\!/o}
Its your vehicle- stop askin' for approval-do what YOU like for cryin' out loud
Better to roll em' how you want and wear em' out-than lettin' em' rot out
Its about the going not the showing
Rebuilt to drive not decorate
WANTED: Local Eatin' Joints, Triple D for TheSamba contributions here http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=570510
Search "VOLKSWAGNUT" on YouTube since you cant watch a "certain" BELT change video round here
Usually and often edited

[Jürgen]

I love to hear stories like this one! Thanks!

The workers took enough pride in their work to commemorate this occasion, and it seems only fitting to acknowledge it by restoring the car.

[russ c]

good luck with it.very nice find and straight too

[Rusted Relics]

Ab-so-lute-lee freakin' awesome!
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Rusted Relics
www.rustedrelics.com
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[bill may]

are you sure jan 1966 production? bound for usa beetle. the id tag says 116 so that means 1966 vw beetle...
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Admin note: Bill Passed away - July, 2017

1965 panel bus-Kermit
"Camping is cheaper than therapy"
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SBS #100
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=453617

[bill may]

[Oldbug.com]

Bill..

Jan 66 production would be a 1966 car...

What are you talking about?
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Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

[61SNRF]

It's my understanding that the factory would often celebrate such occasions and would use any excuse to have a party! I wonder where the 200K, 300K, 400K and so on Emden Beetles are today and would they also hold a special story like this one does. Love the part about Janis Joplin!
I watched the ad's on this car with interest for months after I bought my '66 in April '09 because they are very similar. Mine was sold new in Monrovia Ca at Bob Bozzani motors. I obtained it through a friend and mechanic (Crazy Joe) who had just got it from the original owner. It has a chassis number past the 800K's built in April or May of '66.
Here is my car for comparison...

What really intrigues me about your car is what I think I see in one of the photos on the Facebook page. This picture is Photo 2...

It shows original paint that is badly faded and appears to be original to the car. The interesting part is that it looks like the factory painted the hood Java Green once before it was painted Ruby Red. I have been witness to several Bugs in the past that have had different body colors under their original paint. It is usually on bolt on parts such as doors, fenders, deck lids and it would seem hoods too. I would enjoy seeing more pics of the hood and am curious if it does wear two shades of factory applied paint.
Good luck and have fun with the project.

[Oldbug.com]

Wow twins!!

Im with you on the color under the color thing...looking closely at the hood bolts, it looks like they have been turned, so I am guessing the hood was replaced at some point long ago. The fade is so consistent though it is hard to know for sure. Was it done at the factory? Maybe the big floral array scratched the first hood and they installed another before it shipped out?

Up close I think it is Sea Blue not Java...but that really isn't the issue in the conversation.
_________________
Cheers!
Randy Carlson
http://www.oldbug.com
951-795-1175

[61SNRF]

For sure I take your word on blue because I'm looking at a monitor and not the hood .
My point is that I beleive the paint color change was not done aftersales but at the factory. In fact I would like to see a separate post on the subject. I once owned a Savanna Biege '67 Bug that you could see the multiple layers of paint where the Crankcase vent hose going to the air cleaner had rubbed it through to metal on the underside of the decklid. It was white sealer/primer, Java Green, white sealer, Dark VW blue, white sealer the finnally Savanna Beige. I have a friend who is a longtime VW body and paint man who has also seen this before, and his dad had a '72 Marithon Beetle that showed similar dark color patterns worn through on the drivers door before it left the factory as Metallic Blue!

[Azsilverbug]

What's your plans for it?
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65 Drag Bug
62 Bug
68 Bug
65 Dune Buggy

You can tune a piano but you can't tune a fish

[bill may]

[6Kabrio7]

So is this bug worth $100,000?
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67 Convertible July 67 Yukon Yellow
67 Sedan May 67 Zenith blue

[Oldbug.com]

[60ragtop]

Bill just got hung up on the color of the plates
He is confusing me too as to what he is trying to say about body tag and year.