Does anyone here own the last oval beetle?

[bwaz]

I’d think the August 1/57 would be considered a 1958 model year by VW

[David]

[Mike Peckham]

[bwaz]

[splitjunkie]

[Mike Peckham]

My Oval window beetle is chassis No. 1595236 Engine No. 1922450 Built 05/07/1957 left the factory 10/07/1957 and first registered in the UK 23/07/1957.

Interestingly, the first owner was an employee of the VW dealership where he ordered the car, and he was shocked and disappointed to find that his new beetle was superseded by a new model when it was only two weeks old. Such was the secrecy concerning the release of the big window beetle.

EDIT: Engine number added and build date amended as per Birth Cert. 03/11/19

[bloo62]

Hi all

my large window 57 is chassis no. 1779028 body no. 151255
I think its a December 57

[staale]

I dont own this car,but I found this in the sales records at the vw dealership where i work:
ch.nr 1598590. engine nr: 1937423.
Delivered August 2nd.1957.

[bwaz]

went through all my old hot vw's and couldn't find that article with what claims to be the last oval. Anyone ever see it? There's a late 57 for sale on old bug
http://www.oldbug.com/glab.htm which has a serial number of 1594590 with original engine 1932585. Getting pretty late if last is 1600439. Mine square window is a 1601113 serial number

[carnut63]

I’ve got 1593819.
Doesn’t have the original engine though.
_________________
Tyson

---> Mar 2 1955 Strato Silver Oval <---
---> July 1957 ragtop project <---
---> May 5 1966 Ghia <---
---> 1962 Ruby Red Deluxe (sold)

[bwaz]

[bwaz]

[Lind]

Back in the '90s, someone from Australia wrote a letter that was published in HotVWs where they claimed to have the last oval window produced.

Someone should send away for the birth certificate.
_________________
.
Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
.

[leowagen]

Mine is 1511544 and motor is 1819990 (both seem to be April '57).

I don't even bother in posting a picture since it has a later big window body on...

[Kjell Roar]

Read the progressive refinements in Technical section, thats probably closest to the VIN or production cars. But of course they normally built some prototypes before that.
_________________
I got a historic car, every scratch got a history...

My car, Aug. 4th, 1955 / an early 56: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=610438

[bwaz]

I found an old thread from 2008 that sheds some light on one of the earliest square windows...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

There are some conflicting numbers... as the Samba shows the last car in July 1957 as serial number #1600846, but I've seen it elsewhere as the last car of July was #1600439.

On this site from 2002, https://web.archive.org/web/20050114173130/http://www.squarewindowregistry.org/featured/2002-08/
It shows a square window beetle with vin 1600831, which is before the 1600846 shown on the Samba?

According to the VW brochure "what year is this" it shows the last beetle in July 57 as being 1600439. That would make more sense if the first square window was VIN 1600440.

[bwaz]

yes its an oval, not sure if birth certificate was in hand

[h~moto]

[bwaz]

someone with a later euro confirmed to me with their car,
serial number #1599686
Engine #1926809
Body# 582287
that's pretty late!

In the engine section of Progressive refinements, it says a car with serial
1585100 built July 10 would have engine 1926145
also PR says
1601517 built Aug 2 would have engine 1939746
Samba says
1600846 built July 31 would have engine 1937052

So its possible 671 cars apart would have engines 2694 apart, although I know these motors went into buses and ghias too...

I'm trying to mate a close motor to my beetle, built July 15/57, has serial number 1601113... and is an early square window. Trying to guess on a close 36 hp block to build. So, so far, after 1926809 and before 1937052, but 10243 motors is still a pretty big gap.

[bwaz]