1971 Volkswagen Karmann Cabriolet

The story of the Beetle is well known; it was initially designed to provide cheap transport for the hard-working German masses. Built in very small numbers before and during World War II, the Beetle literally rose from the ashes of Volkswagen's bombed-out Wolfsburg factory to become an instant success in Europe, Britain, America and virtually every other country in the world.

The model evolved through various facelifts and numerous mechanical changes - there were more than 70,000 identifiable modifications - and it provided a platform for other models, including commercial vehicles and sporting derivatives such as those by Karmann Ghia. It was this constant development and attention to detail which allowed the Beetle to maintain its position, and as production raced past the 15,000,000 mark, the Beetle went on to be crowned as the best-selling car of all time.

This fine example was bought by the current vendor in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio, USA, where he resided at the time. He then moved to the UK a later year and couldn't part with the car, so it was transported across the Atlantic and registered as a UK vehicle in 2010. It is believed that at some point during its life in the US that the car underwent some restoration work, although there is no paperwork to substantiate this claim. The odometer was reset to zero when the car had reached 109,465 miles, and the speedometer head was restored, with the dial now reading 13,277 miles. The paint is in excellent condition and cannot be faulted, as is the interior which is immaculate. The vendor informs us that the convertible roof was replaced in the last few years, and he choose black mohair to replace the original vinyl roof. Since the car has been in the UK, it has been maintained periodically by well-known performance and tuning specialist, Graham Goode, with invoices in the history file showing work undertaken.

Stored in a dry garage and only driven in good weather, this Karmann Beetle comes from an enthusiastic VW-loving home, with the only reason for sale being that the vendor wishes to undertake a new 'Vee-Dub' project.

The MoT and road tax are paid until April 2015, allowing this beautiful Beetle to be simply driven and enjoyed by its new owner.