When the Beetle first hit the road after the Second World War, it was known simply as the Volkswagen — a German word for “the people’s car.” Ferdinand Porsche and his team had designed the model to be inexpensive, simple and efficient to mass-produce, intended to provide affordable transportation for the new Autobahn network.
Of course, over the first-generation Bug’s 65-year run, the endearing little car became much more than a cheap way to get around town. With 21.5 million examples in total sold upon its discontinuation, the Type 1 even managed to eclipse Ford’s Model T as the most popular car manufactured on a single platform. Ever.
All that is to say — because of its humble beginnings and its working-class intentions, the Beetle isn’t something you’d usually peg as premium or upscale. However, back in the 1970s, an oddball Bug took America by storm with a coach-built body and an ultra-luxe interior.
It was so unique that even Volkswagen couldn’t help but take notice.
The $35,000 beetle
It’s known as the ‘Rollswagen’, and it’s the result of a commission by Porsche and Volkswagen West Coast distributor and amateur racer John von Neumann.
At a time when a new Lamborghini Miura sold for $20,000 and a Beetle would set you back all of $2,063, von Neumann spent a total of $34,499.95 having an ordinary 1969 Type 1 converted into the lavish limousine you see before you.
