1961 Volkswagen Beetle

1961 Volkswagen Beetle *Classic VW Bug* #'s matching I found 'Wally' -- the name I've given this beautiful and historic 1961 Beetle - while I was living in Panama in 2011. I imported the car into the States in 2012. Per certification from the Siftung Volkswagen AutoMuseum in Germany (included with purchase), this particular car was built on 23 May 1961 and destined to Charleston, USA. I am not certain if Charleston was the final destination or if it was shipped via Charleston to Panama, but it also had a stint in Costa Rica. A previous owner claims this was one of only three imported into Panama that year. Wally was owned by an American expat living in the Panama Canal Zone until a Panamanian car enthusiast found it in need of some TLC and fell in love with it just as I did. According to him, the car had been parked for such a long time that a snake had claimed residence and the car had a small tree going through the floor pan and straight out the roof! The car was initially taken completely apart and restored in 2001 and it's incredible that most of the car's original parts were intact. ORIGINALITY To start, both the chassis and body match, with serial number 3899168. The engine also matches with serial number 5812753 (see certification), both dating to an April 1961 production (Note that body and engine numbers were different during that time, see article on 'bug chassis dating' in The Samba site). This is extremely rare to see numbers-matching survivors from this era, as most of them rusted out or had major components swapped out. To be clear, the car is a beautiful driver and will look great for years to come. It is not a museum car or a 'Concours' show car.Doors: 2