This Rolls Royce Beetle Is The Most Expensive Way To Look Poor

If you’ve ever dreamt of diving into the lap of luxury but your wallet is more of the “economy class” variety, we’ve got something that might pique your curiosity. Feast your eyes on this peculiar specimen – a vintage VW Beetle dressed up in a Rolls-Royce disguise. It’s currently listed for sale in Palo del Colle, Italy, and it’s got us wondering: why on earth would anyone do this to a poor Bug?

The build seems to have its roots in a 1972 VW Super Beetle Convertible, a model originally crafted by Karmann. Somewhere along the way, someone decided to give it a drastic makeover, transforming it into what they hoped would resemble a Rolls-Royce.

The extensive modifications include a boxy nose made of fiberglass, with a custom Pantheon grille and the “Spirit Of Ecstasy” ornament proudly sitting on the top. The front and rear fenders have been extended, while the headlights were replaced by dual round units in a faux chrome frame. Another sedan-inspired feature is the big trunk at the back, which eliminates the Beetle’s original intakes likely causing heating issues with VW‘s rear-mounted air-cooled motor. The finishing touch is the wood-style side sills, which are combined with patches of wood trim inside the cabin.

More: VW Beetle With A Futuristic Makeover Could Be Yours For $4.5k

This Rolls Royce Beetle Is The Most Expensive Way To Look Poor

The retractable top appears to be in quite a sorry state, with the rear glass seemingly on the brink of detachment, and a few unsightly holes in the fabric. As for the mechanical condition of this Beetle, it remains a mystery, as does the mileage, which could be considerably high given the car’s age. Should you find yourself intrigued by this unique creation, you can reach out to the seller via Facebook Marketplace.

The asking price for the Rolls-Royce bug is €9,500 (a touch over $10,000 at current exchange rates). This sounds too much for a modified Beetle, especially if you consider that used prices for a genuine Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow from the 1970s start from around €13,000 ($13,800) in Italy. This is probably why the model hasn’t found a buyer yet, despite being listed 5 weeks ago.

A quick search online reveals that similar open-top Beetles with Rolls-Royce bodykits are used for weddings in Italy, maybe due to the limited space on the narrow streets. These fiberglass components were manufactured by various companies back in the day and were also available in North America.

In an interesting twist, a few years ago, our counterparts at Jalopnik discovered a court document from 1976 in Atlanta. Rolls-Royce had filed a lawsuit against A&A Fiberglass for emulating the styling of its models with a creation known as “The Elegant Beetle.” Despite the court ruling in favor of Rolls-Royce, with the grille and ornament recognized as its trademarks, these kits continued to find their way into the market.

\\\\

Photos: Lafirenze Michele / Facebook Marketplace


The Auto World

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gearhead Nirvana: We Visit Porsche’s Atlanta Workshop Where Classics Get Reborn

Image
Maintaining any car is a duty that different owners approach in vastly different ways. For some, a few zip ties and a rattle can of spray paint is good enough. Far on the other end of the spectrum are owners like the ones who take their car to the Porsche Classic Center in Atlanta. During our trip there to see the new Macan EV in virtual reality , we had the opportunity to tour the Classic Center as it was deep in the midst of multiple repair and restoration projects.  To the owners of these cars and to the Porsche brand itself, what these mechanics, technicians, upholsterers, and painters are preserving is heritage. The center’s mantra “As good as new. But with even more character” is on display for anyone who visits the site. More: 2024 Porsche Macan EV Arrives From $79k, Turbo Is Faster Than A 911 GT3 Directly south of downtown Atlanta and appropriately located at 300 Porsche Ave, the Porsche Classic Center is now a separate building from the main Experience Center that o...
Read more

The New Honda Prelude Will Be A Global Model, But It Won’t Be A Toyota GR 86

Image
Last month, Honda rolled out the red carpet for the the hybrid Prelude Concept , heralding the comeback of a historic name in the motoring world. Now, this car has been given the green light as a global model, set to cater to both right- and left-hand drive markets. However, it might not quite rev up to be the full-throttle sports car many enthusiasts were anticipating Despite being labeled a concept by Honda, the car presented at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) looked quite production-ready. And if we know anything about Honda, they have a knack for unveiling thinly-disguised production cars as concepts. Take the last two Civics, for example. The 10th-gen Civic Concept was more or less the Civic coupe of that generation with a more aggressive stance and altered bumpers, while the 11th-gen Civic Prototype was virtually the same sedan that made it to production. Read More: The Honda Prelude Is Coming Back As A Hybrid Sports Coupe advertisement scroll to continue Honda Pre...
Read more

As Good As New Porsche 918 Spyder With Just 43 Miles Could Fetch $2 Million

Image
This Porsche 918 has been kept in a climate-controlled storage facility ever since it was delivered. The car is one of just four Hong Kong-spec 918s in existence. Driving the hypercar is a 4.6-liter V8 hybrid powertrain with 887 hp. A 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder that has never been registered will be available at a Hong Kong auction running from April 2-5 and is expected to sell for between $1.5 million and $2 million. The 918 Spyder launched as one of the ‘hypercar holy trinity’ alongside the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. While there are many low-mileage examples out there, few are thought to have been driven less than this one. Over the past decade, it has been driven less than 70 km (43 miles) and has been owned by a single person in Hong Kong. It has also never been registered for road use. The listing doesn’t specify how the car has racked up 70 km without being registered. Read: This Porsche 918 Is One Of Just 2 With A Gulf Oil Livery Nevertheless, this car i...
Read more