WARNING.— The person in whose name this vehicle is displayed may or may not be the current owner of the vehicle. Readers are warned, therefore, that this entry is not proof of ownership.
Details
- Registration Mark
- 148 ZI
- (a) Type:
- Type 1
- (b) Year:
- 1973
- (c) Colour:
- Tomato Red
- (d) Paint code:
- L30M
- (e) Engine CCs:
- 1600
History
- (a) Country of origin:
- Ireland
- (b) County first reg'd:
- Dublin
- (c) Current or last known location:
- Sligo
Model information
1300S and Power Pack Beetle
Info
26-03-2018 Beetle.ie: This 1300S/Power Pack Beetle has been through a colour change in recent history but thankfully was returned to the standard shade of Tomato Red 🙂
UPDATE 11-03-2024 Beetle.ie: This 1300S Power Pack Beetle was purchased in 2023 by Cathal from the long term owner in Sligo. Hugh had owned this Beetle since 2006, carried out a full body off restoration in time to drive it to Vanfest in the UK in 2007. Over the next 16 years, Hugh used this Beetle as his daily driver, with the exception of the winter months when it came off the road during the harshest of the winter weather. Sadly though, the sea air and lack of full time storage meant that this 1300S was starting to show its age and it was do or die in terms of decision making and rather than see his beautiful Beetle rot away, Hugh decided to offer it up for sale in the hope that someone would take it on as a restoration project. Hugh worked in the legal field prior to his retirement and as such this Beetle would often be parked outside the courthouse in Sligo, which meant that if there was a newsworthy case being heard in Sligo, this 1300S Beetle would often be seen as the backdrop to the news reporters piece. I think everyone in the VW scene has had someone tell us that they saw an orange Beetle on the news last night! This Power Pack Beetle is in need of a full restoration but it’s a rare car and is worth saving.
We were able to gather some more information about this car’s past life:
Emilio’s Beetles restored 148 ZI in 1987 when it was still being driven by the original owner. At the same time the original 1600cc engine blew up and a brand new crated 1200cc engine was located by Emilio and installed. The engine work and the new engine were £2,800 which was amazingly good value considering there was a NOS engine fitted for that price too. The Beetle went back into service with the first owner as a daily driver until 1997 when it was offered for sale and a gentleman called John Woods became the second owner.
John Woods tells us that he also owned 148 ZI. “Hi Cathal, I was the 2nd owner of 148ZI. I bought it from the original owner who had it restored by Emilio’s Beetles. I did some work on it over the years and resprayed it Iris Green.”
In all, this rare Beetle has only had 4 owners in its 51 years and all have been long-term owners, spending time and money maintaining it to the best of their ability, and as a result, this Beetle has survived through to the 21st century and looks like it will live on again for many more years.
Additional Photos
