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
- OFI 471
- (a) Type:
- Type 1
- (b) Year:
- 1971
- (c) Colour:
- Black
- (d) Paint code:
- L41
- (e) Engine CCs:
- 1200
History
- (a) Country of origin:
- Ireland
- (b) County first reg'd:
- Tipperary North Riding
- (c) Current or last known location:
- Galway
Model information
1200 Beetle Deluxe
Info
We are always amazed at the number of previously unseen Volkswagens that still manage to pop up at shows and on the road. Take this Beetle for example. Neither of us have seen it before and from we can see it was never on the show scene so it was a real treat when Gerry Barrett submitted the photos of this Beetle recently. Gerry saw OFI 471 at the 2022 Eyrecourt Show in County Galway. It was also seen at the Raheen Show in County Laois in July 2022 so it’s being used which is super to see.
As you can see from the photos this Beetle has been lovingly restored and might even look better now than the day it left MDL on the Naas Road. We love the difference that the Lemmerz wheels make to the look of this 1200 Beetle Deluxe. More accessories include the VW logo mudflaps, which may be original to the car as well. The spotlamps, bonnet vent trim, rear window vent trim, the door finger plates and even the crescent vents with the deluxe trim are all small details but enough to differentiate this Beetle from all the other Beetles at the show. OFI 471 is also running reverse lights which may have been an accessory added later and we assume it has received a new front quarter during the restoration. The car certainly is a credit to the lucky owner.
Assembled in Dublin at the end of November 1970, this Black (L41) 1200 Beetle Deluxe was then sent to Spooner’s VW dealership in Roscrea in December 1970 who in turn sent it to Sherlock’s Service Garage in Nenagh where it was then sold from in January 1971. The first owner was based in the Tipperary North area hence the ‘FI’ registration. From what we can see, OFI 471 is still running its original 1200cc engine and as it was a factory black car from new, this makes it very rare, as there were actually very few black Beetles assembled from the late 1960s onwards.
Thanks again to Gerry for the photos.
Submitted by: Gerry Barrett
Additional Photos
