Time Capsule - Thomas Goerlitz's '54 Oval Beetle

The Oval Window Beetle! Most would agree it’s one of the most desirable Beetles to date and certainly one that I used to fantasise about owning during my early years of VW loving!
The fact the Oval used to be the oldest Beetle available with parts still accessible is what made people want them. But thanks to the internet, more recently people have turned to the Split rear window model Beetle – it’s older, rarer and you can still pick up the odd part for them. Now every man and his dog would like one.
But the reason I used to like the Oval wasn’t down to any of the commonly cited reasons but rather it was more to do with its shape. I loved the small front screen and the tiny taillights with the heart-shaped lenses up top. I dug the dash too, and above all I liked the fact it had an oval-shaped rear window with engine air intake vents that seemed to wrap around the bottom of it. It was quirky! Back then I didn’t even know they were a desired model I was young and I just thought it was a cool looking old Bug and if I’d ever had the chance to own one I undoubtedly would’ve rimmed it up and hit it with the lowering stick. To be honest I’d probably still do that now, but I certainly appreciate them a lot more in stock form than I did when I passed my driving test.
Luckily there are people out there who have more respect for Wolfsburg’s finest and keep the old-timers ticking along on the straight and narrow. One such gent is Thomas Goerlitz, who lives in Wolfsburg, Germany and happens to own a very nice unrestored 1954 Wolfsburg registered Beetle.

For the full story check out the September 2008 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 08 August and then available through back issues.

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