‘Ballsbridge Beetle' back for VW's big 75th birthday bash
Known as the 'Ballsbridge Beetle', this almond-green Bug was the first VW assembled outside Wolfsburg – in a shed on the Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, in 1950 – and probably the first right-hand drive model ever produced.
It symbolised the birth of the Volkswagen brand in Ireland and retailed for just IR£465. For that princely sum, you were treated to a four-cylinder, 1,100cc air-cooled engine with a modest 25hp and a top speed of 100kmh.
The nostalgic folks at VW have managed to borrow the iconic car from the Zeithaus museum at Autostadt GmbH, the headquarters of the marque, for the celebrations.
The split rear windscreen model will be proudly exhibited at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, on the first Saturday across the summer months: June 7, July 5 and August 2.
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