The 100,000th Emden-produced Volkswagen Beetle can now be yours. This 1966 VW 1300 model is now up for auction, and judging by the current bid prices (although reserve is still on) it may go for less than a New Beetle.

From the pictures we can easily see that this Beetle has seen better days when an entire factory was ready to hang a wreath around it and sent it on its way to America.  Today the paint has faded in many spots and rust is becoming a concern. According to the seller, the engine is not original, nor are the carpets and seat material. It will be up to the new owner to decide if this is a restoration candidate, or if it is so significant for a touch-up.

So, why would a rare car like this be on the open market and not in a Museum?

Beetle fans will note that the 100,000th post-war Beetle was produced in October 1954 at Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The auction going on now is for the 100,000th Beetle produced at a factory in Emden, Germany. The car in this auction was simply given a wreath, a photo op, and then packed up to be shipped to the U.S. with the rest of the Beetles on the assembly line.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Although Emden’s 100,000th car is not nearly as significant as the 100,000th Beetle ever produced, this is still a historical piece. VW opened the Emden plant in 1964 to keep up with demand for cars in North America (this is likely linked to a failed attempted to start a U.S. factory about a decade earlier.) Within two years it had already produced 100,000 vehicles, and today it has surpassed 10 million cars as it churns out Passats.

For the U.S. Beetle lover, the 100,000th car produced at the Emden factory represents a minor milestone in VW’s relationship with North America. Also, Emden is home to the last Beetle produced in Germany, and the factory may want to add to its historical collection. So anyone wanting to bid on this milestone Beetle may have to compete with the deep pockets of the mighty Volkswagen Group.