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HomeMediaPractically brand-new 1964 Volkswagen Beetle priced at $1 million

Practically brand-new 1964 Volkswagen Beetle priced at $1 million

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A 1964 Volkswagen Beetle with just 23 miles on the odometer has hit the open market and can be yours for the low, low price of $1 million.

You read that right: A Volkswagen Beetle with a seven-figure price tag.

That would shatter the record for the most expensive Beetle ever sold. To put the $1 million price tag in perspective, Hagerty estimates that a 1964 example in concours condition would go for about $30,000.

The asking price is about seven times higher than the most expensive Beetle sold at auction. | Burback Motors photo
The asking price is about seven times higher than the most expensive Beetle sold at auction. | Burback Motors photo

The car was put up for sale by Burback Motors in Portland, Oregon. Pam Burback, who co-owns the dealership with her husband, said they decided on the price tag after speaking with officials.

“We took a trip to Wolfsburg, Germany, to the Volkswagen factory to the museum and spoke to the people at the museum and got… the (car’s) birth certificate and they just said, ‘Pick a number,” Burback said in a phone interview.

Museum staff told the couple that, while the Beetle is certainly a collectible car with a big following, they had never heard of one bought new and stored immediately.

“They were absolutely amazed,” Burback said. “They couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘We don’t know (of a similar) car.’”

The car still has its original dealer signage. | Burback Motors photo
The car still has its original dealer signage. | Burback Motors photo

Purchased new at a Vancouver, Washington, in 1964, the Beetle was originally owned by Rudy Zvarich. At the time, he owned a 1957 Beetle and specifically sought the ’64 model to serve as a replacement whenever his beloved car died. He was also worried Volkswagen would ruin the car in future iterations.

Zvarich was so dedicated to preserving the ’64 that he drove it home using a separate battery. The original dry charge system has never been used. The car has not been licensed and the windshield wipers and hubcaps have never been attached and are still in the original box.

It remained under cover, raised on blocks and drained of fluids in Zvarich’s garage until 2016. He had passed away and his entire collection was passed on to his nephew — Burback’s husband. It took about a year to dig the classic out, as Zvarich’s garage was filthy.

“As the story goes, my husband and his cousins were playing around the cars in the garage and one of them put a scratch on the Volkswagen and his uncle got very upset about it,” Burback said. “He put the car in the corner and that was the start of security by hoarding.”

Zvarich's garage was crammed full of garbage and a few classic cars. | Mike Spicer photo
Zvarich’s garage was crammed full of garbage and a few classic cars. | Mike Spicer photo

After enough phonebooks, newspapers and scrap metal were cleared — “dump truck loads,” according to Burback — the Beetle saw the light of day. It had never even been washed.

Burback said the car, which she sees as a piece of art, should be on display.

“My thought is that this is a museum piece,” she said. “I have grandkids growing up. I can’t take the chance that one of them is going to scratch the other fender, so it’s time to go.”

It took a long time to dig out, but the Beetle was already sparkling when the cover finally came off. | Burback Motors photo
It took a long time to dig out, but the Beetle was already sparkling when the cover finally came off. | Burback Motors photo

Burback said the Volkswagen museum doesn’t have the funding to buy the car, but she has received interest from at least two people. One of them made a standing offer of $500,000.

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Carter Nacke
Carter Nacke
Carter Nacke is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He began his career at KTAR News 92.3 FM in Phoenix, the largest news radio station in Arizona, where he specialized in breaking news and politics. A burgeoning interest in classic cars took him to the Journal in 2018. He's still on the hunt for his dad's old 1969 Camaro.

11 COMMENTS

  1. Yeah, sure. Keep dreaming. Maybe on a good day at a Mecum auction. They may stir up enough interest to get some rich guy to pay 30% over what it’s worth. That would be $32,500.

    • Absolutely ridiculous, it’s a 64 Beetle!!!!! For God’s sake people please quit ruining the car hobby, can’t believe anyone would actually offer a half mill for 3,500 hundred car, pure dramatic insanity.

    • Not as pristine as this one, oldbugs.com has a pretty fine example for $120,000. It’s a fine blue and has some unbelievable parts in it. Some wealthy guy has yet to buy that one for $120,000. I think the guy with the standing order of $500,000 may force (encourage) another deep pockets guy to bid on this 1M original specimen. Twill be interesting to see if anyone will pop for the 1M.

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