Photo: Milivie Design
Many of us were probably under the impression that Volkswagen ceased production of its second Beetle successor because of lackluster sales. However, a little-known company thinks there’s room for more - at least 22 new examples.
Alas, none of them will be of the New Beetle or A5 variety and instead Milivie Design, the purveyor of “intuitively modernized classic Beetles,” has presented the Milivie 1, a batch of 22 “unique evocations of artistry and engineering evidenced in a final evolution of an automotive icon.” The number of hand-manufactured production units that will be assembled in Leipzig, Germany, is not without logic.
And, instead, it represents one for each million of the OEM’s production quota for the VW Type 1. However, even though this little outlet boasts big words like craftsmanship, engineering, and art blending to deliver “an engaging classic air-cooled performance drive with seamless integration of cutting-edge technology,” there was one little detail that made us drop all jaws we could find and then some more.
The Milivie 1 is basically a restomod as it starts from “a hand-selected donor 1303 model,” has a 2.28-liter flat-four powertrain with a Carrera 2-sourced ZF 4HP transmission that is “precision-built for each car,” as well as an interior that blends vintage design with modern traits. Plus, each of the 22 bespoke vehicles will be individually tailored to fit every owner’s needs and driving style.
All those characteristics along got us thinking this VW Beetle reenactment will not be cheap. However, we really did not expect the starting price quotation to kick off at no less than €570,000! Seriously, there is no mistake there, and – unbelievably – each of those 22 little Beetle impersonators will be no less than $598k, based on the current exchange rates! Yikes, that was such an unexpected novelty…
And, instead, it represents one for each million of the OEM’s production quota for the VW Type 1. However, even though this little outlet boasts big words like craftsmanship, engineering, and art blending to deliver “an engaging classic air-cooled performance drive with seamless integration of cutting-edge technology,” there was one little detail that made us drop all jaws we could find and then some more.
The Milivie 1 is basically a restomod as it starts from “a hand-selected donor 1303 model,” has a 2.28-liter flat-four powertrain with a Carrera 2-sourced ZF 4HP transmission that is “precision-built for each car,” as well as an interior that blends vintage design with modern traits. Plus, each of the 22 bespoke vehicles will be individually tailored to fit every owner’s needs and driving style.
All those characteristics along got us thinking this VW Beetle reenactment will not be cheap. However, we really did not expect the starting price quotation to kick off at no less than €570,000! Seriously, there is no mistake there, and – unbelievably – each of those 22 little Beetle impersonators will be no less than $598k, based on the current exchange rates! Yikes, that was such an unexpected novelty…
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