It Took More Than Gardening to Rescue This Rare 1957 Oval Window Beetle Out of a Thicket

Lyndon Creamer got wind of this rare gem about four years ago. Regardless of its condition, It’s taken him the same time to seal the deal and acquire this rare oval window German relic. He invited Jonny of The Late Brake Show to witness its excavation.

“It’s steeped in North Welsh folklore amongst the VW community that there’s an early beetle. It’s somewhere here. It’s hiding in plain sight,” Jonny said.

Creamer’s fascination with early Beetles didn’t start with this find. He already owns a 1956 oval-window Beetle. When he got wind of the rare right-hand example rotting somewhere in his location, he decided to pursue it.

The rare German relic wasn’t immediately visible upon purchase. It’s trapped in a thicket of overgrown shrubs. Before getting a hold of it, Creamer and crew had to do some gardening.

After forcing their way through the jungle of shrubs, they finally got to the Beetle. It still had its local plates on. Even though it’s rotting apart, the initial owner has saved the engine by storing it in a barn.

The 1957 VW Beetle Type 1 came with a 1,131 cc engine making 25 hp (25 ps) channeled to the rear wheels. It had a top speed of around 62 mph (100 kph) and could sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) in a couple of weeks.

Creamer had to cut off the scrub around it and pull it out with a forklift to get the relic out of the thicket without falling apart. We recommend catching the action in the video below. You could learn a thing or two about rescuing rotting classic cars.