Why not buy two?
German Milivié restomod shop likes to take iconic German cars and transform them into modern-day machines. Its latest creation, a restomod Volkswagen Beetle, is really making waves for several reasons. First off, the cost is a steep €570,000 or about $603,487 which is enough to make anyone’s eyes water. Perhaps the company realizes precious few would be interested in dropping that kind of cash on such a creation, especially when you calculate how many people can afford such an extravagance. That would explain why production is limited to a mere 22 examples.
Check out the Motorious Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms.
Of course, the first natural thought is to wonder what Milivié has done to these Type 1 examples to make them worthy of such a hefty price. After all, with over 21 million made when production finally wrapped, this is the kind of classic pretty much anyone can afford to stick in their garage.
Right off the bat, it’s easy to tell the exterior has been modernized quite a bit, thanks to the sleek LED lighting, flush door handles, longer hood, 19-inch wheels, and ducktail spoiler. You might suspect this comes with an all-electric powertrain for the price, but instead it makes use of a 2.28-liter flat-four air-cooled engine. Mated to that is a rebuilt ZF 4HP automatic transmission donated by a Porsche Carrera 2
Under the skin the only original part of the legendary vehicle is the monocoque and floorboards. Milivié engineered and added its own structural components, changing the very nature of the Beetle starting with the chassis. For example, it comes with front and rear double-wishbone suspension, twin-tube dampers, and specialized springs to make the ride comfortable yet responsive, two words which together don’t describe the original Type 1. According to the company, it pours over a thousand work hours into this part of the process alone.
As you can see from the picture, Milivié has dramatically altered the interior of the classic VW Beetle. What was before quite Spartan is now cool modern with more LED lighting, a digital dash, cupholders, four comfortable bucket seats, and more. A center console stretches from the front to the rear seats, providing wireless charging for both rows. Also added is a modern sound system with 9 speakers, automatic wipers, dual exterior cameras, and even heating/cooling zones for the interior as well as the frunk.
Thanks to the extremely limited run, we’re sure Milivié has these cars already sold. The real question is if anyone else will try their hand at creating opulent but perhaps a little more affordable restomod Beetles or if this will remain a true outlier in the market.
