1968 Volkswagen Beetle Limousine (stretched, "Rollswagen")
- Engine
- 1.6L flat-four with 48mm Weber downdraft carburetors (uprated from original 1.5L unit)
- Colour
- Black (baked enamel)
A 1969 Volkswagen Beetle stretched limousine commissioned by West Coast Porsche-Volkswagen distributor John von Neumann for promotional purposes, this car began as a standard Type 1 manufactured in October 1968 before Culver City coachbuilder Troutman-Barnes extended the wheelbase by 40 inches. Dubbed the 'Rollswagen,' the conversion featured bespoke upholstery by Tony Nancy, a minibar, intercom, and five-speaker audio. Its $34,500 price tag inspired a national Volkswagen of America print advertisement, and it later passed through the hands of Newport Beach car dealer Chick Iverson before entering a long-term private collection.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$335,000
- 1969 → 1972Factory deliveryJohn von Neumannfull documentation
Von Neumann commissioned the stretched conversion for his Pacific Volkswagen distributorship as a publicity vehicle; a registration card on file confirms the sale of both the business and the car in 1972.
- 1972 → 1979Private saleVW of Americafull documentation
Acquired the car along with the distributorship; continued using it for promotional purposes through 1977, including a press release that year, before disposing of it via sealed-bid auction in early 1979.
- 1979 → 1996AuctionChick Iversonfull documentation
Prominent Newport Beach auto dealer and founder of Orange County's first VW dealership; correspondence in the history file identifies him as the winning sealed-bid purchaser.
- 1996 →Private saleLorenzo Pearsonfull documentation
Founder of VW parts supplier West Coast Metric; acquired the vehicle from Iverson, a personal friend. A detailed handwritten logbook and service invoices document ongoing maintenance across more than two decades of ownership.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1969ModificationTroutman-Barnes
Standard Type 1 Beetle converted into a stretch limousine by Culver City coachbuilder Troutman-Barnes: wheelbase extended by 40 inches bringing overall length to approximately 16 feet 6 inches, using genuine VW components for custom rear doors and running boards. Engine upgraded from a 1,500 cc to a 1,600 cc flat-four with 48 mm Weber downdraft carburetors. Factory steel wheels modified with wider rims and polished. Paint applied by Junior's House of Colors; interior upholstered by Tony Nancy featuring button-tufted gray English broadcloth and black vinyl with a power division window, plus mahogany trim, minibar, jump seats, intercom, five-speaker audio, soundproofing, power windows, and a roof carriage lamp.
Paint by Junior's House of Colors, Lynwood; interior by Tony Nancy, Sherman Oaks. Build documented on a spec sheet dated 20 October 1969.
- —Modification
Original audio system replaced with a contemporary Kenwood head unit and CD changer fitted in the rear compartment.
Date of update not recorded in the catalogue.
- —Service
Ongoing maintenance and upkeep carried out over more than two decades during Pearson's ownership, documented through a detailed handwritten logbook and a collection of service invoices.
Work took place from 1996 onward; specific dates and workshops not individually itemised in the catalogue.
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