ROUGH and rugged, this 1968 Volkswagen Country Buggy can tackle any treacherous terrain according to owner Matthew Tully.
Purchased around three years ago from Geelong, Mr Tully said the unique vehicle had “seen better days” when he first began a ground-up restoration.
Mr Tully said it took around two years to restore the buggy, which he had agreed to purchase prior to inspecting the vehicle.
“It was nothing like the previous owner had to described to me,” Mr Tully said.
“Although, because I had agreed to it and had already paid, I just took it and worked with what I had.”
Mr Tully said the make and model was believed to be produced in Australia from around 1967 and 1968 before Volkswagen Germany took over a similar production line.
“From memory, there was just over 800 of them made in Australia and another 1000 went over to the Philippines,” he said.
“There is a country buggy registry and I think there is only around 300 vehicles on it worldwide.
“They were originally made for the Australian Army but did not meet specifications so it was modified with a tray section to sit in the back and was resold to target Australian farmers.”
Always just a farm vehicle, Mr Tully said he did not want to restore the buggy to mint condition because it was never “straight and nice” to start with.
“It was in a million pieces when I first got it but I was able to put it back together with a fresh coat of beige paint,” he said.
“They only came out with a 1200cc engine but this one has a 1600cc in it which is a later model Beetle motor.
“It is a very unique vehicle basically made from leftover bits and pieces.”
Mr Tully said the vehicle had a split-window Combi front-end, gearbox and reduction hubs with a Beetle floorplan and sheet metal body.
“They are not very quick on the road but off-road they can climb anything,” he said.
“We took it to Coffs Harbour through the forests and the dirt tracks and we found the model outperformed four-wheel drives,” he said.
“It is just like driving a convertible with the wind in your hair.
“The front windscreen can actually fold down and the top can come off as well.”
Mr Tully said he always had a passion for Volkswagen and his first vehicle was of the iconic brand.
“I have quite the collection of Volkswagens and I love how everyone has a Volkswagen story,” he said.
“My first car was a Volkswagen, then I had a couple of other makes and models and then I came back to them in the end.”
Mr Tully said he liked driving the car when it was nice weather as it always attracted the attention of passbyers.
“It has been a very frustrating process just like any car restoration but it was rewarding once finished,” he said.
