Bengt Holmgren is certainly a big Beetle fan, after all he had amassed the largest collection of Wolfsburg creepy-crawlies that exists, or existed, in Sweden. In September 2018, this collection, which contained beetle specimens from almost every year between 1948 and 2003, was auctioned online by Bilweb.
Collected by a true enthusiast
Bengt Holmgren really was an enthusiast, because he spared no effort to complete his collection. He always preferred original, unrestored examples to perfectly restored cars. The stories behind the cars were important to him. And so most of the cars on display in his museum in Pålsboda, around 2 to 3 hours west of Stockholm, can look back on an exciting past.
It all started with Bengt's first Volkswagen 1200, which he bought new in 1962.
He would have liked to sell the collection as a whole, but no suitable buyer was found, so the cars were now offered individually, neatly declared with an estimated price in an online auction, which certainly suited the online-savvy country of Sweden.
Not all lots reached the expected minimum prices, so a Beetle RSi (number 127 of 250) stopped at SEK 410,500, the equivalent of not quite 40,000 euros was not enough to buy the 56,000 km super Beetle. In the end, the estimated price was around 20 percent higher.
The oldest Beetle was the most expensive
In the end, the oldest Beetle, a very rare model from 1948, was the most expensive.
With a top bid four percent above the median estimate, the black limousine was knocked down for EUR 130,950 or CHF 148,500.
Those who could also come to terms with a 1949 or 1950 Beetle were able to get their pretzel at a significantly lower price: EUR 25,511 was enough for a 50-series Beetle and EUR 48,500 for a 49-series Beetle.
The youngest Beetle reached over EUR 100,000
The youngest car in the auction was significantly more expensive than most of the pretzel Beetles. This was a 1600 Beetle from the "Ultima Edicion", estimated at around EUR 58,000 to 78,000.
Bidders were much more generous and went as high as EUR 106,700 or CHF 121,000, 69 percent more than the average estimate.
Not just beetles!
Bengt Holmgren didn't just collect Beetles, although these took up the largest part of the museum. He also included various Karmann-Ghia, 1500/1500S and 411/412 models in his collection.
He even had an example of the SP2 from Brazil (highest bid EUR 19,400 or CHF 22,000, not sold) and he had not overlooked the Golf 1 either. Incidentally, the two Golf 1s were knocked down for less than EUR 10,000. And a K70 was not missing either.
The fact that a Porsche 356, a 911 T and a Triumph motorcycle were also auctioned on September 22, 2018, was probably for personal reasons.
Specialties too
In addition to Beetles that were as true to the original as possible, Holmgren also had a knack for curiosities. His museum also contained two Forme V race cars, a Buggy and a Baja Bug, as well as shortened, converted and lengthened Beetle derivatives.
On the whole, however, these did not achieve high listings; buyers were evidently more interested in original and low-mileage Beetles.
Vehicles offered and sold
The following table lists all offered vehicles with estimated prices and highest bids in SEK (Swedish kronor). The conversion is based on the daily exchange rate (1 SEK = 0.097 EUR, 1 SEK = 0.11 CHF). The selling prices including bidder's premium have not yet been determined.
All information without guarantee.
The list can be sorted as desired by clicking on the column headings.
| Lot | Car | Year | SEK Est from | SEK Est to | SEK HP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VW Käfer Limousine 11A | 1950 | 325'000 | 380'000 | 263'000 | N | |
| 2 | VW Käfer Limousine 11 | 1948 | 1'200'000 | 1'400'000 | 1'350'000 | V | |
| 3 | VW Käfer Limousine 11 | 1949 | 450'000 | 550'000 | 500'000 | V | |
| 4 | VW Käfer Limousine 11A | 1950 | 550'000 | 650'000 | 363'000 | N | |
| 5 | VW Käfer Limousine 11C | 1951 | 350'000 | 450'000 | 330'000 | V | |
| 6 | VW Käfer Limousine 11C | 1951 | 350'000 | 450'000 | 280'000 | V | |
| 7 | VW Käfer 1/11 | 1954 | 220'000 | 280'000 | 210'000 | V |
Möchten Sie alle Auktions-Ergebnisse sehen?
All information is provided without guarantee.
Legend: Column S = Status (V = Sold, N = Not sold, Z = Withdrawn, U = Under reserve)
Est = Estimate, HP = Hammer Price, SP = Sale Price
