While filming “Winning”, late famous actor Paul Newman fell in love with car racing and decided he wanted a special Volkswagen Beetle built especially for himself. He contacted Indycar builder Jerry Eisert to tune his new acquisition and transform it in a potent racing car.
Eisert installed a mid-mounted Ford Windsor V8 engine with 351-cubic-inches of engine displacement and 300 horsepower. The upgrade occupied the entire back seat. The engine was mated with a 5-speed ZF transmission (probably from a Ford GT 40). The package also included a suspension upgrade and new radiators under the hoods.
After enjoying his modified Beetle for a couple of years, Newman decided to donate the customized beauty to the Chaffey College auto shop in California. Here the bug received another upgrade, which included Keystone chrome rims and a new paint job with the school colors.
After the college closed its racing program, the Beetle was bought by Sam Contino, the head of the school’s racing department. Together with his son, Contino started a new customization program for the car and they planned on showing the final result to Newman himself. They removed the school colors from the VW and returned it to its original color, but unfortunately Paul Newman passed away before they managed to finish the project. Now Contino wants to sell the unique 1963 VW V8 Beetle Convertible for at least $250,000. Interested?
