Paul Newman created one of the wildest Volkswagen Beetles ever after turning it into a muscle car

Paul Newman’s VW Beetle muscle car was a stripped-down convertible turned into something no one expected, a VW Beetle fitted with a Ford V-8 and built to run like a true muscle car.

Newman, already active in racing by the late 1960s, asked Indy car builder Jerry Eisert to take on the project.

What began as a modest four-cylinder city car became a 300-horsepower one-off with serious speed.

The story of its construction, its years as a college teaching tool, and its later restoration remains one of the most unusual automotive tales connected to a Hollywood star.

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How Newman’s Beetle became a muscle car

Paul Newman had a history of modifying cars, often adding Porsche parts to improve performance.

In this case, he asked Eisert to replace the stock engine with a Ford 351 Windsor V-8.

The engine produced 300 horsepower and was paired with a ZF five-speed gearbox, a unit already proven in GT40 racing.

To manage handling, Eisert placed the engine ahead of the rear axle, reinforced the chassis with steel tubing, and fitted a roll bar.

A radiator was added to the front to distribute weight and aid cooling, while custom vents improved airflow.

A Mustang Mach I muffler finished the system with a low and controlled exhaust note.

The result was a VW Beetle muscle car that could reach 60 mph in just over four seconds.

From the outside, it resembled a standard Volkswagen, but in performance it delivered the force of a traditional American muscle car.

Combining the compact form of a VW Beetle with the strength of a Ford V-8 made the build stand out in an era already full of experimentation.

From college project to collector’s car

After Newman drove the VW Beetle muscle car, he donated it to Chaffey College in California.

It became a hands-on project for students in the school’s automotive engineering program, used both for study and racing practice.

When program director Sam Contino retired, the college gave him the car.

Years later, Contino and his son restored the VW Beetle, bringing it back to its original Newman-era condition.

They kept the Ford V-8 layout, returned the body to its solid red paint, and preserved its unusual engineering choices.

Today, the VW Beetle muscle car exists as a rare collectible with a direct link to Paul Newman’s work in motorsport.

It remains one of the most striking examples of how far a simple VW Beetle could be taken when rebuilt around a Ford V-8.

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