1940 something
One of the very best
of the VW shows held each year is 'Peppercorn', not far from Maidstone in
Kent. Thanks to its proximity to the channel, not only do the British enthusiasts
flock
to it, so do quite a number from across the waters. The range of vintage VWs
on show has to be seen to be believed. This is the show where 'Our Ken' is
likely to photograph more vehicles than anywhere else. Sadly, there are so
many to choose from that some escape the Box Brownie's clutches, as was the
case with this Kübelwagen in 2002. For all fans, the pre-war days of the KdF-Wagen
and Ferdinand Porsche's many successful attempts to adapt his beloved Beetle
for military usage provide a fascinating backdrop to the VW story of later
years. Dr Simon Parkinson, a former Editor of the Historic Volkswagen Club's
magazine, wrote a book entitled 'Volkswagen Beetle: The Rise from the Ashes
of War' in which he alluded to the birth and development of the Kübelwagen.
Porsche was commissioned by Hitler and not the military to build the vehicle
and the first examples came off the production lines in 1940. Thanks to contractual
reasons, the bodies were built and painted in Berlin by the American owned
company of Ambi-Budd, before despatch to the KdF works, where they were mated
to the chassis. Officially designated as the Type 82, the nickname Kübelwagen,
literally 'bucket car' stuck, partly due to its bucket-like seats and rather
obviously as a result of its shape.
1949
John
Maxwell first glimpsed the car that was to become his first-love in March
1996. With assistance from the Stiftung Automuseum in Wolfsburg he ascertained
before purchase that the car had been built on June 11th 1949. Plans were
put in place immediately to wrest it from its Swedish home and bring it to
England. The car is something of an anomaly in that it was constructed before
the launch of the Export or Deluxe model with its comparatively luxurious
fittings and yet it features some chrome, hardly consistent with all but a
few Beetles built in the early days. The truth of the matter appears to be
that here was one of the slightly upgraded cars, an idea dating from the days
of British control, destined for export. John's protracted and sensitive restoration
involving many man-hours and effected almost entirely by him, has resulted
in a car that would be entirely appropriate to any museum collection where
accuracy of presentation was the key. The car is finished in Pearl Grey, L21.
(Featured in the March 2002 issue of VW Motoring)