We Love Volkswagen's Past, Present And Future..,

New Tires Coming..,

2012-02-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

They have been testing them for several years now. Resilient Tech was developing them for the military application.

Amazing new tires.....Michelin Tires. Kind of SCARY looking. Look for them in August.
These tires are made in South Carolina, USA

SEE THROUGH TIRES

Radical new tire design by Michelin.
The next generation of tires.
They had a pair at the Philadelphia car show.

Yes, those are 'spoke' like connections to the inner part of the tire from the outside tread 'wrap!' The next picture shows how odd it looks in motion.

Makes you wonder how the ride feels, doesn't it?

These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.
The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these.
Just think of the impact on existing technology:
A. no more air valves.
B. no more air compressors at gas stations.
C. no more repair kits.
D. no more flats.

These are actual pictures taken at the South Carolina plant of Michelin.

Source: Internet

E-Bugster

2012-01-11T11:16:00.001-08:00

Click Here to read Motor Trends article on the Detroit Auto Shows new VW.

Source: Internet

Depth of Speed captures the beautiful side of a Volkswagen Bus

2012-01-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

We're quickly becoming big fans of Josh Clason and his Depth of Speed video series. We first saw his work when his lenses trained on the Japanese iron of JDM Legends. Clason then delved into the world of pinstriping, and from there he switched to German steel in a shot about the BMW 2002.

Now, he's sticking with Germany but trading the roundel for VW. More specifically, Clason caught up with Volkswagen enthusiast Craig Johnson to capture the beauty of his T1 Transporter.

Click Here for Video.

How To: Polish Your Car Like a Pro

2011-10-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

Click Here to read the complete article.

Source: Internet

Retro Styled Bulli Concept For 2014

2011-10-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Click here to read the post in The Car Connection.

Source: Internet

Quest for No. 1 Spot

2011-09-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

Click Here to read the MSN article by Joshua Condon about the New VW Bug.

Source: Internet

Volkswagen Up!

2011-09-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to include the exclamation point whenever you mention the Up! The concept was first displayed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, and this year we get to see the production model. Built to compete in a crowded European entry-level hatchback market, the Up! is slated to get between 54.6 and 56 mpg, depending on the engine chosen. No word yet on whether VW plans on bringing the Up! to the U.S.; with the engines rated at between 59 and 74 horsepower, we'd be doubtful, except that save for a 68-horsepower natural gas option, the engines are powered by standard gasoline.

Source: Internet

Volkswagen Nils Electric Car Concept: 2011

2011-09-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Click here to read the complete article.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle

2011-09-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Click Here to read the review on the 2012 Beetle.

Source: Thecarconnection

VW Bug-In #4

2011-08-25T08:52:00.001-07:00

EUROPEAN BUG-IN #4

Source: Streetfire.net

VW Pickup

2011-08-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

Source: Internet

Early 60\'s VW 23 window Volkswagen Bus

2011-08-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

Source: Internet

1935-1936 VW 3 Prototype

2011-08-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

Source: Internet

2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Coming Next Spring

2011-07-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

The wraps have only just come off the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle but so far only the hard-top model has been revealed. However, as we saw with the previous generation ‘New Beetle’, sales of the convertible are just as important as those of the coupe and in some years were actually the higher of the two.

In fact, from 2003 to 2005, the New Beetle Convertible was the more popular choice, with sales managing to peak at 24,255 units in 2003, its first full year of sales.

Understandably, Volkswagen will be keen to launch the convertible version of its latest Beetle and thanks to information revealed at a first drive event of the hard-top, we can now reveal that it will come onto the market next spring as a 2013 model.

The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible will once again feature an automated folding soft-top and should be priced only slightly higher than the hard-top, which lists from $19,765.

It turns out Volkswagen is also waiting until next spring to launch the diesel version of the latest Beetle, the Beetle TDI. This fuel friendly model will be offered in either coupe or convertible bodystyles and will come with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine rated at 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is a claimed 29/40 mpg city/highway.

Look out for the debut of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show this September, but in the meantime, click here for our first drive report of the coupe, which goes on sale in October.

Source: TheCarConnection

Volkswagen New Beetle Ragster

2011-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

What Is It?

Volkswagen New Beetle Ragster Concept

What's Special About It?

Although man has harnessed fire, split the atom and created Pay Per View, few thought it could be done, but this concept car unequivocally proves VW's cute Beetle can be a tough-looking, masculine ride with more attitude than a New York City cab driver.

Based on a production Beetle convertible, the horribly named Ragster was designed by Salaeman Halim at Volkswagen's California design studio. "I wanted to give the car more direction and more attitude," says Halim, whose dream car is a Lamborghini Countach LP400. "But I didn't want it to try and be something more than it is."

Halim achieved his objectives by shortening the A-pillars 90 mm and adding a square roof that is 4 inches lower than the Beetle's usual rounded top. The result is a chopped-top look any hot rodder will recognize and respond to positively. Within the U-shaped frame of the top is a sliding canvas panel, which makes the car a kind of quasi-speedster. It's also the genesis for half the car's questionable name, which combines the words "ragtop" and "speedster."

Halim also added edge to the Beetle's bumpers and wheel wells, redesigned the taillights, added large cross-drilled brake rotors, too-cool redline tires and 19-inch alloy wheels. Then he had his creation painted "Rebel-White" with silver racing stripes.

"The redline tires serve three purposes," says Derek Jenkins, Volkswagen's advanced design chief in North America. "They evoke the rideline drag slicks of the 1950s and 1960s, they're supposed to remind people of Hot Wheels and they enhance the diameter of the large wheels."

Inside the Ragster, Halim added racing bucket seats covered in chocolate brown leather with unique white stitching, a three-spoke steering wheel and a dash-mounted rearview mirror.

The powertrain is a mystery. VW says a powerful gasoline engine or a high-torque TDI are imaginable should the Ragster see production.

Source: Insideline

Volkswagen Future Vehicles

2011-07-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen CC

2014 Volkswagen CC: After receiving a midcycle refresh in 2011, the CC should get its first redesign around the 2014 Model Year.

Volkswagen Golf

2013 Volkswagen Golf: Redesigned for 2010, the Volkswagen Golf won't get a significant refresh until the 2013 model year. At that time, Volkswagen may add a plug-in hybrid version of the Golf to the lineup.

2013 Volkswagen Golf R: New for Model Year 2013 is the Volkswagen Golf R. Essentially being the old R32, expect it to have standard all-wheel drive, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out around 270 hp, and will be available in two and four-door configurations. The only transmission offered will be a six-speed manual.

Volkswagen GTI

2013 Volkswagen GTI: All-new for 2010, the Volkswagen GTI won't get a significant refresh until the 2013 model year.

Volkswagen Jetta

2012 Volkswagen Jetta Coupe: Previewed by the NCC concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, the production version of the Jetta Coupe is expected to arrive in late 2011. It will share all of the same drivetrain components with the Jetta sedan and should be priced accordingly.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid: A plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Jetta is planned for production by 2012.

Volkswagen New Beetle

2012 Volkswagen Beetle: After over a decade on the market, the Volkswagen Beetle finally gets a full redesign for the 2012 model year. Expected to go on sale in the fall of 2011 in the U.S., this Beetle, which was revealed at this year's New York auto show, will be slightly bigger than the current model with styling apparently inspired by the Porsche 356.

Volkswagen Passat

2012 Volkswagen Passat: All new for the 2012 model year, the Passat will have a drastically reduced base price and will be available with a 2.0-liter TDI engine good for 43 mpg.

Volkswagen Polo

2013 Volkswagen Polo: This subcompact hatchback has been on sale for years in Europe. The latest version may finally make its way to the States as Volkswagen sees a larger potential market for cars of its size.

Volkswagen Tiguan

2013 Volkswagen Tiguan: A redesign of the Tiguan is expected to arrive by 2012.

Volkswagen Touareg

2014 Volkswagen Touareg: The second-generation Volkswagen Touareg went on sale in the U.S. at the end of 2010. The earliest we expect a refresh to happen is around the 2014 Model Year.

Volkswagen Up!

2013 Volkswagen Up!: Volkswagen may bring its Up! city car to the U.S. by 2012. Although the two-door version is expected to go on sale in Europe in 2011, the U.S. will probably get a four-door version based on the Space Up! concept. An all-electric version of the Up! is also under consideration for the U.S. market.

Source: Insideline

1963 Volkswagen VW Beetle & Bus Ad

2011-06-22T11:09:00.001-07:00

Source: Internet

Volkswagen Reviews

2011-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen built its first car, the Beetle, in 1945; with the Type 2 transporter the company stuck with the same tiny model range until well into the 1960s. When the Volkswagen Passat arrived in 1973 it marked a new era for the company, which has always sat between the mainstream and premium sectors.

The really big news for the marque was the Volkswagen Golf of 1974, which would become an icon - and especially when developed into the Golf GTi. Another brand which Volkswagen introduced in the early 1970s is the VW Polo - and once again it's still with us, alongside the Touran, Touareg, Phaeton and Fox.

Enjoy these Volkswagen's pictures of early models:

Volkswagen Bus

21 Window Bus

1960 Volkswagen Bus

Volkswagen Camper Bus

Volkswagen Mini Bus

Volkswagen Beetles

1968 Volkswagen

1959 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe

Source: Internet

2011 Volkswagen CC

2011-04-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Basics

While basically a restyled version of Volkswagen's conservative Passat sedan (no longer offered for 2011 while an all-new version waits in the wings), the CC hits an entirely different aesthetic realm—and to many, looks like a more expensive car than it is.

Key Takeaway

The 2011 Volkswagen CC has performance that doesn't altogether match its sexy shape, and seating space is disappointing, but otherwise there's a lot to like.

If you feel that the 2011 Volkswagen CC feels a little bit like an auto-show concept, or a much more expensive vehicle, you're not alone. The CC takes after the Mercedes-Benz CLS with its stunning, coupe-like silhouette, frameless windows, and long, flowing design—including nice rear styling that tucks neatly down. The Volkswagen CC's interior still stands out several years after introduction; it includes details like contrast stitching, contrast color themes for the upholstery, and pleasing, upscale trims that aren't typical in a car that starts well under the $30k mark.

While the strong, sleek appearance of the 2011 Volkswagen CC might suggest sport sedan, it's not quite that. All of the CC models are quick on the straight line, though they don't handle with the verve of a sport sedan, clearly trading off some crispness for comfort. The engine that powers most of the CC line is the excellent 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder, making 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and we much prefer it to the 3.6-liter VR6 engine that's available (only in 4Motion all-wheel-drive guise). VW's excellent DSG automatic is now offered in the CC, and we like it or the standard manual. The VR6, which has to be revved a bit, simply doesn't move the CC that much quicker to justify its fuel economy figures, of just 17 mpg city.

The VW CC handles well, but that's not its forte. Most of the lineup—especially the four-cylinder models—ride quite well, and lavish interior trims feel luxury-car caliber; the interior is tight and serene, too.

But take even a brief look at the rather odd seating arrangement and slightly cramped backseat, and it's abundantly clear that the Volkswagen CC is a vehicle that was designed for form over function. Backseat space isn't passable for adults, for head room reasons, while the front-seat position is, for lack of terse terms, a bit odd.

Volkswagen hasn't skimped on features in the CC sedans; all of them, even the base Sport, come very well-equipped. The CC is available in Sport, Lux, and Executive models, with Sport and Lux models getting the four-cylinder engine and the Executive upgrading to the VR6 and 4Motionn all-wheel drive.

Bluetooth connectivity is now standard on all models, along with a new sound system that includes an auxiliary input and iPod connectivity. The navigation system in the CC is an all-new unit this year, while the top Dynaudio sound system is now only offered on the top Executive VR6.

Source: Internet/TheCarConnection

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan

2011-04-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Basics

The stylish Volkswagen Tiguan is based on the Golf platform, so it's compact and beneath it all more car than ute. It measures 173.2 inches in length, 72.8 inches in width, and 66.5 inches in height, with one of the taller, more upright stances of vehicles in this compact segment. Design-wise, it gives the impression, as vehicles in this class often do, of a vehicle that was designed from the inside out; the smooth but conservative look appears as more blandly contemporary than sporty or adventurous. But there's nice detailing to keep it in line with Volkswagen's cars, as well as the Touareg SUV.

Key Takeaway

The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan feels refined and sophisticated, but it's not especially rewarding to drive.

The 2011 Tiguan drives more like an especially tall car than a utility vehicle, and it does, at least at first impression, feel significantly more nimble and responsive feel than rivals like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The basics are promising; the Tiguan packs a 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, with front- or all-wheel-drive configurations, and transmission options include either a six-speed manual or an automatic. But the goods aren't here to satisfy enthusiasts; the Tiguan is tuned for all-around ability rather than ultimate precision, and this reflects in the ride, steering, and brakes.

The Tiguan has the straightforward, versatile, and comfortable interior that compact crossover shoppers look for. Sporty and supportive seats give good comfort and an excellent driving position in front, and the flexible interior package includes second-row split bench seats designed to slide and tilt. Even larger adults will be very comfortable in the front seats, thanks to generous headroom, shoulder room, and legroom, and the back seats are ample for adults. The cargo compartment has a small hidden storage bin underneath the load floor, and with the 60/40-split back seats folded there's 56 cubic feet of expanded cargo space. A twin glove box up front adds convenience, and there are numerous other cubbies.

Overall, the Tiguan has a very refined, high-quality feel inside. Fit and finish and build quality in the Tiguan are top-notch, and while there's a little wind noise on the highway, the Tiguan's cabin is well isolated from road and engine noise.

With the Tiguan, Volkswagen keeps to its commitment to safety features and top-notch occupant protection. Standard features include front side airbags, side-curtain bags, and stability control, while rear side thorax airbags—not often available in this class—are an option. On all-wheel-drive versions, hill descent control is also included, to help control speed on steep slopes. Safety results have been excellent.

For 2011, the Tiguan gets a new lineup of alloy wheel designs, as well as new steering-wheel designs—including multi-function buttons for audio. Base S models get a new single-CD sound system, and an iPod adapter and voice-activated Bluetooth are now also standard on all models. The SEL model includes leather seats and push-button start, and roof-rack rails come with SE and SEL trims. Noteworthy options include a sizable panoramic sunroof, a navigation system (improved for this year), and a music hard drive, and an iPod connection. The navigation and audio setup also includes DVD video playback when the vehicle is stopped, and an SD memory card slot. The top Dynaudio system remains offered only on the Tiguan SEL 4Motion model.

Source: Internet/TheCarConnection

VW Goes Retro

2011-03-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

What is it? The Microbus-inspired Bulli concept will be part of a subfamily of more distinctive VW's that will include the new Beetle, out next June, and the baby Up! hatchback due in the fall. These new cars will be more youthful and have more of a sports feel and visual character, but without losing the core functionality of the brand.

What makes it hot? The all-electric Bulli has a range of 186 miles on its 40-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack is sandwiched in the floor of the van and could be recharged in less than an hour, according to VW, at an "electric refueling station" designed for electric vehicles. Unlike the original Microbus, the concept's electric motor is positioned in front of the vehicle and drives the front wheels. The 114-horsepower motor delivers 199 lb-ft of torque. VW says the concept would run from zero to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 87 mph.

What concerns us? VW has long struggled to invest its models with the emotional character of the original Beetle. The Bulli concept signals the start of a campaign to reinvigorate this critical strand of the Volkswagen DNA. A good idea? Only time will tell.

When and how much? Yet to be determined.

Our verdict? A generation of baby boomers with fond memories of the old VW Microbus will undoubtedly say, "Build it and we will buy it." And the fact that it is electric should have cross-generational appeal with similarly minded eco-conscious youngsters. Not a bad combination.

Source: Internet

Microbus Truck Concept

2011-03-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

Source: Internet

2001 Volkswagen Microbus Concept

2011-03-01T13:06:00.001-08:00

Source: Internet

1973 VW Van

2011-02-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

I will make no apologies for admitting that some of my favorite vintage automobiles are among the most humble. The VW Transporter Van is one of those. I've never owned one but have an indirect connection through a former racing buddy, Ben Pon Jr., whose father was the Dutch Volkswagen distributor that sketched the original concept and handed it to VW management with the Recommendation that such a vehicle, based on the Beetle, would be a commercial success. VW Canada loaned me an "office van" as a mobile platform for Wheelspin, a TV show in which I was host, so I'm familiar with the fun (and it is fun) of driving a Transporter.

What brings this to mind is a tip from Nigel Matthews about a 1973 Volkswagen Type2 (the official designation) with less than 33 km (about 20 miles) on the clock being auctioned by Coy's in London's Royal Horticultural Hall on February 27. The panel van was one of two bought by a Finnish Farmer in July 1974 with the idea that when one was no longer serviceable he would use the other one. He never did!

Source: Internet

2011 Toyota Sienna

2011-01-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

The 2011 Toyota Sienna may be the Japanese automaker's third-generation minivan, but Toyota emphasizes that the new Sienna is becoming more carlike than ever. Want proof? How about the new Sienna SE sport van, which actually handles like something you'd want to drive, outside of Krogering?

The Sienna gets smart updates to its drivetrains and its interior package for 2011, but not to its seating configurations, which still lag the class-leading Dodge Grand Caravan and Nissan Quest in flexibility. To compensate, Toyota's offering a pair of business-class seats for the second row, just in case your kids don't have enough first-world problems.

The Sienna is offered in a broad model range, and remains the only minivan with an all-wheel-drive option. Available with either a four- or six-cylinder engine and in seven- or eight-passenger versions, the new Sienna strikes us as a worthwhile take on a more fun to drive minivan, though Toyota might not like the fact that we like the cheap four-cylinder version best of all. There's just not much reason to spend a lot on the V-6 versions, since the smaller engine is powerful enough--and since almost all of the safety goodies are standard.

The Sienna's competition includes the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, the the Nissan Quest and the Honda Odyssey. It's a solid competitor, and really, any of these can be justified for your reason of choice.

Source: Internet

Two Ford Freedom - 1950's TV Ad

2011-01-03T01:14:00.001-08:00

Source: Internet

Volkswagen Vans, Buses and Trucks

2011-01-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

Source: Internet

Modified Volkswagen Beetles #2

2011-01-03T01:09:00.001-08:00

Source: Internet

Modified Volkswagen Beetles

2011-01-03T01:07:00.000-08:00

Source: Internet

Volkswagen Tiguan Design

2011-01-03T01:05:00.000-08:00

Source: Internet

SIXTY YEARS AGO: VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS RECEIVE THE FIRST BEETLES

2010-12-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

WOLFSBURG, Germany - Today is a historic anniversary for Volkswagen as the company remembers the first Beetle deliveries: exactly 60 years ago the car dealers Gottfried Schultz in Essen and Raffay & Co. in Hamburg took delivery of nine Volkswagen saloons.

The Beetle's great market success began on a tiny scale: eight Volkswagen saloons were sent to the dealer Gottfried Schultz in Essen on 17 and 23 July 1946; one saloon was delivered to Hamburg-Altona where Raffay & Co. had their dealership on 22 July 1946. In the aftermath of the war with the economy dogged by shortages the beginning was more than difficult.

Between 1945 and 1949 the Volkswagen Company was in the trusteeship of the British military government who gave the badly damaged factory its first production order in August 1945 for 20 000 saloons. After completion of the first run of 55 vehicles in December 1945, the Volkswagen factory initially delivered vehicles exclusively to the allied authorities. The British "Highway and Highway Transport Branch’ appointed the company Gottfried Schultz in Essen as "Main Distributor for the "North Rhine Province" on 11 June 1946; Raffay & Co. received the same function for the Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

In October 1946 the British military government approved the setting up of a dealer organisation in their zone of occupation. This initially comprised 10 main distributors and 28 dealerships. As demand grew rapidly following the currency reform, the organisation was expanded and by 1 January 1949 in the western zones of Germany customers were being served by 16 general agents, 31 wholesalers, 103 dealerships and 812 authorised workshops. Sales in Germany were running at 38 666 Volkswagen saloons.

Today the 2 500 Volkswagen dealerships and service workshops constitute a dense network forming the most important point of contact between the customer and the manufacturer. In 2005 more than 644 000 Volkswagen passenger cars and commercial vehicles were delivered in Germany. Gottfried-Schultz Group and Raffay are still among the largest Volkswagen dealerships in Germany today.

Source: Volkswagen Media

VOLKSWAGEN ESTABLISHED 70 YEARS AGO

2010-12-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Revving up from the Beetle era to the Golf age

WOLFSBURG, Germany - From very modest beginnings “Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH”, established in Berlin on May 28, 1937 with a share capital of 480,000 Reichsmark, has become one of the world’s largest automakers with headquarters in present-day Wolfsburg.

With the company founded by "Deutsche Arbeitsfront", the National Socialists instrumentalized the vision of a "Volkswagen" (people’s car) which had fascinated automobile engineers and the public since the turn of the century. Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by the German automobile industry association to design such a car in 1934 and together with his team of Karl Rabe, Franz Xaver Reimspieß and Ferry Porsche developed a standard production vehicle in 1938 with an inimitable silhouette which was to write automobile history a million times over.

Ferdinand Porsche and Bodo Lafferentz, a representative of "Deutsche Arbeitsfront", belonged to the management of the company renamed Volkswagenwerk GmbH in 1938. The foundation stone for the factory in present-day Wolfsburg was laid on Ascension Day 1938. However, the car christened "Kraft durch Freude-Wagen" remained just as much a propaganda ploy as the exemplary working and living conditions in the two main plants located in what was then called "Stadt des KdF-Wagens" and in Brunswick. When the Second World War began out, the Volkswagenwerk was converted into an armaments factory and the workforce chiefly comprised foreign forced laborers coerced into Hitler’s war.

The British military government turned the Volkswagenwerk seized by the Allies into a civilian automobile production plant, commissioning the first 20,000 Volkswagen saloons in August 1945. Standard production began in December 1945 with the assembly of the first 55 vehicles.

The British also brought with them to the factory on the Mittellandkanal a close-knit customer service and dealer organization, the quality policy typical of Volkswagen, the focus on exports which was so crucial to economic success, and worker representation. The 1948 currency reform and the normalization of foreign trade relations conclusively put the appealing Beetle on the road to growth.

The British transferred Volkswagen to the trusteeship of the Federal German government and the administration of the State of Lower Saxony in October 1949, and the company with its Beetle and Transporter models became a symbol of the German "Wirtschaftswunder" (economic miracle). In the 1950s, new factories were opened in Hanover and Kassel, and later in Emden and Salzgitter. The company also went from strength to strength abroad: exports began in 1947, Volkswagen established its first foreign sales company in Canada in 1952, the production company "Volkswagen do Brasil Ltda." followed in 1953. Wolfsburg celebrated the production of the one millionth post-war Volkswagen in 1955.

Renamed, converted into a joint stock company and partially privatized in 1960, Volkswagen evolved into a German automotive group, taking over Auto Union GmbH in 1965, which was combined with NSU Motorenwerke Aktiengesellschaft in 1969 to form the present-day Audi AG. Between 1973 and 1975, Volkswagen mastered the transition from air-cooled rear engines to modern vehicle concepts featuring water-cooled engines and front-wheel drive. Passat, Golf and Polo are the names given to the three models which today still represent the heart of Volkswagen.

In the mid-1970s, Volkswagen redefined its identity, adapting its organization and its products to changed global economic conditions in the wake of the first oil price crisis in 1973 and becoming an innovative volume automaker catering for the growing demand for safety, and offering low-consumption engines. As in the Beetle era, Volkswagen today still acts the world over as Germany’s friendly mobility ambassador, contributing to the democratization of safety, comfort and environmental compatibility.

Born and bred in Lower Saxony, early internationalization, for example by entering the Chinese market in 1982, proved a key to success. Against this backdrop, Volkswagen was also able to adapt effectively to globalization by bundling its financial services in Volkswagen Financial Services AG. Production of over 107 million Volkswagen is an achievement that speaks for itself. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft also serves as the parent brand for other automotive brands such as Seat, Škoda, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini, all offering attractive models to suit every taste as part of the Volkswagen Group.

The fact that Volkswagen was not only able to repeat the success of the Beetle with the Golf, but even surpass this achievement, ranks among the miracles of Wolfsburg which also include the new start under the British and the rebirth in the mid-1970's.

Source: Volkswagen Media

Volkswagen Crafter

2010-11-29T23:14:00.001-08:00

Volkswagen Crafter Panel Van

The Volkswagen Crafter, introduced in 2006, is the largest 3 to 5 tonne van sold by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Based on the high-end Mercedes Sprinter, the Crafter officially replaced the 31 year old LT nameplate, although it is known as the LT3 as its production plant code.

Its major European competitors include the Opel Movano, Ford Transit, Fiat Ducato and Iveco Daily.

Production plants

The Crafter is built in the Mercedes-Benz Ludwigsfelde and Düsseldorf plants, the same German factories where the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is built.

Daimler as a partner

In the 1990's, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Commercial Unit produced the first generation Sprinter and the second generation Volkswagen LT in a joint development project.

The superseded second generation Volkswagen LT, and the current Crafter share their automobile platform and bodyshells with their Mercedes-Benz Sprinter counterparts, but the front grille styling, internal combustion engines and transmissions remain Volkswagen Group sourced.

Design

French car designer Laurent Boulay is responsible for the frontal design of the Crafter, which takes cues from the Volkswagen Constellation.

Engines

All internal combustion engines are based upon Volkswagen Group's re-engineered 2.5 litre R5 TDI. This turbodiesel is an inline-five cylinder (R5) Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engine. It displaces 2,459 cubic centimetres (150.1 cu in), and uses the latest common rail fuel system, with piezoelectric actuated injectors for the cylinder-direct fuel injection. It also utilises a diesel particulate filter (DPF), allowing all engine variants to comply with the latest Euro IV European emission standards.

Features

The Crafter is available in three wheelbase options; 3,250 millimetres (128.0 in), 3,665 millimetres (144.3 in) and 4,325 millimetres (170.3 in). It is equipped with front airbags as standard, and side and curtain airbags as options, along with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Load Adapting Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Anti Slip Regulation (traction control) (ASR), and Electronic Differential Lock (EDL).

The electronic differential lock (EDL) employed by Volkswagen is not - as the name suggests - a differential lock at all. Sensors monitor both roadwheel speeds across a driven axle, and if one is rotating substantially faster than the other (i.e. slipping) the EDL system momentarily brakes it. This effectively transfers the torque to the other driven wheel which is deemed to still have grip.

Payloads & GVW's

The Crafter Chassis and Double Cabs have payloads ranging from 1,472 to 3,026 kilograms (3,245 to 6,671 lb), and come in Gross Vehicle Weights (GVW) of either 3.5 or 5.0 tonnes.

A Volkswagen Crafter

Awards

The Crafter has won a number of motor industry awards, including:

2006 What Van? - Overall Van of the Year (UK)

2006 What Van? - Large Van of the Year (UK)

2007 Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine - Large Van of the Year (UK)

2007 Van Fleet World - Best Large Panel Van (UK)

2007 Delivery Magazine - Large Van of the Year (Australia)

2008 Professional Van and Light Truck Magazine - Best Van derived Chassis Cab of the Year (UK)

Source: Wikipedia

2006 Volkswagen EcoRacer Concept

2010-11-02T02:15:00.001-07:00

Source: ConceptCarz

Karmann-Ghia TC

2010-10-16T09:39:00.001-07:00

Volkswagen TC - coupe body by Karmann-Ghia - manufactured in 1970

You don't have to be a petrol-head to remember the Volkswagen Type 1, affectionately known as the Beetle and arguably the most popular post-war car of its time world wide. Most of you will also remember the also popular and distinctive sports coupe and cabriolet versions based on the Beetle floorpan which immortalized the names Karmann and Ghia, a combination which became practically synonymous to the rear-engined Volkswagen sports models.

Some people may even think this was the model name of these cars, but that was not the case. Like most Volkswagen models at the time it lacked a name, it was simply referred to as the Type 14. Karmann and Ghia were two well respected coach building firms of which the Italian, Ghia, supplied the design and the German, Karmann, produced the bodies. But since Karmann-Ghia sounded so much better than Type 14 the names of these suppliers were promoted from a simple badge somewhere on the car to eye-catching spots on the lid and on the dashboard. And because of that these cars are commonly referred to as Volkswagen Karmann-Ghias or even Volkswagen K-G.
The Type 14 was a success though it didn't have anything near to a sporty performance. In 1962 the Type 14 was also taken into production in Brazil, with Karmann setting up a branch factory near the Volkswagen plant in São Bernardo do Campo named Karmann-Ghia do Brasil. The Type 14 sold reasonably well in Brazil but, like in Europe, there was a demand for a more powerful version, a car that could fulfill the promise of its exterior. In Europe Volkswagen had chosen to introduce the Type 34 Karmann-Ghia coupe, also known as the 1500/1600 or "big" Karmann-Ghia, in 1961 to meet this demand. This car was based on the chassis of the Type 3 Volkswagen, sometimes referred to as the pontoon model, a more upmarket version of the Beetle with a larger engine and different bodywork. The new coupe had a more angular appearance than its smaller brother with a sort of angry looking front end styling which was clearly not everybody's cup of tea and as a consequence it sold far less. In Brazil however a different approach was chosen.

Having learned from the slightly disappointing reception of the Type 34 coupe in Europe and the US, Karmann-Ghia do Brasil looked at Ghia in Turin for a reworked design at the end of the 1960s, preferably one that could match the looks of the popular and far more expensive Porsche 911. At the time Ghia employed Giorgetto Giugiaro, the famous Italian designer who had just presented masterpieces like the DeTomaso Mangusta and the Maserati Ghibli, and he was set to work on the new Brazilian Karmann-Ghia. The result was the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia TC (Touring Coupe), internally known as the Type 145, which was introduced in 1970.

This model looked much like an Italian impression of a Porsche 911 and was a roomy 2+2 coupe with a modern and comfortable interior. Its appearance was easier on the eyes than that of the Type 34 Karmann-Ghia, though its lines were not undisputed and generally not considered to be Giugiaro's best work. The rear portion of the car seems to be modelled slightly after that of the Volkswagen 411. Underneath it was similar to the Type 14 though actually the platform of the Volkswagen Variant was used rather than that of the Beetle. Main difference was the engine: the Type 145 TC was fitted with the 1584 cc flat-four aircooled boxer unit from the Type 3 instead of the 1192 cc unit of the Type 14. Now the car had 65 hp @ 4600 rpm and a top speed of 137 kph, compared to the lowly 34 hp and 115 kph of the Type 14. This was certainly an improvement though its performance was still rather sedate compared to other coupes in its class.

The Karmann-Ghia TC had its looks and more powerful engine but wasn't as successful as anticipated. It actually had one big flaw: it was terribly prone to rust, or as Brazilians put it, it started to rust at the first raindrop. In particular the grill in front and the vents in the rear let in water which was collected at rust sensitive parts of the construction and also the door rubbers didn't seal adequately. Yet in all 18,119 TC models have been produced during its production run from 1970 till 1976. It was only offered in South America and wasn't exported off the continent.

This fact and its rust problem makes the Karmann-Ghia TC a very rare sight in Europe. The car shown here is a prototype which is part of the factory museum collection of Karmann in Osnabruck, Germany. It's an interesting example of autonomous design and engineering by the South American car industry, which is often overlooked here in Europe.

Source: Internet

Concept Caddy Van

2010-10-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Volkswagen Caddy Van featuring with a wooden boat deck on the roof of car for sunbathin. Volkswagen is showing this Caddy Topos Sail design concept at the largest recreational vehicle show in D'sseldorf, Germany.

"The Caddy Topos Sail design concept, based on the smallest model in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle van range, uses design cues from classic yachts and has its multi-functional roof covered with wooden decking surrounded by aluminium roof rails.
The wooden sun deck on the roof is accessed via four matching wooden and aluminium steps in the Caddy's tailgate, and to complete the design theme there are wooden inserts along the side of the vehicle and in the rear bumper."

Source: Internet

Concept T

2010-10-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Volkswagen Concept T was first seen at the 2004 North American International Auto Show, held in Detroit, Michigan.

The Concept T crossover vehicle displays attributes similar to both sports coupes and off road vehicles, and aimed to fill a gap in the international vehicle market.

The Concept T in its aim to achieve both roles has ended up looking like an expensive dune buggy.

The unusual two tone styling which connects the recessed head lights, tail lights and high level exhausts also gives the visual effect of lifting the body away from the wheels.

The Concept T's impressive upswinging doors are hinged off the A-pillars and swing both outward and upward.
The high mounted rear view mirrors help the driver see over the high, wide rear arches.

The concept T also features an easily removed T-bar roof as well as a removable rear roof section to effectively make it a convertible with a roll bar.

Volkswagen powered the Concept T with a 3.2 L V6 developing 241 bhp, propelling the concept to a respectable 144 mph.

Source: Internet

Josef Ganz

2010-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Josef Ganz, 1946

Dipl.-Ing. Josef Ganz (July 1, 1898 - July 26, 1967) was a German-Hungarian car designer, born in Budapest, Hungary.

Early years

Josef Ganz was born in a Jewish family with a Hungarian mother and a German father in Budapest, the then second-largest city within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on July 1, 1898. His father, Dr. Hugo Markus Ganz (1862-1922), was from Mainz in Germany and worked as a political and literary writer and journalist for the Frankfurter Zeitung. At an early age, Josef Ganz was fascinated by technology. After moving from Budapest to Vienna, the family moved to Frankfurt am Main in Germany in 1916 and took on German nationality. In July, 1916, Ganz voluntarily enlisted in the German army and fought in the German navy during the First World War. After the war, in 1918, Josef Ganz resumed his mechanical engineering studies. During this period, he became inspired with the idea of building a small car for the price of a motorcycle.

Josef Ganz in the Ardie-Ganz prototype, 1930

Josef Ganz in the Maikäfer prototype, 1931

The Auto design

Josef Ganz made his first auto sketches in 1923, designing an innovative small lightweight car with a mid-mounted engine, independent wheel suspension and an aerodynamic body, but lacked the money to build a prototype. Therefore, he passionately started publishing articles on progressive car design in various magazines and, shortly after his graduation in 1927, he was assigned as the new editor-in-chief of Klein-Motor-Sport. Josef Ganz used this magazine as a platform to criticize heavy, unsafe and old-fashioned cars and promote innovative design. The magazine quickly gained in reputation and influence and, in January 1929, was renamed into the more appropriate title Motor-Kritik.

‘With the ardent conviction of a missionary’, so post-war Volkswagen director Heinrich Nordhoff would later say, ‘Josef Ganz in Motor-Kritik attacked the old and well-established auto companies with biting irony.’ These companies fought against Motor-Kritik with law-suits, slander campaigns and an advertising boycott. However, every new attempt for destruction only increased the publicity for the magazine and Josef Ganz firmly established himself as the leading independent automotive innovator in Germany.

In 1929, Josef Ganz started contacting German motorcycle manufacturers for collaboration to build a autoprototype. This resulted in a first prototype, the Ardie-Ganz, built at Ardie in 1930 and a second one completed at Adler in May 1931, which was nicknamed the Maikäfer (‘May-Beetle’). News about these amazing constructions quickly spread through the industry. Besides at Adler, Josef Ganz was assigned as a consultant engineer at Daimler-Benz and BMW where he was involved in the development of the first models with independent wheel suspension: the highly successful Mercedes-Benz 170 and BMW AM1 (Automobilkonstruktion München 1).

The first company to build a car according to the many patents of Josef Ganz was the Standard Fahrzeugfabrik, which introduced its Standard Superior model at the IAMA (Internationale Auto- und Motorradausstellung) in Berlin in February 1933. Here the new Chancellor Adolf Hitler expressed great interest in its revolutionary design and low selling price of 1,590 Reichsmark. Under the new anti-Semitic government, however, Josef Ganz was an easy target for his old enemies.

Ironically, while German car manufacturers one by one took over the progressive ideas that had been published in Motor-Kritik since the 1920s, Josef Ganz himself was arrested by the Gestapo in May 1933 based on falsified charges of blackmail of the automotive industry. He was eventually released, but his career was systematically destroyed and his life endangered. This led to his escape from Germany in June 1934 – the very month Adolf Hitler assigned Ferdinand Porsche to realize the prophecy of Josef Ganz: designing a mass-producible auto for a consumer price of 1,000 Reichsmark.

After a short period in Liechtenstein, Josef Ganz settled in Switzerland where with government support he started a Swiss auto project, while back in Germany production of the Standard Superior as well as the Bungartz Butz according to his design was stopped. The first prototypes of the Swiss auto were constructed in 1937 and 1938 and plans were formed for mass-production inside a new factory. After the start of World War II , however, Josef Ganz was again under serious threat from the Gestapo and corrupt Swiss government officials who tried to claim the Swiss auto project as their own. After the war, a small number of Swiss auto were built by the Rapid car company, while Josef Ganz in a desperate attempt for justice took his Swiss enemies to court.

Numb from five years of highly complex court battles, Josef Ganz left Switzerland in 1949and settled in France. Here he worked on a new small car, but could no longer compete with the Volkswagen – his own vision – which was now conquering the world in its hundreds of thousands. In 1951 Josef Ganz decided to leave the old world behind and boarded an ocean liner to Australia. For some years he worked there for General Motors – Holden, but became almost bedridden after a series of heart attacks in the early 1960s. Despite some attempts to restore his name, it was too little too late. Josef Ganz died in obscurity in Australia in 1967, his legacy known and admired by all but his name forgotten.

Source: Wikipedia

Standard Superior

2010-09-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Standard Superior was an automobile marque, used from 1933-1935 by Standard Fahrzeugfabrik of Germany, founded by Wilhelm Gutbrod. These small cars were designed according to the patents by Josef Ganz and featured rear-mounted two-stroke engines.

After World War II, the same company made Gutbrod cars and introduced the model Gutbrod Superior.

First model of the Standard Superior, as introduced at the IAMA in Berlin in 1933

Standard Superior, 1934 model

Brochure for the Standard Superior, 1934

History

In the first half of 1932, Wilhelm Gutbrod, the President of the Standard Fahrzeugfabrik, came into contact with German engineer Josef Ganz. Ganz had been working on a small Volkswagen car design since the early 1920s and had so far built two prototypes, one for Ardie in 1930 and one for Adler in 1931, called the Maikäfer (May Beetle). After a demonstration with the Maikäfer by Ganz, Gutbrod was most interested to build a small car according to this design. The Standard Fahrzeugfabrik then purchased a license from Ganz to develop and build a small car according to his design. The prototype of this new model, which was to be called Standard Superior, was finished in 1932. It featured a tubular chassis, a mid-mounted engine, and independent wheel suspension with swing-axles at the rear.

Models

The first production model of the Standard Superior was introduced at the IAMA (Internationale Automobil- und Motorradausstellung) in Berlin in February 1933. Because of some criticism to the body design, not in the least by Josef Ganz in Motor-Kritik, it was followed in April 1933 by a slightly altered model.

In November 1933 the Standard Fahrzeugfabrik introduced yet another new and improved model for 1934, which was slightly longer with one additional window on each side and had a small seat for children or as luggage space in the back. This car was advertised as the German Volkswagen.

The Volkswagen Beetle connection

With the Ardie-Ganz, Adler Maikäfer and Standard Superior cars, as well as his progressive writings and promotion of the concept of a Volkswagen in Motor-Kritik magazine since the 1920s, Josef Ganz is claimed by some to be the inspiration behind the Volkswagen Beetle. These cars had all the then novel features of the later Volkswagen Beetle, such as the tubular chassis, rear-mounted engine and independent wheel suspension with swing axles.

According to the report, as a Jew, Ganz was deprived of his patent rights, which were later illegally passed to Tatra, whose management had impeccable Gestapo connections. Ganz himself, after an odyssey of escaping through numerous European countries, had landed in Australia. The name Volkswagen was stolen by Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring who saw Ganz's VW prototype at an exhibition.

New investigation

While the Volkswagen Beetle was produced in its millions after World War Two, the name of Josef Ganz was largely forgotten. In 2004, Dutch journalist Paul Schilperoord started researching the life and work of Josef Ganz. He has unearthed many new facts and is currently working on a new book and documentary.

Source: Wikipedia

Rumormill: Skoda to get own model based on VW eUp!

2010-08-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ever since Volkswagen first started rolling out concept versions of its New Small Family (NSF) mini-cars, the automaker has said it would build variants for a number of the brands in the group. The Czech-based Škoda brand is an obvious candidate for one of the small cars as it's generally considered a lower cost outlet in the family hierarchy.

The Škoda is expected to carry the Joyster badge and will reportedly launch in 2012-13 with conventional powertrains. A pair of three-cylinder engines displacing one liter for the gas version and 1.2-liters for the diesel will be the available to begin with, and after Volkswagen launches the battery-powered eUp! in 2013, the same hardware will be added to the Škoda.

Source: Green Autoblog

1959 Volkswagon Bus

2010-07-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

Check out this website for more pictures of this VW Bus.

Source: Hot Rods Custom Stuff

Can Automatic Car Washes Damage Your Car?

2010-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Automatic/drive-through car washes are more popular than ever because they save time and hassle.

But are automatic car washes safe for your car? In fact, in many instances, they are the "safest" course of action for many car owners who want to keep their car clean.

In fact, automatic car washes can be safer for your car's finish than washing your car yourself because do-it-yourselfers sometimes don't use enough water to safely remove dirt; or they wash the car in direct sunlight -- which can burn spots in the paint. Or they use the wrong type of soap -- such as dishwashing detergent, which removes protective wax and leaves a chalky residue on the finish. Or any one of several common mistakes can end up doing more harm than good.

Cars by the numbers:

3 Most Popular Muscle Cars6 Cheap Cars with Great Gas Mileage10 Fastest Sports CarsKeeping your car clean and the finish looking good can also mean higher resale value when it comes time to get a new car. All else being equal, a car with faded paint and a dingy overall look sells for 10-20 percent less than an otherwise identical vehicle that just looks nicer.

So how often should you have your vehicle washed? That depends on how quickly it gets dirty -- and how dirty it gets. For some cars, once a month or so is sufficient -- especially if the car is lightly used and kept in a garage. But some cars will need a bath more often -- especially those that are parked outdoors where they're exposed to bird droppings, tree sap and so on, or driven in areas with very long/severe winters, where the roads are salted when it snows.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to automatic car washes:

Be sure it's "brushless" -- Some older car washes still use abrasive brushes (instead of cloth), which can leave small scratches in a car's finish. On older cars with so-called "single stage" paint jobs, light scratches could usually be buffed out; but all modern cars use a "base/clear" system with a thin, transparent layer of clear coat on top of the underlying color coat to provide the shine. Once the thin clear coat is damaged, often the only way to restore the shine is to repaint the damaged area.

Another safe bet is "touchless" car washes that use only high-pressure water jets and detergents to clean the car -- without physically touching it at all. There is virtually no chance of your vehicle suffering any cosmetic damage this way. Some areas have "self-service" coin-operated hand washes, which are great for spraying away heavy dirt buildup. You'll usually need to bring your own bucket, wash cloth/sponge and dry towels, though.

Watch out for the after-wash wipe-down -- Most drive-through washes use a strong jet of heated air to force excess water off after the car goes through the wash. Many full-service car washes will then have you drive the car (or drive it for you, in some cases) away from the wash area to be hand-wiped by attendants. This is usually OK -- provided the attendants are using fresh, clean (and soft) towels to do so. Be alert on busy days, when lots of other cars have gone ahead of you. If you see the attendants using obviously dirty old rags to wipe the car down, you should say "thanks, but no thanks" -- and drive away wet. Dirt and other abrasives in the rags can scratch the finish just like sandpaper. Simply driving away from the wash and letting air flow over the car to dry any remaining water won't hurt anything -- and is the best guarantee of a no-damage experience. Any lingering streaks can easily be cleaned up at home yourself using readily available spray cleaners designed for just this purpose. (Honda Pro Spray Cleaner & Polish is excellent for this; it also provides UV protection and easily and safely cleans off bugs, tar and road grime, etc. without water.)

Hold off on the extras -- A "works" car wash can cost twice as much as the basic wash, but you may not be getting twice the wash for your money. Undercarriage rustproofing, for example, is of dubious value. Effective rustproofing is applied to brand-new metal, in order to seal it from contact with external corrosives such as road salt. Most new cars are extensively rustproofed at the factory during the assembly process; further "treatment" is superfluous -- and a money-waster.

On the other hand, if the wash offers an undercarriage bath, it may be worth the additional cost. Jets of water sprayed directly underneath the car can break loose accumulated crud that would be difficult (and unpleasant) to try to remove yourself using a garden hose. It's also important that underbody drainage holes not be obstructed by mud and other buildup; accumulated moisture can accelerate rust or (in the case of the air conditioning system) lead to the formation of mold in the system. The undercarriage bath should help keep those drain holes clear.

Do, however, think twice about spray-on wax. This typically adds at least a couple bucks to the cost of the wash and while it doesn't hurt anything, it's no substitute for hand-applied polish/wax. Spray-on "wax" may provide a short-term gloss enhancement, but doesn't protect against UV sun damage the way hand-applied wax does. Ditto the cost of having an attendant spray Armor All (or a similar protectant) on your tires to make them shiny. The cost for this extra can be equivalent to the cost of buying an entire bottle of the stuff on your own.

Wheel and tire cleaning is an exception; the heavy-duty cleaners used by the car wash do a great job of removing baked-on brake dust, etc., that can otherwise be a real chore to clean on your own, using over-the-counter cleaners, a hand brush and a hose. It's especially important to keep aluminum alloy wheels clean; brake dust can eventually permanently stain them if it's not regularly cleaned away.

Finally:

Make sure your car's OK before you leave -- While many car washes will have a disclaimer posted that they are "not responsible for any damages that may occur" as a result of running your car through their wash, that doesn't mean you should automatically absolve them of any damage their equipment or personnel may have caused. If you notice something, ask to see the manager and point it out to him; whether "legally liable" or not, he may offer to fix the problem in the interest of customer relations. And even if he does not, you can still pursue the matter with a higher-up (such as the company headquarters, if the wash is a franchise, as many associated with big-name gas stations often are). If you have a cell phone with a camera, use it to take a photo of the damage in order to support your claim. And it ought to go without saying that you should never leave your purse or other valuables in the car if you use a wash where an attendant will have access to the vehicle's interior.

Source: Autos.aol

An Ecological VW Kombi

2010-06-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Solar Power is the latest model in a line of vehicles for camping and adventure that is based on the cheerful VW Kombi. The first version, the Verdier Caravan, was created in 1998. As time went by the concept evolved and was distinguised with various awards. The current version has, as a strong suit, energetic self-sufficiency, a key characteristic for what this vehicle aims at.

Once the car is in a stationary position, the group of intelligent solar panels search for the optimal position, thanks to the information provided by a GPS system to the on-board computer. The vehicle then shows all its versatility. The ceiling is expanded into a canvas structure where there is a sleeping compartiment for two, with access through a folding staircase; at the same time, it projects two awnings that cover the adjacent lateral areas; in its interior, the seats give way to a bed for two; in one of the doors it's possible to set up a stove and a small table; in the back there is a small compartment that lodges additional furniture (tables and chairs).

As if this wasn't enough, the Verdier is also beautiful, a true Kombi...

Read more: Click Here

VW Convertible

2010-06-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Why To Not Be Talking And Driving?

2010-05-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes only a picture can get our attention!
Her last call was from a new cell phone...
Do you see the motorcycle?

Now do you see it?

The Honda crotch rocket rider was traveling at approximately 85 mph. The VW driver was talking on a cell phone when she pulled out from a side street, apparently not seeing the motorcycle. The riders reaction time was not sufficient enough to avoid this accident. The car had two passengers and the bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them.

The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact and landed 20 feet from where the collision took place.

All three involved (two in the car and the bike rider) were killed instantly. This graphic demonstration was placed at the Motorcycle Fair by the Police and Road Safety Department..

Pass this on to car drivers or soon to be new drivers, or new motorcycle owners
AND ESPECIALLY EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS A CELL PHONE!!!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Save a life…

Please do not talk on Cell phones and Text while trying to drive.

The life you save may be your own...or mine.

Source: Internet

"Wear Your Seatbelt"

2010-05-03T01:46:00.000-07:00

This is the new "wear your seatbelt" ad the UK is doing - started by some
dude not hired to do it, but because the cause is important to him, he came
up with this idea, and now it's being hailed across the world as a
‘beautiful’ commercial. ...And now the video has gone “viral” (which means,
has become so popular with the general public that people are forwarding it
to friends/family on their own so quickly that it has spread all over the
world in a very short time).

Source: Youtube

New Phaeton Revealed At Beijing Motor Show

2010-04-22T09:19:00.001-07:00

Volkswagen has unveiled the revised Phaeton at the Beijing Motor Show.

Featuring a new look and technologies, the updated Phaeton builds on what is already one of the most advanced and thoroughly engineered cars on the road today.

Built in a state of the art transparent factory in Dresden, the new Phaeton features a new face, comprising a pair of bi-xenon headlight units complete with LED running lights and a new grille featuring two pronounced horizontal bars to lend the car a more imposing stance. Elsewhere, new front wings and a reprofiled bonnet are joined by a revised front bumper, complete with chrome strips and a set of LED foglights.

At the rear, a set of light units fitted with intricate lenses sit above a redesigned bumper. Finally, new alloys wheels complete the changes to the outside of the car. Inside, a new steering wheel and a colour electronic display ahead of the driver are joined by fresh trim finishes and, for the first time on a Volkswagen, the option of Google Maps on the RNS810 satellite navigation system. Feeding power and information between these and other vehicle systems are over 2,000 separate cables measuring 3.2 km connecting to 60 control units.

The air conditioning system on the Phaeton remains one of the most advanced in the world. As well as featuring a humidity monitoring function to avoid the vehicle misting up in all conditions, the Phaeton W12’s 4Zone climate control system is designed to be capable of maintaining a steady interior temperature of 22 degrees Celsius while the vehicle is at a constant speed of 186 mph in an ambient temperature of 50 degrees. While this situation is unlikely to be encountered by the majority of motorists, the climate control systems, aerodynamics, brakes , suspension, steering system and even wipers have been designed to cope with speeds far exceeding the norm of 0-155 mph.

The new Phaeton retains a very high level of standard equipment including 4MOTION all-wheel drive, Continuous Damping Control (CDC) adjustable air suspension, leather trim, satellite navigation, 18-way adjustable electric seats, a laminated finish to all glass areas and a total of eight airbags. Two wheelbase options will be offered (120 mm differentiating the two) and a choice of two engines – a 3.0-litre V6 TDI diesel developing 240 PS and a 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine producing 450 PS. The new Phaeton goes on sale this August with prices and specifications set to be announced nearer this time.

Source: AutoSpies

Volkswagen Milano Taxie

2010-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen took to the stage at the annual Hanover Trade Show in Germany with a fleet-oriented EV taxi concept car dubbed the Milano Taxi. Decked out in Italian-inspired green and black paint with a red and white stripe, the Milano Taxi offers a maximum speed of 74 mph and an impressive 186 mile range, which could make it a viable alternative to gas and diesel-powered taxis.

The small, purpose-built taxi is powered by a 113-horsepower electric motor hooked up to an underside-mounted5 kW lithium-ion battery. VW says that 80 percent of the battery can be juiced up with just an hour charge, making it easy to keep the Milano going throughout the day on longer drives.

Its outside is vaguely inspired by the Samba van, VW says, and it features intricate integrated LED running lamps and retro-style whitewall tires.

The rear doors swing forward and out of the way for tight and congested areas like those of central Milan. Inside, a two-seat rear bench awaits, while luggage sits in front of the passengers and next to the driver in a space that would typically be occupied by a passenger seat.

An New York cab-style LCD screen affronts the passengers, allowing them to view the route the cab is following, while the driver has a similar screen used for various vehicle functions and navigation.

VW hasn’t indicated any production future for the Milano, although the company says it’s still on track to debut a production EV by 2013.

Source: Motorshout

Volkswagen Reports Jump In Q1 Profits

2010-04-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen AG is reporting first-quarter profits that have nearly doubled last year’s first-quarter, jumping to $633 million. VW points to the strong increase in sales for the Chinese market, as well as a record setting quarter for its luxury brand, Audi.

According to Bloomberg, Volkswagen AG, which includes its volume luxury brand Audi, exotic car maker Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, SEAT and Skoda, has recorded a $633 million first-quarter profit.

“Volkswagen recognizes that with Toyota’s recall troubles, it has a wonderful opportunity to be seen as the world’s top automaker,” said Stephen Pope, chief global equity strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald in London, to Bloomberg. “Volkswagen’s really making a play for emerging markets.”

VW’s emergence in markets outside of Europe played a role in increasing profits for the automaker, as a struggling European economy has forced higher than average incentives, which have in turn decreased profits.

VW, like all automakers operating in Europe, also benefited from several government subsidized scrappage schemes in order to move smaller cars off of dealer lots. With the end of these programs in Europe, as Leftlane previously reported, the European market is expected to shrink, possibly as much as 25 percent in 2010, according to IHS Global Insight.

Volkswagen AG sales rose 25 percent to 1.73 million units for the first quarter. VW also enjoyed a boost from its luxury brand Audi, which recorded its best first-quarter ever with 264,100 vehicles sold – a jump of 26 percent.

Source: Motorshout

Spycam: Volkswagen Polo Sedan

2010-04-19T07:31:00.001-07:00

Just Smaller than a Jetta: Polo Four Door Begins to Take Shape

Click below to read the complete article.

Source: Motortrend

Volkswagen Future Cars

2010-04-19T06:51:00.001-07:00

It's Simple: Be the World's Largest Automaker by 2018

Read more: Motortrend

New York 2010: Second generation Volkswagen Touareg makes U.S. debut, Hybrid too

2010-04-08T12:38:00.001-07:00

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Volkswagen has just unveiled its 2011 Touareg for the first time in the States, giving us Americans a chance to see the slimmed down SUV and its hybrid sibling that we first saw at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. This second generation Touareg will still have a diesel option, but for those who like to feel even better about themselves while they gently crush wildflowers in the Arctic National Preserve, there's also a hybrid model offered for the first time in a VW SUV.

The hybrid model gets a 3.0-liter, supercharged, direct injection V6 gasoline engine paired with an electric motor and eight-speed automatic transmission that help it to a mileage rating of 21 miles per gallon city and 25 highway. That V6-plus-electric-motor combo also combines for 375 horsepower and 428 lbs.-ft. of torque, allowing a healthy towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds.

Source: Autoblog

New York 2010: Volkswagen Polo wins 2010 World Car of the Year award

2010-04-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

2010 World Car of the Year winner Volkswagen Polo

Awards season is finally winding down with the 2010 World Car of the Year and World Performance Car of the Year being handed out this morning at the 2010 New York Auto Show. After whittling the fields down to three finalists in each category, the panel of 59 international journalists voted one last time to crown the World Car of the Year.

While the Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Polo and Mercedes-Benz E-Class were nominated, it was the Polo that took home the gold for 2010 World Car of the Year.

On the performance vehicle front, the nominees were the Audi R8 V10, Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari California, with the Audi winning top honors.

They also handed out a Design award for a group of finalists including the Citroen C3Picasso, Kia Soul and Chevrolet Camaro. That honor went to the Camaro. (U-S-A! U-S-A!)

The Green category saw Volkswagen's line of diesel-powered BlueMotion vehicles beat out the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids. (Die-sel! Die-sel!)

Source: Autoblog

New York 2010: Volkswagen Mid-Size Sedan to launch with TDI in 2011

2010-04-08T12:33:00.001-07:00

Volkswagen New Mid-Size Sedan

During yesterday's North American debut of the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid at the New York Auto Show, VW's North American CEO, Stefan Jacoby, let slip that the yet-to-be-named Passat replacement – currently known as the "New Mid-Size Sedan" (NMS) – will be available with a diesel in both the U.S. and Canada when it goes on sale in 2011.

Production of the NMS is set to begin within the next year at the automaker's new Chattanooga, Tennessee facility, and it's all but assured that the mill will be the same 2.0-liter diesel four-pot currently outputting 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque in the Jetta TDI.

Details on the sedan are scant, but Jacoby reiterated that the NMS will be Volkswagen's most focused push into the mid-size segment, where it is set to do battle with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. With a launch this important, it's no wonder that the company is still debating names.

Source: Autoblog

Quick Spin: 2010 Volkswagen Polo TSI 1.2 could preview what's to come

2010-04-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

2010 Volkswagen Polo TSI 1.2

At last year's Geneva Motor Show, we got our first in-person look at the all-new fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo, the brand's popular B-segment model that slots in below the ever-expanding Golf and Jetta range. While subcompact vehicles like the Polo have been a staple in Europe for decades where fuel prices hover around $8/gallon, in the last few years, Americans have finally started to take a serious look at cars of this size. With the Honda Fit and Mini Cooper well established, the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 twins on the way and an all-new Chevrolet Aveo coming late in 2010, the market for subcompact runabouts is picking up steam in the States – and VW is taking a long, hard look at adding the Polo to its North American lineup in the next few years.

With that in mind, VW trotted out a fleet of Polos for us to sample on its home turf near Wolfsburg, Germany recently – and while the automaker has yet to make a firm decision about importing the Polo to the U.S., they clearly wanted our feedback. Here's what we told VW of America CEO Stefan Jacoby and his staff.

The new Polo is a handsome little hatchback with a very attractive implementation of Volkswagen's latest design language. The front fascia shares a lot with the new Golf, including the slim, black, horizontal grille above the bumper and the primary air intake and fog-lamp mounts down below. Along the sides, the pronounced wheel arches work nicely with the chiseled character lines just below the windows and along the rocker panels to give the Polo a pleasantly aggressive stance. For such a small car, it looks quite stocky, especially on the 17-inch, five-spoke alloys fitted to our tester.

All of the Polos on hand were powered by one of VW's newest engines: the 1.2-liter TSI four-cylinder. As its TSI designation implies, the 1.2 includes both a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, with a different cylinder head configuration than current TSI mills. Larger displacement versions from this engine familly all feature dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, while the 1.2 uses a single cam and only two valves per cylinder. While this might seem like a step backwards, there's some solid reasoning behind it.

The first and most obvious is cost. A single cam, two-valve head is considerably less expensive to build, along with being notably lighter. Both of these elements are important in an engine for an entry-level car. However, there is also a functional reason that could make the two-valve layout advantageous for a direct-injected engine. Four smaller valves take more space in the combustion chamber, and they don't leave much space to locate the spark plug and injector. This usually creates a situation where the spark plug is located in the center and the injector is off to one side. With only two valves, both the plug and the injector can be located closer to the middle, so fuel is distributed more evenly. The pressurized intake air from the turbocharger also helps to offset some of the four-valve configuration's breathing advantage. Overall, this results in a reasonable compromise for a subcompact vehicle and a rather impressive amount of power.

The 1.2-liter TSI churns out 103 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque, and while that doesn't sound like much, maximum twist is available between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm, making for excellent around town drivability. By comparison, the 1.5-liter, 16-valve normally aspirated engine in the North American-spec Honda Fit produces 117 hp, while maximum torque – a meager 106 lb-ft – peaks at 4,800 rpm. Mated to either a six-speed manual or new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the Polo's demeanor is nearly unmatched by anything in the U.S., and the run to 62 miles per hour takes place in a perfectly adequate 9.7 seconds. Making things even more enticing is the Polo's fuel economy, up from 35.1 mpg (U.S.) to 42.8 mpg compared to the outgoing port-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder in the previous Polo, with a drop in CO2 emissions to boot (159 g/km versus 129 g/km).

Inside, the Polo provides typical Volkswagen fare – well finished, high quality materials of the sort rarely found in Stateside subcompacts. The design is simple, clean and functional, with everything located exactly where it should be. Large, round gauges for the speedometer and tach flank an information display that keeps tabs on the clock, mileage, range and other useful info-tidbits. The overall design is very similar to the Golf, with a seamless surface across the top of the dashboard. Our tester came equipped with an optional in-dash navigation system, along with a large storage bin below the climate controls and cloth seats that proved comfortable while providing plenty of lateral support.

One aspect where the Polo loses out to the class-leading Honda Fit is interior volume. The Japanese hatch is about five inches longer and 2.5 inches taller than the Volkswagen, although the wheelbase is only about an inch longer. Most of the Fit's extra length is the result of its longer nose (something not found on non-North American variants), yet its extra size can be felt most clearly from the rear seat, where the extra height allows for a more upright position for passengers and room for four adults. The Polo is noticeably more snug, albeit easily on par with the forthcoming Ford Fiesta.

The five-door Polo we sampled was equipped with a DSG transmission but, unlike the Golf TDI, it didn't have paddle shifters. If you're hot to swap your own cogs, slotting the gear selector to the right from Drive allows you to tap-shift the transmission up or down. Around town, the torquey engine proved very responsive and the Polo never felt sluggish or strained, and shifts were quick and smooth whether commanded by the powertrain ECU or the driver.

Going around corners, the Polo's steering was quick and the electro-hydraulic assist had good feedback. Our drive loop south of the Oschersleben track included stretches through several small villages coated in cobblestones, and the Polo's poise and reasonably comfortable ride on such uneven surfaces bodes well for how the V-Dub will behave on pitted U.S. roads.

But will it make the trek?

Officials from Volkswagen of America seem intent on bringing the Polo to the States, but the big question seems to be what bodystyle U.S. consumers will get. While European VW dealers offer three- and five-door hatchback configurations, the thought seems to be that Americans would prefer a sedan. To our eyes, a hatchback and its attendant utility makes a lot more sense than an undersized trunk, but our position might not jibe with mainstream consumer tastes. From where we sit, the smarter choice may be something analogous to the Euro-only Golf Plus, which is a taller version of VW's C-segment hatch. A vertically stretched Polo Plus could match the space of the Fit on its existing footprint, negating our only serious ding with the Polo – a lack of interior space.

However, the more intractable problem is cost. With the euro trading at nearly $1.50, sourcing an inexpensive B-segment car from across The Pond is a non-starter. VWoA CEO Stefan Jacoby told us that the site of the new Chattanooga, TN assembly plant has space to double in size and could ultimately produce up to 500,000 vehicles annually. The Puebla, Mexico plant that builds the Jetta and New Beetle is also being expanded, so if the Polo is offered here, it will almost certainly be built in North America and offered throughout North, Central and South America.

VW will no doubt be closely watching how the all-new Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 fare to help determine its path. And if we were betting gentlemen – and we often are – our money would be on the Polo arriving on U.S. shores within the next three-to-four years. With the exemplary 1.2-liter TSI and an enlarged cabin, the Polo could easily find favor with Stateside consumers currently reassessing what they need in a vehicle, and with more subcompacts arriving each year, VW needs to strike while the iron is hot to solidify its place in a segment that's finally garnering some attention in America.

Source: Autoblog

2011 Volkswagen Touareg

2010-04-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

For 2011, Volkswagen's Touareg gets a much-needed freshening along with the sizable weight reduction.

The second-generation Touareg benefits from visual upgrades that bring the SUV in line with the new Volkswagen look embodied by the Golf and Polo. There's nothing radical here, but judging by how little the first-generation Touareg changed over the course of its life, this is a body style to which dealers should become accustomed. Is it an SUV that will age well until the third-generation model arrives?

The 2011 Touareg's grille is similar to that of the Golf and Polo: long and directly connected to the headlights. Those headlights feature LED accents, a detail that supports the high-end place this SUV will have in Volkswagen's lineup.

The profile view holds few surprises besides new wheel designs. In back, the taillights curve upward slightly, a subtle change makes the rear view a bit more dynamic. Huge exhaust pipes do that too, though not necessarily in a good way.

To be honest, we would be happy spending time in the interior of the 2010 or 2011 Touareg. It's inside where some of the more major visual changes have taken place. A giant navigation display in the dash has forced the separation of the air vents. As in the 2010 Touareg, the new Volkswagen SUV features plenty of wood and silver trim. Completing the interior changes is a more attractive three-spoke steering wheel than the four-spoke unit in the outgoing SUV.

So the tweaks to the Touareg are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Is that a good thing? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Last week, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg's brother -- the 2011 Porsche Cayenne -- was featured in this space.

Many commented on the improved interior. "Finally the Cayenne looks like it belongs in the Porsche lineup," said Porsche74.

True_enthusiast wasn't so positive: "Better but still ugly."

Source: Motortrend

VW Officially Announces Volkswagen R GmbH Performance Division

2010-04-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

If you liked what you saw in Volkswagen's Golf R at last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, you're going to like this news. The German automaker has officially launched a dedicated performance division, dubbed Volkswagen R GmbH, that will specialize in developing sport-oriented models under the R and R Line badges. Volkswagen hopes the move will help it to stake its claim as the world's largest automaker in the not-too-distant future.

"Our vehicles contribute to the emotionalization and growth of Volkswagen brand," said Ulrich Riestenpatt gt. Richter, general manager of Volkswagen R GmbH.

Consider the division similar to BMW's M branch, Mercedes' AMG program, or Fiat's Abarth arm. All fall under the blanket of their parent company, while offering products with added exclusivity and performance relative to the standard models. The current Europe-only Golf R and Scirocco R are the first models to be developed by the over-350-strong workforce, the Golf essentially being a successor to the special-edition R32.

New R Line packages will also emerge from the doors of Volkswagen R GmbH, including the Volkswagen Passat CC R Line, with special emblems, wheels, ground effects, and other touch-ups. A Tiguan R Line has also launched in Europe, alongside similar packages for the Golf, Touareg, and Touran.

Currently, the only product from Volkswagen R that the U.S. will be getting is the Passat CC R Line. Given the cult following previous R32s enjoyed Stateside, we're not ruling out VW bringing the Golf R to our shores, along with a few more R Line variants.

Source: Motortrend

Next Volkswagen Passat Coming To 2010 Paris Show

2010-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

New reports suggest we may have our first look at the next-generation Volkswagen Passat come September, as the German automaker may launch its revised midsize sedan at the 2010 Paris motor show.

Although the car will be the next generation in the Passat line, don’t expect it to be completely revamped from head to toe. Reports indicate Volkswagen is putting the Passat under the knife in a similar manner to Golf's refresh for 2010 -- the basic architecture of the car will remain untouched, but it will receive substantial styling and powertrain upgrades.

We’d also expect the new Passat to be both agile and frugal, thanks in part to a planned decrease in weight and the use of smaller, efficient engines. Like Hyundai’s new Sonata, VW reportedly has no plans to offer the new Passat with a heavier, thirstier six-cylinder engine. Instead, a slightly upgraded version of VW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder engine may be the top engine. Reportedly, the turbo-four offers similar acceleration to the current Passat fitted with the 3.2-liter V-6.

Although Volkswagen is starting to introduce hybrid-electric drive systems, the new Passat won’t receive one -- instead, the automaker is possibly waiting until an all-new model launches in 2015 to install an eco-friendly powertrain.

It’s doubtful we’ll see the new Passat in any guise in the U.S., as the “New Midsize Sedan” (NMS), which should launch in early 2011, will replace the car in North American markets.

Source: Motortrend

Single Person Car

2010-03-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen's $600 car gets 258 mpg -- It looks like Ford, Chrysler and GM missed the boat again!

China launches $600 car that will get 258 mpg

This $600 car is no toy and is ready to be released in China next year.

The single seater aero car totes VW (Volkswagen) branding.

Volkswagen did a lot of very highly protected testing of this car in Germany, but it was not announced until now where the car would make it's first appearance.

The car was introduced at the VW stockholders meeting as the most economical car in the world is presented.

The initial objective of the prototype was to prove that 1 liter of fuel could deliver 100 kilos of travel.

Spartan interior doesn't sacrifice safety

The aero design proved essential to getting the desired result. The body is 3.47 meters long and just 1.25 meters wide, and a little over a meter high. The prototype was made completely of carbon fiber and is not painted to save weight.

The power plant is a one cylinder diesel positioned ahead of the rear axle and combined with an automatic shift controlled by a knob in the interior.

Safety was not compromised as the impact and roll-over protection is comparable to the GT racing cars.

$600 car gets 258 mpg

The Most Economic Car in the World will be on sale next year:

Better than Electric Car-258 miles/gallon: IPO 2010 in Shanghai

This is a single seated car

From conception to production: 3 years and the company is headquartered in Hamburg , Germany ..

Will be selling for 4000 yuan, equivalent to US $600..

Gas tank capacity = 1.7 gallons

Speed = 62/ 74.6 Miles/hour

Fuel efficiency = 258 miles/gallon

Travel distance with a full tank = 404 miles

Volkswagen 258 mpg car on sale in 2010

Source: Internet

The People's Car

2010-03-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

1932 Volkswagen Beetle Type 12 (Zundapp Prototype)

1933 Tatra V570

This car is not a Volkswagen even though it looks much like one.
The T97 was designed in 1933 as a smaller alternative to the large T87. Instead of a V8, it was powered by a 1.8-litre flat-four engine. With engine power of 29.4 kilowatts (40.0 PS/39.4 bhp) the car could achieve top speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).[1] The design was also simplified, using just two headlights instead of three, a single-piece windscreen, and an overall smaller body. Production of the car was canceled after the Nazis annexed Czechoslovakia in 1938, possibly to avoid comparison with the KdF-Wagen (see below). At that time, 508 cars were built. In 1946, production resumed, but the new communist government quickly dropped the T97 in favor of the cheaper to build and overall 'more communistic' Tatraplan, which was named after the Communist Planned Economy.

193? Volkswagen Beetle Series 3

193? Volkswagen Beetle Series 3 Cabriolet

193? Volkswagen Beetle V-1 Experimental Chassis

1933 Volkswagen Beetle Type 32 NSU

1936 Volkswagen Beetle Daimler-Benz Cabriolet

1936 Volkswagen Beetle Type 60

1936 Volkswagen Beetle Type 60

1936 Volkswagen Prototype

1937 Volkswagen Beetle Type 60

1937 VW Cabriolet

1937 Volkswagen

1938 VW Model 38

1938 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible

1939 VW KdF Wagon Ad

1942 Volkswagen 4 Wheel Drive Beetle Type 87

1944 Volkswagen Beetle Type 877

1945 Volkswagen Beetle

1946 Volkswagen Beetle

1946 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet Prototype

1946 Volkswagen Beetle Pickup

1947 Volkswagen Beetle

1948 Volkswagen Beetle

1949 Volkswagen Beetle

1949 Volkswagen Beetle Hebmuller Cabriolet Type-14a

1949 Volkswagen Hebmller Cabriolet

1950 VW Beetle Convertible

1950 VW Beetle Deluxe Sunroof Sedan

1951 Volkswagen Beetle

1951 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1952 Volkswagen Beetle

1952 VW Beetle Stoll Coupe

1952 VW Hebmuller Beetle Type-18A Polizei Cabriolet

1953 Volkswagen Beetle

1954 Volkswagen Beetle

1955 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1955 VW 1 Millionth Celebration

1956 Volkswagen 1200

1956 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1956 VW Beetle Karmann Convertible

1957 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1958 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1959 VW Beetle Deluxe Sedan

1959 VW Beetle Interior

1960 VW Beetle Sunroof

1947, 1951, 1952 and 1955

Source

The Long, Lovable History of the Volkswagen Beetle

2010-03-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Vanishing Volkswagen

As VW announces the end Beetle production, AOL Autos looks at the icon through the decades.

Nothing lasts forever. Not even the most recognizable and beloved automotive designs, on sale off and on since 1938.

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen announced the end of production for the current New Beetle. The VW display at LA showed "Final Edition" coupe and convertible models. The aptly named New Beetles go on sale this spring, and then production is over.

Only 1500 coupes and 1500 convertible Final Editions will be produced, each wearing distinctive Aquarius Blue paint and special 17-inch alloy wheels. Styling cues tap the car's long and storied history.

Birthing The Beetle

Adolph Hitler was not the Beetle's father, but another famous German was.

Some would-be automotive historians mistakenly credit Hitler for dreaming up the Volkswagen Beetle.

The fact is that Ferdinand Porsche (yes, Porsche's founder) began developing an inexpensive and practical vehicle in 1931, two years before Hitler became Germany's chancellor.

At the time, Porsche was considered one of the finest engineers in the world, an honor earned while working for Mercedes-Benz (called Astro-Daimler prior to World War II). Porsche did collaborate with Hitler's government on the Beetle's development. A vehicle for the German military was the first production model, the KdF-Wagen.

Post-War Beetle Explosion

Bunker-stored tooling and an order from the British military help start civilian "Pretzel" Beetle production.

The downfall of the Nazis almost exterminated the Beetle before it ever had a chance to succeed. Lady luck would help Porsche's concept of a people's car (volks-wagen in German) begin its decades-long drive toward becoming a worldwide icon.

Reports from post-war Germany indicate the plant in Wolfsburg where the Beetle was made suffered heavy damage in an Allied bombing raid in 1945. Thankfully, much of the car's production equipment had been removed and hidden in a bunker. The plant was rebuilt and began production in 1946 with an order of 20,000 Beetles for the British military.

Due to the split rear window of the car, which Germans felt resembled a beer pretzel, the car is sometimes referred to as the "Pretzel" Beetle.

The Beetle's Genes

What makes the Beetle run?

After the war, Mr. Porsche stayed true to his original concept of a simple, low-maintenance vehicle that working-class families could afford.

The designed mandated an air-cooled, horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine mounted in the rear for easy repairs. The robust body rode on an equally robust suspension designed for durability, not lithe handling or speed.

Those who have ever driven Beetles, especially cars from the 1940s and 50s, know the cars to be glacially slow. Early cars had tiny four-cylinder engines (995 cc) that produced only 30 horsepower, equal to some modern riding lawnmowers. The simple suspension proved tough and smooth riding, but the swing axle rear design wasn't the most stable.

The Beetle Evolves

Engineers create a better Beetle.

The Beetle stayed true to its design DNA for its entire evolutionary life. The final Beetle was produced in 2003, coming out of a plant in Mexico.

Some Volkswagen aficionados consider the mid-50s Beetles to be the most desirable given their high-quality materials and excellent build quality. The vision-hampering split rear window was replaced with a single oval window in 1953, which was itself replaced with an even bigger rectangular window in 1958.

Throughout the 1950s, performance improved and features were added. However, air conditioning would not become an option until 1968!

The Amazing, Successful Beetle

The Sales Success Continues

Throughout the 1950s and 60s, it was not uncommon for Volkswagen to sell upwards of 500,000 Beetles per year. Like the Ford Model T already was, the Bug was on its way toward becoming an automotive icon.

Engineering refinements continued to improve the little car's drivability, comfort, and performance. The skittish swing arm suspension was replaced with a much better semi-trailing arm design in 1969.

By 1967, the engine was 50-percent larger (1.5-liters) than the original Bug and produced 53 horsepower. Chrysler's 440 cubic-inch V-8 (7.2-liters) from the same year made 375 horses. But it would not be competition from Detroit that would challenge the Beetle.

Darwinism Takes Its Toll

Mammals Vs. Reptiles

Porsche's original engineering concept was showing its age, but the continuous improvement went on. The Super Beetle was introduced in 1971. It was the largest, best-equipped variant, and provided the base for Type 1 production through 2003.

These improvements couldn't keep the Beetle competitive against more efficient and refined competitors from Honda, Datsun/Nissan, and Toyota.

Volkswagen knew the end was coming. The company's front-wheel-drive Golf successfully superceded the Beetle when it began production in 1974. US Beetle sales concluded in 1980. When Beetle production ended in Mexico, more than 21.5 million had been produced.

A Cultural Icon

A Nation Falls For Herbie The Love Bug

Long before actress Lindsay Lohan, the heroine of the 2005 movie Herbie: Fully Loaded, was born, the Beetle had significantly impacted American society. Some saw the Bug as a symbol of the hippie counter culture. Others considered it the future of efficient transportation, much the way Mr. Porsche originally envisioned.

Regardless of one's point of view, there was no denying that the Beetle was "cute" and invited personification.

Walt Disney Productions delivered with a series of movies that began with the original The Love Bug, released in 1969. Four more movies followed, as did a TV series and a made-for-TV feature.

The Beetle Returns

Americans drive the rebirth of the Beetle

In the early 1990s, Volkswagen reportedly thought resurrecting the Beetle was a bad idea.

However, their staff at the company's Simi Valley, California design studio felt differently. Lead by a young J Mays (now Ford Motor Company's Global Design Chief), the studio created the Concept One. It debuted at the 1994 Detroit Auto Show. Your author was at the event, and the crowds did go wild.

In addition to bringing the Beetle's shape into the 20th century, Mays' team included whimsical touches including a dash-mounted bud vase. The public's strong reaction to the Concept One influenced VW decision to produce the car.

The New Beetle

A Second Chapter Begins

Following the popularity of the Concept One, production of the New Beetle commenced for the 1998 model year.

The car made people smile. Some liked it for what it made them remember. Others, too young for personal experiences, liked it solely for what it was.

The New Beetle was based on the popular Volkswagen Golf, also known as the Rabbit in the U.S. The Golf was a thoroughly modern compact car that utilized a front-engine, front-wheel-drive powertrain layout.

This excellent chassis and a number of modern engines, including a diesel and 2.0-liter turbo, made the New Beetle as fun to drive as it was to look at.

The Next New Beetle

Awaiting The Third Chapter

The New Beetle's production run lasted from 1998 through 2010. In a world where car models change ever 4-6 years, the New Beetle lasted admirably.

Volkswagen knows the Beetle remains popular, and also recognizes the modern reality of needing to offer a competitive transportation alternative. Another Beetle is coming in 2011 (the New New Beetle?). It is expected to be based on the sixth-generation Golf platform, a car that's already receiving positive reviews. Some signs point to recent concept cars (such as the Up! Concept, featured here) as a look to the future.

Source

2010 Volkswagen CC6 Owner reviews

2010-03-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

2010 Volkswagen CC

The CC is an all-new vehicle from Volkswagen for 2009. The CC is a Passat wrapped in a dramatic and stylish four-door body with flowing lines and a bold face.

Power comes from either a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, or a 280-hp 3.6-liter narrow-angle V6 (VR6). Both engines are available with front-wheel drive, while the VR6 can also be equipped with all-wheel drive. The CC carries four people in ergonomic sport-type seats, leather seating surfaces are standard on all but the leatherette equipped Sport trim level. Standard safety features include electronic stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, panic brake assist, six airbags, front row seatbelt pretensioners and a tire pressure monitoring system. Features such as a panoramic sunroof, Dynaudio stereo system, navigation system, back-up camera and satellite radio are also standard on some trim levels, optional on others.

For 2010, Volkswagen's DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) replaces last years automatic transmission, as well, Bluetooth and a new touch-screen audio system become standard equipment.

NHTSA Frontal Crash Test

NHTSA rates crash-tested vehicles by assigning them one to five stars, with five stars indicating the most injury protection and one star indicating the least protection.

Driver Front: ****
Passenger Front: ****

MPG: 21 City / 31 Hwy

Source

The Volkswagen Story

2010-02-26T01:29:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen has an impressive lineup of cars, which includes gas- and diesel-powered sedans, wagons, hatchbacks and a reborn New Beetle. Volkswagen of America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and was founded in 1955 — six years after Volkswagen's popular Beetle showed up on this side of the Atlantic. Today, Volkswagen of America is the top-selling European automobile importer in the U.S. German parent Volkswagen AG also owns Audi, Bentley Motors and Bugatti, among others. The company also recently announced plans to merge with Porsche.

Volkswagen New Compact Coupe Concept

2010-02-06T13:24:00.001-08:00

Volkswagen New Compact Coupe Concept

Are you ready for the year of the Volkswagen? The German giant is planning to release more cars in 2010 that it has in any single year in its history, and it'll start things off with a bang in Detroit. Meet the Volkswagen New Compact Coupe Concept, the latest in a new trend of sporty hybrids.

Sporty hybrids? Indeed. The trade-off for stellar fuel economy has long been lackluster performance and a boring drive, but today's automakers are looking to change that inequity. Not to be upstaged by Honda's new CR-Z hybrid, Volkswagen has unwrapped its own sport-oriented hybrid coupe, called the NCC for short.

Volkswagen says the NCC is meant to slot between Europe's sporty Scirocco and the larger CC, a position currently held by the Jetta. At 178.5 in. long, 70.1 in. wide, 55.6 in. tall, and riding on a 104.4-in. wheelbase, the NCC is within 3 inches or less of the Jetta in every dimension. It has a stretched wheelbase, identical width, and lower roof. Is this the next-generation Jetta coupe Volkswagen enthusiasts have pined after? Perhaps.

The NCC is powered by a 1.4L turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder gasoline engine making 148 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque mated to a 27-hp electric motor and Volkswagen's seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, all driving the front wheels. Volkswagen says the combination is good for 45 mpg while emitting only 0.35 grams of CO2 per mile. While the thrust isn't exactly mind-numbing, its claimed sprint from zero to 60 mph in 8.1 sec (three-tenths quicker than a diesel-powered Jetta) on to a top speed of 141 mph.

To accomplish all this, the gasoline engine and electric motor work together as driving conditions dictate. Powered by a 1.1 kWh battery mounted in the back of the vehicle (the battery is small enough to make room for a 13.4 cubic-foot trunk, only 2.6 cu-ft smaller than the Jetta), the electric motor can start the NCC from a stop completely on its own up to an unspecified top speed before the gasoline engine kicks in. After that, the electric motor serves to supplement and boost the output of the gas engine as needed. The electric motor can also act as a generator to recapture braking energy, and both motors can disengage themselves during coasting to minimize friction and maintain as much speed as possible.

Read more: Motortrend

Source: Youtube

The Volkswagen L1 Concept

2010-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen rocked the automotive world at a lunchtime press conference on the first day of the Frankfurt Motor Show with a carbon fiber, half width, 1-liter hybrid electric diesel tandem two-seater car named the L1. When the car makes production in 2013, four years from now, it will almost certainly be the most fuel efficient car available with a combined diesel fuel consumption figure of 1.38 l/100km, thanks to its frugal motor combo, feather-like weight – 380 kg in total - and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient of just 0.195!

Seven years ago, we reported on the development of Volkswagen’s tandem 1-Liter car. At that time, the prospect of a production version of the radical two-seater, which achieved fuel consumption of one liter fuel per 100 kilometers, was so remote as to be unthinkable.

Though the car was driven from Wolfsburg to Hamburg as a public demonstration by Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, at that time Chairman of the Board of Management and today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group, it was clear that a production version lay in the far future, if ever.

The L1 is the second generation of the 1-liter car, and close to production readiness. And its dimensions are intriguing - the length of the L1 at 3,813 millimeters is still similar to that of a Volkswagen Fox, and its height of 1,143 millimeters nearly matches that of a Lamborghini Murciélago, while the car’s aerodynamically optimized width (1,200 millimeters) has no comparisons in the world of today’s production cars.

In developing both prototype generations of the L1, Volkswagen questioned everything that typically characterized an automobile, and clearly in the case of the L1. The key starting point was body construction, and a core question was raised here: How would a car have to look and be built to consume as little energy as possible? The logical answer: extremely aerodynamic and lightweight. Yet these objectives had to be achieved under a non- negotiable precondition: a maximum of safety. The approach taken: a narrow two-seater with a CFRP body!

The seat layout fitting this design goal was dictated by the uncompromising aerodynamic form of a glider: One seat behind the other. Entry to the concept car is also similar to that of a glider; through a roof cover hinged at the side. On this second generation of the L1, the concept has been further honed; each component has been redesigned, a special chassis with aluminium components was developed, and above all the crucial CFRP technology from Formula-1 racing and airplane construction was transferred to automotive manufacturing. This has been combined with a unique form of hybrid drive to create a near-production vehicle.

Source: Gizmag

Volkswagen Bluesport Concept

2010-01-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen Bluesport Concept

Volkswagen's Concept BlueSport should go a long way towards making the term "diesel performance" a household name. While it might seem to be an oxymoron to some, seeing it at the Detroit Auto Show, we can tell you that if it reaches production, everyone will be a believer.

Read more about the Volkswagen Bluesport at Autoblog.

First Look: Volkswagen L1 Concept

2009-12-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

Seven years ago, Volkswagen revealed the tiny 1L Concept, touted as the most fuel-efficient car in the world thanks to its 0.3l one-cylinder diesel engine and astronomical 238-mpg capability. Since then, VW has continued to kick around the idea and has now revealed an updated model targeted for production in 2013.

Dubbed the L1 Concept, the tandem two-seater is all grown up in every sense of the phrase. The L1 is larger, heavier, faster, and more powerful than the 1L, and its efficiency has suffered for it, though few will likely complain about achieving 158 mpg.

The first thing to grow up was the drivetrain. The original 1L featured a 0.3l one-cylinder diesel engine making 8.4 horsepower and mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission. The L1, though, sports a larger 0.8l two-cylinder common-rail turbodiesel derived from Volkswagen's new 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel. Mounted behind the rear seat, the 800cc engine produces 27 horses in Eco Mode and a sprightly 29 horses in Sport Mode, both at 4000 rpm. In either mode, it churns out 74pound-feet of torque at 1900 rpm and, with Sport Mode engaged, will hit a top speed of 99 mph -- considerably faster than the 1L's 75-mph top speed.

Unlike the 1L, though, the L1 isn't only diesel-powered. Sandwiched between the diesel engine and a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox, which is optimized for fuel economy, is the E-motor, a 14-horse electric motor. Powered by a lithium-ion battery mounted in the front of the vehicle and regulated by a 130-volt control module, the E-motor can boost performance by adding up to 40-percent more torque at any speed and can move the L1 under electrical power only for short distances. The E-motor also acts as the starter for the diesel engine and as a generator to recapture braking energy.

Altogether, the diesel engine, E-motor and DSG help the L1 achieve an impressive 158 mpg, giving it a range of 416 miles on its 2.6-gallon tank. It might take a bit longer to get there, though, as 62 mph is reached in a leisurely 14.3 seconds.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com

First Look: Volkswagen E-Up! Concept

2009-12-04T23:44:00.001-08:00

As Volkswagen's Up! city car project inches ever closer to production, the company has debuted several concepts with various powerplants and has promised a range of gasoline and diesel engines for the production car. Now, the company is taking things a step further with the E-Up! powered by batteries and an electric motor.

The E-Up!'s integral drive unit consists of the electric motor, single-speed transmission and differential -- all built together as one single unit to save space and weight. The electric motor is capable of putting up to 81 hp through the front wheels for short bursts but will normally put out 54 hp. With 155 lb-ft of torque helping motivate the 2392-lb car, the E-Up! should hit 62 mph in 11.3 sec and a top speed of 84 mph, Volkswagen says.

Powering the E-Up! is a 529-lb lithium-ion battery pack strapped to the bottom of the car for optimal weight distribution. The 18 kWh capacity pack should be good for a range of about 80 miles and will recharge in five hours when plugged into a standard European 220-volt wall socket. The charging port is cleverly hidden behind the VW logo on the nose, allowing it to more easily reach plugs on either side of the car.

Dubbed "the Beetle of the 21st Century" by Volkswagen itself, the E-Up!'s bulky proportions don't make for the most aerodynamic shape, but they do open up a surprising amount of space for four passengers and their cargo despite the vehicle's petite dimensions. By way of comparison, the E-Up! is actually 35 inches shorter in length and an inch shorter in height than an original VW Beetle. It makes up the difference by being four inches wider and by pushing the wheels out to the corners to maximize interior space. Even then, the E-Up!'s wheelbase is more than eight inches shorter than the original Beetle's.

Source: Motortrend

Volkswagen Kills The Beetle, For Now

2009-12-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

Model Bows Out Next Year, New Model Expected In The Future

The Volkswagen New Beetle launched with great fanfare over a decade ago, reviving the classic Beetle name from the company's history. Yesterday at the LA Auto Show, however, VW sent the car packing.

The company hosted a press conference where they announced that 2010 would be the car's final year. To commemorate the moment, VW released a "Final Edition" special model at the show, expected to sell only 3000 units in a unique paint scheme. Half of that number will be hardtop coupes while the other half will be convertibles.

While most of the vehicle is the same as the New Beetle you could have purchased over the last few years, this new edition comes with a sport suspension and unique 17-inch wheels. The hatchback will cost $20,240 while the convertible starts at $27,170

Retro Fabulous

2010 VW Beetle

The New Beetle launched in 1998 to incredible amounts of media and consumer attention. It caught (or, more likely, started) the wave of retro hype that automakers fixated on during the millenium. Cars like the Ford Thunderbird arrived on the scene hoping to curry the same favor that VW found with its new-age Beetle.

The next Beetle, likely to launch in 2011 as a 2012 model, is expected to shed its cutesy, happy-go-lucky design aesthetic in favor of a more aggressive look in concert with VW's Golf, with which it will share a platform.

The Beetle is dead, long live the Beetle!

Source: Autoblog

They still make that? VW Golf Mk1 ends production after 25 years

2009-11-06T04:29:00.000-08:00

Volkswagen CitiGolf

The original Volkswagen Golf Mk1 arrived as a replacement to the Volkswagen Beetle way back in 1974. Sold in the States as the Volkswagen Rabbit, the early front-wheel-drive hatchback had a transverse-mounted (water-cooled) 1.5-liter four-cylinder rated at just 70 horsepower. It was good for a 93 mph top speed and nearly 38 miles per gallon. While the standard Rabbit was rather ho-hum, the late-to-arrive Mk1 "GTI" ushered in the hot-hatch movement with its 90-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder, slick manual transmission, and upgraded suspension. It was a seriously cool car.

In 1984, Volkswagen introduced the Golf Mk2. As the successor was bigger, wider, and more expensive than the original – and customers may have been turned-off by the "improvements" – VW chose to continue the Mk1 production and sell it as the low-cost Econo Golf, or CitiGolf.

Over the past 25 years, more than 500,000 units of the venerable Mk1 have rolled out of a South African assembly plant for sale in markets abroad. Variants have been fitted with a wide range of engine choices (both gasoline and diesel), from 1.1-liters up to 1.8-liters of displacement. Transmissions have included 4- and 5-speed manuals, plus the (obviously outdated) 3-speed automatic. Lacking nearly all of today's necessary safety equipment (a driver's airbag was eventually fitted), time finally caught up with the CitiGolf this summer and the South African plant was closed in late August.

Interesting side note: the tooling used to build the CitiGolf all these years in South Africa was reportedly originally used to make the Rabbit at Volkswagen's Westmoreland plant in Pennsylvania. Thanks for the tip, Doug!

Source: Autoblog

Volkswagen Eos

2009-11-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Volkswagen Eos is a four-seat retractable hardtop coupe convertible, introduced in 2006 as the successor to the Volkswagen Cabrio. The Eos is Volkswagen's first production coupe since the last Corrado in 1995.

The name Eos is derived from Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn and wind.

Rear-view

Roof design

The Eos incorporates into its five-piece folding roof an integrated and independently sliding glass sunroof — making the Eos the only retractable hardtop of this kind. The roof folds automatically into the trunk in 25 seconds, thereby reducing trunk space from 10.5 to 6.6 cubic feet (300 to 190 L)

The roof was designed and is built by OASys, a subsidiary of Webasto Germany.

Inception, production and history

Prior to production, the EOS was shown as the Concept C concept car at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show — designed by a team headed by Peter Schreyer, Head of Volkswagen Design in Wolfsburg. Other sources attribute the design of the EOS specifically to Slovenian Robert Lešnik.

The production Eos, produced at the AutoEuropa plant in Portugal, was presented in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with the North American introduction at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, 2006.

2004 Concept C

Unlike the Cabrio, which was a convertible version of the Golf hatchback, the Eos is a standalone model with all-new body panels, although it shares the platform and components from the Passat (Mark 6 (B6 now PQ46 platform) (2005-present)). The wheelbase matches the Golf Mk5 and Jetta.

Eos White Night (2009-present)

It is a special black and white colour scheme package. It includes Candy White-coloured body, Deep Black Pearlescent-coloured roof, cherry-red LED tail lights, 18-inch Budapest wheels. Interior features black mirror covers, radiator grille and trim strips, black nappa leather seats, door and side trim and black steering wheel with light-coloured seams, trim strips and radio trim in Candy White, Sill panel strips with White Night letters. Other features include Climatronic climate control system, sports chassis lowered 15 mm and heated front seats.

The car had base MSRP of €33,140. This option is available with all non-V6 models.

Cabriolet VW Eos

Production

The Eos is produced in Volkswagen's AutoEuropa factory in Palmela, Portugal. Although production started in late 2005, first deliveries were delayed due to a wind noise problem.

International markets

The Eos was finally released in Europe in the first quarter of 2006, and in North America in the third quarter of 2006. Right-hand drive market Japan began sales in October 2006 followed by New Zealand and Australia in January 2007. It was released in South Africa in the second quarter of 2007.

Rare VW Buses

2009-10-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Custom VW Bus

Classic VW Bus

Gilbert's Volkswagen

2009-09-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

1972 1302S Super Beetle
My ex-daily driver
Second owner since Dec. 31, 1994

Anzhal Flamingo Red

Original 1600dp engine

Solex 30-PICT carburetor

Scat headers w/single quiet pack

Stock interior w/Toyota front seats

14" Rota Minilite replica wheels

Falken Ziex tires (195/60R14)

One-piece windows

Blower fan

Complete papers including certified VW of Germany birth certificate.

Tachometer has been removed but is included with the car

Steering wheel has been replaced with a stock unit

Volkswagen Made In Ireland

2009-09-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ireland VW Factory

Ireland's place in Volkswagen history was established in 1950 when a consigment of six Beetles arrived into Dublin packed in crates in what was termed 'completely knocked down' form ready to be assembled. A former tram depot was aquired for this purpose at 162 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge - the premises now occupied by Ballsbridge Motors.

There, the first Volkswagen ever built outside Germany was assembled thereby establishing Ireland's unique place in the history of Volkswagen worldwide. That first Volkswagen ever assembled outside Germany, which survives in its original condition is exhibited in the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

With assembly output rising from 46 units in 1950 to 2155 units in 1952, the business quickly outgrew the Shelbourne Road facility leading to the purchase of new premises at Naas Road, Dublin.

In 1955, assembly was transferred from Shelbourne Road to the new factory on Naas Road - premises which had earlier been commissioned by tayloring company Montague Burton then placed on the market for sale before ever being used.

In the new Naas Road premises, Beetle assembly continued non-stop until September 1977 when the production of the Beetle ceased in Europe. During this period, the Naas Road facility - which remains the headquarters of the company today - also assembled the renowned Volkswagen Transporter van.

Stephen O'Flaherty

The Volkswagen organisation in Ireland was founded by the late Stephen O'Flaherty.

In 1950, thanx to his vision and enterprise, the Volkswagen Beetle was introduced into Ireland. It was an initiative that was to change the face of Irish motoring and lead to the establishment of a nationwide industry that was to grow in significance and importance ever since.

Widely remembered as one of the great pioneers of modern Irish motoring, Stephen O'Flaherty was born in Passage East, Co. Waterford in 1902. His father came from the Aran Islands.

His association with the motor industry in Ireland began with his appointment to the accounts department of Ford in Cork wich he joined circa 1928. Later, he moved to McCairns Motors, Dublin where he rose from his first appointment in accounts to become Secretary and General Manager of the company.

In 1939 he resigned from McCairns Motors to devote his attention to Howard McGarvey & Sons, a small engineering business which had been acquired in Townsend Street, Dublin which specialised in general engineering works servicing steam engines and steam driven wagons and the reworking of all forms of engineering machinery and equipement.

By 1946, he had re-shaped the business transforming it into a fully-fledged motor distribution and retailing operation trading under the name Motor Distributors Limited. In its new guise, motor activities began with the assembly of forty-eight Adlers. By 1948 the range expanded to include Willys Overland jeeps and station wagons, Nash and Singer (assembled in Townsend Street), followed by Lagonda , Aston Martin and Alvis (imported fully built up).

Then along came Volkswagen. In 1949, the company was successful in securing the Volkswagen franchise for Ireland - a deal that was signed and completed on 22nd June 1950.

Three years later, in 1953, Stephen O'Flaherty further extended his relationship with Volkswagen by aquiring the franchise for the UK which he subsequently sold to the Thomas Tilling Group in 1957.

May It Rust In Piece

Source: VW Made In Ireland

BREAKING: Porsche offices raided on suspicion of stock manipulation

2009-08-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

The soap opera surrounding Volkswagen AG and Porsche has just taken a turn for the legal, as Bloomberg reports that the company's German offices have been raided by prosecutors who are investigating whether the automaker has violated security laws.

The German prosecutor's office seized documents amidst the allegations of stock price manipulation and insider trading, prompting Porsche to issue a statement denying the allegations while vowing complete cooperation (available after the jump). The probe stems from the sports car maker's attempt to gain control of parent Volkswagen, and the investigation is reportedly focusing on recently departed CEO Wendelin Wiedeking as well as ex-CFO Holger Haerter.

As you may recall, Porsche had tried to take over VW back in May, but that maneuver failed because of the company's swirling debt and a veto on the action by Lower Saxony. Porsche has since been swallowed up by the very company it was once seeking to take over, with an additional stake going to Qatar investors. You can read more by clicking on the link below, but be sure to hit the jump to read Porsche's official statement.

PRESS RELEASE:

Press-Information No. 27/09
20/08/2009

Suspected Breach of Publicity Duties

The public prosecutor's office investigates at Porsche

Stuttgart. Stuttgart. Investigative proceedings led by the public prosecutor's office have been carried out at Porsche Automobil Holding SE and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, both in Stuttgart. This Thursday morning, officials from the public prosecutor's office in Stuttgart with judicial search warrants arrived at the administrative headquarters of the companies in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The officials then searched the business premises of the companies, seizing numerous business documents in the process.

According to information provided by the public prosecutor's office in charge of investigations, there is a suspicion of breaching the publication duty as prescribed by the German Stock Corporation Act and furthermore of market manipulation.

Porsche is rejecting these allegations. The company is cooperating in the efforts of the public prosecutor's office and is offering investigating officials its full support in order to clarify the issue as quickly as possible.

Source: Autoblog

1971 Volkswagen Beetle

2009-08-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! Check out this rare 1971 Volkswagen Beetle with 1940 Ford Coupe conversion kit. This is a really neat idea for these older Beetles. It comes with the stock 1600 cc dual port engine and 4 speed manual transmission. Features include AM/FM/Cassette radio, hub caps, seat belts, vinyl interior, and radial tires. This "Bug" has many new parts including carpet, headliner, upholstery, floor pans, heater channels, tear drop tail lights, dashboard, axle beam, shocks, and brand new tires. It also has brand new custom wheels and a newer paint job. You don't find many of these VW's that have been converted. They are real eye catchers. You're sure to get a ton of compliments driving this "bad bug" around town!

Source: Gateway Classic Cars

VW T2 Doka,Double Cab + 2CV

2009-08-17T03:53:00.001-07:00

I have a Austrian, ex BH, military VW T2b Doka. B.j.: 22.09.1978. for sale. In very good condition. 1600 ccm. The general overhaul was in 2005 / engine, gear-box, brake, bodywork,painting.. The inner painting is original. Beautiful inner drapery, original, automatic Blaupunkt radio, openable butterfly windows. The heating working well. They are rubbers on bumpers. In the engine since a renovation approximately 8000 km is. It’s run very well. Fresh oil in the gear-box and in the engine . Strong battery. 6 person. All seat has a safety belt. There are the canvas holder. It is new painting, the wooden staves are missing. The canvas is tore on the pelisse of the sewing. The car is on Hungary. The car has valid hungarian papers and registration number. The periods of validity of the technical revision is until 09.07.2007.

Photos: http://kep.tar.hu/doboczi/50624257#2
Movie: http://bogarasok.hu/panorama/

71 Single Cab VW

2009-08-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

Vwdragthing@comcast.net or Crisade@comcast.net

Fully Restored VW Campers

2009-08-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

At www.cosyclassics.ie we restore and sell classic vw campers to our customers speifications. we specialise in custom built interiors for bay window campers. We have a selection of Vw's available for restoration.
All our campers are sold with full mechanical overhauls, and are rust free.
Why not enjoy the luxury of a newly fitted interior in a classic Vw camper, take a look at some of the pics of our recent conversions and give us a call or send us an email to inquire about our fully restored campers, and have a classic Vw camper finished to your taste. We can ship worldwide. All campers are sold with full warranty

1970 VW Single Cab

2009-08-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

VW & Ohana Road

2009-08-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hi-Tech Car Factory

2009-07-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

Source: YouTube

Punch buggy

2009-07-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

A 1967 Volkswagen Beetle

Punch buggy (also called punch bug or slug bug) is a car game generally played by young children in which participants lightly punch each other in the shoulder upon first sight of a Volkswagen Beetle while calling out "Slug bug!" or "Punch buggy!" in reference to the Beetle's nickname, the Bug. See also "padiddle."

History

Most references about the game originate from unofficial sources and personal accounts from players. Estimates suggest that it has existed since the 1960's.

Variants

Some players consider Volkswagen's 1998 reintroduction of the New Beetle invalid for game purposes but, as older models become more rare, some players may choose to include the new Beetles. Others allow "classic" bugs to count for two punches. Another similar variation is to count a Best Buy Geek Squad Beetle as four regular punches (or slug-bugs). Some authors suggest similar games with station wagons, convertibles, PT cruisers and buses. A simpler variation has been suggested for use in helping to engage autistic children during car rides.

External Links:

Rules For Playing Slug Bug or Punch Buggy

Bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile

Baja Bug

2009-07-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

A 'Baja Bug'.

The term Baja Bug generally refers to an original Volkswagen Beetle modified to operate off-road (open desert, sand dunes and beaches), although other versions of air-cooled Volkswagens are sometimes modified as well.

History

Baja Bugs originated in Southern California in the late 1960s as an inexpensive answer to the successful, Volkswagen-based dune buggies of the mid-1960s, especially the Meyers Manx. The building of the first Baja Bug is generally credited to Gary Emory of Parts Obsolete circa 1968. The first Baja Bug in racing is credited to Dave Deal, the famous Californian cartoonist, in the Mexican 1000 of 1968. The first fiberglass baja kit (bug eye kit) was not introduced until 1969 by the Miller-Havens company. In the early days before fiberglass body panels became available, enthusiast and racers simply made their own modification to both the body and mechanicals of a stock VW to develop a machine suited to harsh, off-road environments. The metal fenders and front and rear aprons of the car would be partially cut away to allow more for ground clearance and suspension travel. This came to be know as a "cut baja". More engine power was attained by fitting dual port heads and modifying fuel injection systems from VW Type 3 cars to work on the Type 1 Beetle engine.

Why the Beetle?

The Beetle was popular in less-developed areas of the world because of its rear-mounted air-cooled engine, flat floorpan, and rugged torsion bar suspension. In fact, advertising of the period touted the fact that the Beetle was so watertight that it floated. Those same attributes made the Beetle the perfect choice for the basis of an off-road vehicle as evidenced by the car's success both then and now in the Baja 1000 off-road race.

Conversion

Basic modifications are simple. A lightweight, shortened fiberglass front body panel is fitted after the sheetmetal from the trunklid edge forward and rear engine decklid and everything rearward (rear apron and engine compartment) is removed. The rear treatment leaves the engine totally exposed to aid in cooling. A tubular steel cage front and rear bumper is fitted to the body and floorpan for protection of engine and occupants. Shortened fiberglass fenders both front and rear meant removal of the Beetle's distinctive running boards and the likely addition of more tubular steel parts (side bars) in their place. The rugged torsion bar front and rear suspension standard on the Beetle, allows it to withstand the rigors of offroading and the rear ride height to easily be raised slightly and stiffened to make clearance for larger heavy-duty off-road tires and wheels. The taller sidewall tires provide more flexible ride comfort and rocky road ground clearance. The Beetle suspension "stops" can be moved to allow more suspension travel. Longer shock absorbers for the increase in suspension travel, provide more dampening control over bumps giving more driver control and comfort. Some people even get rid of the torsion bar suspension and install coilover-type springs that mount to a roll cage, allowing extreme amounts of travel with a very comfortable ride.

The Baja Bug today

Though Baja Bugs have been greatly supplanted in recent years by tube-framed, purpose-built buggies known as sand rails, due to the slowly dwindling supply of suitable donor cars, they remain a popular choice in desert regions as few beaches in the US are open to vehicular traffic. Many are fitted with highly modified Volkswagen engines and a few home-built hybrids have Ford Pinto engine, Chevrolet Corvair, Porsche, Mazda, Subaru or other four- to eight-cylinder water-cooled engines. Customized roadgoing Baja Bugs remain fairly popular as well.

Recently, Volkswagen has attempted a revival of the Baja Bug with the Dune concept in 2000.

Images

Rallye Baja

Baja California

Baja Kit ("bug eye" style)

External links:

Southern California's Baja Bug Club

VW Baja Bug owners and drivers at azbaja.com

VW Offroad site Australia.

bajabeetle.co.uk.

VW Baja site UK

Baja Coalition Website

The fastest growing online VW community

Volkswagen Type 4

2009-07-08T04:35:00.001-07:00

Volkswagen 411 / Volkswagen 412

The Volkswagen Type 4 was a mid-sized 2 or 4-door saloon or 2-door estate built by Volkswagen (VW) of Germany. It was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1968and withdrawn from sale in 1974.

The Type 4 was larger than the Volkswagen Type 3 and had a more powerful engine (1.7 - 1.8 litres, as opposed to 1.5 - 1.6 for the Type 3). The Type 3 and Type 4 were the last of the company's air-cooled models apart from the vanagon Type 2 bus range which continued until 1983 (and had an updated version of the type 4 fuel injected engine), and followed on from the Volkswagen Type 1 ("Beetle"). They were succeeded by the massively successful Golf/Rabbit and Dasher/Passat.

Features

1971 Volkswagen 411LE.

The Type 4 introduced many firsts to the Volkswagen range. These included: unibody construction, MacPherson strut front suspension, rear suspension with coil springs and trailing wishbones, a hydraulic clutch (for models equipped with a manual transmission), and one of the first fully automatic transmissions (the first was in the 1969 Type 3 models) in a Volkswagen. (Previous cars had used an automatic (vacuum-actuated) clutch, but gears still had to be changed manually.) The Type 4 was also Volkswagen's first 4-door car. The MacPherson strut front suspension was later successfully employed in the 1302/1303 ("Super Beetle").

The Type 4's battery was located under the driver's seat. In the rear of the car was located a gasoline-operated heater (an Eberspächer BA4) that was fired by a glow plug accessible from a hidden rear window deck plate.

Models

1968 Volkswagen 411 4 door saloon. 1968 models, without fuel injected motors, are distinguished by their unusually shaped single headlamp covers.

The Type 4 was marketed as the Volkswagen 411, produced from 1968 to 1972, and, modestly improved, as the 412 from 1972 till 1974. Both ranges included a fastback saloon and an estate version. The car at launch came with a 1679 cc twin carburettor engine: just one year later, in 1969, this was replaced with a fuel injected unit, increasing claimed power output from 68 to 80 bhp (60 kW), and making this one of the first mass production vehicles to include the feature — along with the Volkswagen Type 3, which also had received electronic fuel injection in 1968. Fuel injection was indicated by the suffix letter 'E' (for Einspritzung) in the model's name: the 411E's 80 bhp (60 kW) engine was shared with the mid-engined Porsche 914 also launched in 1969. The most obvious visual change in 1969 was the replacement of single rectangular headlights, behind windcheating covers, with uncovered twin headlights

1974 Volkswagen 412 estate.

Towards the end of 1973 the Volkswagen 412, featuring a slightly larger, 1795 cc engine, replaced the 411. Fuel feed reverted to a twin carburettor system. The 412's headlight surround was reshaped and the nose panels were redesigned, to give the car a slightly less bland look.

The design of the Volkswagen 412 Variant was followed when the Volkswagen Brasilia was produced in Brazil, primarily for the Latin American markets.

Sales and marketing

Even after five years of disappointing sales, no attempt was made to have the car compete on price, suggesting that the Type 4 was probably not particularly cheap to produce. In February 1974 on the domestic market the 4-door 412L was priced at DM 10,995 (DM 11,145 for the 412 LS). The price setter in the sector was probably the Opel Rekord which was offered in 1700 cc guise for DM 10,823, itself fractionally undercut by the Ford Consul 1700 at DM 10,740. The West German government was at this time cultivating currency stability, and from across the Upper Rhine the 1800 cc Peugeot 504 L was offered at a challenging DM 10,195. Unfortunately, however, even in its home country, the verdict of the market place did not support Volkswagen's evident belief that the 412 deserved to command a price premium on account of its Volkswagen qualities.

During a six year production span, just 367,728 Type 4s were produced. That was better than the 210,082 achieved by the contemporary Volkswagen K70 (which effectively had only a four year model life). Nevertheless, Type 4 sales levels must have been disappointing when set against the volumes achieved by the Type 1 (Beetle) and Type 3 models. The domestic market dominance of GM's Opel Rekord, its production running at about 300,000 cars annually, was not seriously threatened by Volkswagen's 411/412 in the family sedan sector.

In the United States, where the Type 4 was on sale for four seasons, it was regarded as too underpowered. The Type 4 was in fact a sales disaster in the U.S., selling only 117,110 units over a four-year-period.

Popular perception

In contemporary German vernacular, the 411 was called "Nasenbär" ("coati") or "Vier Türen elf Jahre zu spät", meaning "four doors coming eleven years too late" because it was Volkswagen's first 4-door sedan. (The Opel Rekord had been offered with four doors only since 1959 while its Vauxhall counterparts were always four-door-only, and starting in 1957 Auto Union had offered a four door version of their small family sedan.)

The powerplant lived on

While the Type 4 was discontinued in 1974 when sales dropped, its engine became the power plant for Volkswagen Type 2's ("Kombis") produced from 1972 to 1979: it continued in modified form in the later "Vanagon" which was air-cooled from 1980 until mid-1983. The engine that superseded the Type 4 engine in late 1983 retained Volkswagen Type 1 architecture, yet featured water-cooled cylinder heads and cylinder jackets. The Wasserboxer, VW speak for a water-cooled, opposed-cylinder (flat or boxer engine), did not enjoy the reputation for longevity that the original air-cooled design had forged. From the very start, the engine suffered cylinder-to-head sealing problems, mostly due to galvanic corrosion, often a result of slack maintenance schedules. Volkswagen discontinued the engine in 1992, upon the introduction of the Eurovan.

Dune buggy

2009-07-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Dune buggy

George W. Bush in a dune buggy

A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle with a modified engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power to weight ratio by either lightening the vehicle or increasing engine power or both. Those with an open frame chassis are called sandrails.

A similar, more recent generation of off road vehicle, often similar in appearance to a sand rail but designed for different use, is the "off road go kart". The difference between a dune buggy or go kart and an "off road" buggy or kart is sometimes nothing more than the type of tires fitted -sand tires or all terrain tires - but "off road" go karts and buggies are a rapidly developing category of their own.

Design

Dune buggies are usually created using one of two to three different methods.

The first involves alteration of an existing vehicle, most notably the older Volkswagen Type One (Beetle, or Bug). The Beetle is preferred for a variety of reasons. Most significant is the position of the rear mounted Volkswagen engine, which with removal of bodywork transfers a high proportion of the weight to the rear driven wheels for extra traction. The engine is air cooled, simplifying engine modification, and the absence of a radiator eliminates a source of failure. The low price; robustness of the front suspension; and the sizable quantity of spare parts from other VW Beetles and Type 2 buses are a further advantage. Corvair engines are also a popular way to upgrade to 6 cylinders and sometimes vehicles are fitted with turbochargers to provide as much as 180 horsepower (130 kW). For example, one such conversion was a 1970 Manx 2 on a 1961 VW chassis. It was fitted with a 180 hp (130 kW) turbocharged Corvair engine, with reverse rotation, mated to a VW transaxle.

The second method involves construction of a vehicle frame from steel tubing formed and welded together. The advantage of this method is that the fabricator can change fundamental parts of the vehicle (usually the suspension and addition of a built-in roll cage). Buggies of this type are called sandrails because of the rail frame. Sandrails, as with the VW Bug, often have the engine located behind the driver. Sizes can vary from a small engined one seat size to 4 seat, 8+ cylinder vehicles. Sandrails can have panels or custom shaped body coverings over the rails and tubing that comprise the vehicle, though many are left bare.

The third is only a temporary fix. These dune buggies represent mixes of the above two design philosophies, typically after a converted vehicle sustains damage from age, hard use, or accidents and spare parts are not available or affordable. This type of creation is called The Boston-Murphy style.

Function

Initially dune buggies were designed for navigating desert or beaches (hence the word "dune"). However, dune buggies have become more diversified in terms of the terrain they can handle and are being built for more generic off road tasks, such as CORR / SCORE indoor track racing. Some are even built for and used as on-road vehicles. Typically the function is determined before the buggy is created in order to maximize the comfort or abilities of the vehicle.

Although dune buggies can be bought (as a kit), many drivers make their own. This is done by separately buying chassis, engine, tires, steering wheel, and axles. Some builders make their own chassis, which creates a special, customized vehicle.

A 1961 or later Volkswagen sedan is the preferred donor to create a Dune Buggy. The VW Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 do not make good donor cars, however the engine, transaxle, wheels, and instruments can be used from these models.

Other parts that can be salvaged from a donor VW for use in a Dune Buggy include the front axle and suspension, frame, pedal assembly, shock absorbers, seats, battery, fuel tank (1961 or later), steering column, brakes, instruments and switches, windshield wiper, horn and emergency flasher unit.

Driverless cars

Driverless buggy

Some driverless cars have also been made based on a buggy.

Military buggies

Because of the obvious advantages a buggy can afford on some terrain, they are also used by the military. The buggies built for the US military used to be called Desert Patrol Vehicles (DPV) or Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV), yet have changed name to Light Strike Vehicles. They are used by US Navy Seals, SAS, ... The LSVs are built by Chenowth Racing Products Inc., a San Diego based company. As with most military material, they are not sold outside the government. The newest version is the ALSV or Advanced Light Strike Vehicle

Tube framed buggies

Over time Buggies have been altered to allow maximum recreational use. They are now available in varying sizes.

The most common form of non-racing buggy consists of a 'tube frame' which is simple to construct and sturdy. If the frame bends or breaks it is simple to fix. Steel tubing is preferred to "pipe" as pipe is rolled and welded, tubing is mandrel drawn, making it stronger and with consistent wall thickness.

Engine size varies depending on the suspension, frame strength and performance needs. Engine size has varied from 50 cc for small light buggies to 7+ liter engines designed for professional racing. Dune buggies use both automatic or manual transmissions, sometimes based on application and engine power, but often based simply on personal choice.

Fiberglass dune buggies

Dune buggies with glass-reinforced plastic (fiberglass) bodies come in many shapes and sizes. Many companies worldwide have attempted to copy the original fiberglass dune buggy, the "Meyers Manx" built by Bruce Meyers. They can be seen on TV shows such as Wonderbug and Speed Buggy. These types of dune buggies are known as "clones".

Bruce Meyers behind the wheel of the first Manx

Kit cars are a variant that use the dune buggy philosophy of substituting significant amounts of a car with custom parts to resemble production, modified, or prototype cars. For instance: American Fiberglass Product’s “Humbug” has similar features to a classic Corvette, Berry’s “Mini-T” was a nod to the Ford Model T, or BMB Automotive’s “Surviver” is a scaled down version of the Lamborghini Cheetah.

External links:

Beach Buggy VW Dune Buggy A site about Beach Buggy based on VW

BeachBuggy.eu A Site dedicated to the restoration of an orange Beach Buggy

The BuggyBoys Club

A Short NPR Radio Piece About Dune Buggying in California

Dune Buggy Archives A site that catalogs the many different types of dune buggies manufactured

Volkswagen Country Buggy

2009-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

In 1967 Volkswagen Australasia Ltd. started with a project vehicle designed for Australia's rough conditions. This vehicle, designated Country Buggy or Type 197, was designed by project head Volkswagen Australasia's Managing Director Rudi Herzmer and VW Engineer Cyril Harcourt in VW Australia's Clayton Factory.

The Country Buggy was based on an Australian made Type 1 platform with engine, gearbox, and front axle from the Type 1. The rear swing axles had reduction gears from a 1st generation Volkswagen Transporter (1950-1967).

Volkswagen Transporter

Originally, the idea was to make the Country Buggy an amphibious vehicle, however directives from VW Germany curtailed this vision.

The Country Buggy started production in July 1967, with exports to the Philippines sold as the Sakbayan ("Sakbayan" is a combination of the Tagalog words "Sakay," "Ride;" and "Bayan," "Nation"), Singapore, New Zealand & some other small Pacific nations. In the Pam Grier film Black Mama, White Mama, several Country Buggies were seen as police vehicles (the Country Buggies are in fact the locally-produced Sakbayans).

VW Australasia's Country Buggy also caught the attention of the chief heads in Wolfsburg, and one or two were sent to Wolfsburg for evaluation. In reality, VW was developing their own Country Buggy competitor, the Volkswagen 181.

Volkswagen 181

A Country Buggy with a canvas awning style roof can be seen very clearly in an Australian Coca Cola commercial from 1969 featuring an Australian band called "The Executives"

The Country Buggy was not a big success. It had some early reliability problems which doomed it, as well as it being ahead of the market trend of the day.

Production ended in 1969 with only 1956 units built. Very few Country Buggies survive today, but Sakbayans are being revived in the Philippines following increasing interest in the original Volkswagen Beetle.

External links:

Full Country Buggy History

Original Brochures

Review

Volkswagen Group of America

2009-07-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Volkswagen of America, abbreviated to VWoA), is the United States operational headquarters, and subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group of automobile companies of Germany. VWoA is responsible for five marques: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Volkswagen cars. It also controls VW Credit, Inc. (or VCI), Volkswagen's financial services and credit operations.

In Germany, the parent company Volkswagen AG is responsible for eight marques of the group, from six European countries: Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

As of March 2008, VWoA has 20 operational facilities, spanning coast to coast, and its primary objective is "to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which are competitive on an increasingly tough market and which set world standards in their respective classes".

On July 16, 2008, Volkswagen AG announced plans to build its first production facility in the United States since closure of the New Stanton, Pennsylvania plant in 1988. The new facility, due to open in 2011, will be built in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

History

Foundation

Formed in April 1955 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize dealership service in the United States, it grew to 909 Volkswagen dealers in the US by 1965 under the leadership of Dr. Carl Hahn. Under him and his successor as president of Volkswagen of America, J. Stuart Perkins, VW's U.S. sales grew to 569,696 cars in 1970, an all-time peak, when Volkswagen captured 7 percent of the U.S. car market and had over a thousand American dealerships. The Volkswagen Beetle was the company's best seller in the United States by a wide margin.

From then on, however, intense competition from American and Japanese automakers caused VW sales in America to fall as much as 87 percent between 1970 and 1992, despite the introduction of new front-drive models in 1975 to replace the Beetle and its rear-engined, air-cooled stablemates. As a result, the number of dealerships in the U.S. was also reduced to 630 by the mid-1990's. As of 2007, there were 596 operating Volkswagen dealerships in the country.

New Stanton and Auburn Hills

VW decided to open an assembly plant in New Stanton, Pennsylvania in 1978. This was the first modern venture by a foreign automaker at making cars in the USA. Unfortunately, due to unfavorable exchange rates, and the fact that the factory mostly built Golf hatchbacks while Americans wanted Jetta sedans,[citation needed] the plant closed in 1988 (very few Jettas were made there in 1987-1988, but this failed to help the plant). In the early 1980s, the manufacturing division and the sales division were merged, and Volkswagen of America moved to Troy, Michigan as a result, settling in Auburn Hills, Michigan in 1991.

1990's uncertanties

Volkswagen of America's sales hit rock bottom in 1993, with fewer than 50,000 cars sold that year, and many observers expected VW to quit the United States. Sales began to recover the following year with the introduction of the third generation of the Golf and Jetta. By the end of the decade, thanks to effective advertising and the launch of more competitive new products, including the New Beetle in 1998, the VW brand was back on firmer ground. Volkswagen of America went on to sell 355,648 cars in 2001, its best year since 1973.

2000's

In the 2000's sales have tapered off somewhat due to competition, quality issues and delays in product introductions, and VW's U.S. sales for 2005 totaled 224,195 - a reduction of about 37 percent from four years earlier. New models for the 2006 and 2007 model years, such as the Passat, Rabbit, and GTI resulted in a sales growth of 4.9% for 2006 with sales of 235,140 vehicles. Profitability still remains an issue, though; Volkswagen of America has not turned a profit for its parent company since 2002. In January 2007, Volkswagen of America president Adrian Hallmark publicly stated that he planned to get the subsidiary back to profitability in two to three years. He hoped to introduce new models for North America, and develop new marketing to encompass the whole brand as well as individual cars. Stefan Jacoby soon replaced him, and Volkswagen of America continued to look at new products to add to its lineup.

In the meantime, a new advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, has helped rejuvenate VW's presence in the U.S. as well. Its ads for the fifth-generation GTI have sparked interest in the brand, not seen since the launch of the New Beetle, and ads for the fifth-generation Golf/Rabbit hatchback have translated into initial strong sales for that model. Due to new air pollution rules promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the diesel powered VWs with TDI-PD technology can no longer be produced after December 31, 2006. For the 2009 model year, VW will be introducing a new generation of diesels, based on common rail technology. These will meet air pollution standards in all 50 states. The first of these units was made available for sale in August 2008. VW sold 2050 Jetta Sedan TDIs and 361 Jetta Sportwagen TDIs that first month.

New Headquarters in Virginia

On September 6, 2007, Volkswagen of America announced it would relocate its North American headquarters to Herndon, Virginia. Volkswagen sales are particularly strong in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as both coasts. The company indicated that it is important for them to locate in a region where their customer base is strongest. Presently, the Big Three dominate the Midwest US, especially Metro Detroit where the company was formerly located.

Volkswagen of America’s move from Auburn Hills to Herndon began in April 2008 and will be completed by the end of next year, the company said. It said that 600 of the current 1,400 staff will remain at Auburn Hills in call center, and technical services positions, while 400 jobs will be transferred to Virginia. About 150 employees in Michigan are expected to move to Herndon, Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan Jacoby said. The four-hundred remaining jobs will be cut.

The state of Virginia, among 14 locations that Volkswagen of America considered for the move, offered Volkswagen $6 Million in incentives that will be awarded pending Volkswagen's fulfillment of employment and other various quotas.

New manufacturing plant

On the July 15, 2008, after an intense, months-long battle between Huntsville, Alabama, a site in Michigan and Chattanooga, Tennessee, the company's supervisory board chose Chattanooga as the location for the new plant. This $1 billion investment will be producing about 150,000 cars a year by its slated opening in 2011, playing a major role in the company's strategy to gain more than 6% of the car market, or about 800,000 cars on top of the 230,000 it produced in America in 2007, by 2018. This plant will also become Volkswagen Group of America's manufacturing headquarters in the USA. The weak US dollar and the high cost of labor in Germany were some of the reasons behind Volkswagen's decision to build a US manufacturing plant.

Current US facilities

As of March 2008, Volkswagen Group of America has the following 20 "Operational Facilities" across the US:

Auburn Hills, Michigan - former Corporate Headquarters

Herndon, Virginia - new Corporate Headquarters

Hillsboro, Oregon - VW Credit, Inc. Center

Palo Alto, California - Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL)

Westlake Village, California - Product Test Center

Santa Monica, California - Design Center

Ontario, California - Parts Distribution Center

San Diego, California - Port/PPC

Maricopa, Arizona - Proving Ground

Golden, Colorado - VW Credit, Inc. and Technical Center

Fort Worth, Texas - Parts Distribution Center

Houston, Texas - Port/PPC and Parts Distribution Center

Libertyville, Illinois - VW Credit, Inc. Center

Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin - Parts Distribution Center

Jacksonville, Florida - Parts Distribution Center

Brunswick, Georgia - Port/PPC

Cranbury, New Jersey - Parts Distribution Center

Allendale, New Jersey - Technical Center

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey - Product Liaison

Davisville, Rhode Island - Port/PPC

Future models

The following models are planned or considered to be introducted to the American market in the near future:

BlueSport Roadster (2012)

Eos Mk2 (2015)

Golf Mk7 (2014)

Jetta Mk7 (2015)

New Beetle Mk2 (2011)

New Compact Sedan/Jetta Mk6 (2010)

New Midsize Sedan (2011)

Phaeton Mk2 (2013)

Polo Mk5 (2012)

Tiguan Mk2 (2015)

Touareg Mk2 (2010)

up! (2012)

VolksWorldUSA

2009-07-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Click On this link to read the Magazine online: VolksWorldUSA

Air-cooled trivia

2009-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Log onto this site and take the Air Cooled Trivia Test and see how much you know about the VW.

Website: SuperBeetles

Vintage Art

2009-07-05T07:52:00.001-07:00

Some of these Photos have been e-mailed to me and some taken from the Internet. If you are the original owner of a Copyright and object the publishing, please contact me and I will take the photo off this page. But please remember this is a non-profit site purely for the enjoyment of all We Love Volkswagen's Past, Present And Future.., enthusiasts.

VVWCA

2009-07-05T07:41:00.001-07:00

Website Link: VVWCA

Volkswagen Woody

2009-07-03T07:47:00.001-07:00

AutoMuseum Volkswagen

2009-07-03T07:40:00.001-07:00

Karma Ghia

VW Convertible

External Link:

Volkswagen AutoMuseum

Cal Looker VW

2009-07-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

A Cal looker is any aircooled Volkswagen that has been modified in a style that originated in California in the late 1960's.

VW Beetle modified in 70's California Look style

Common modifications

The Beetle is popular with customizers throughout the world not only because it's cheap and easy to work on, but because its iconic looks can be personalised and the flat four motor is so tunable. Its very ubiquity make even subtle changes noticeable; everybody knows what a Beetle is supposed to look like.

Exterior

There are many popular Beetle styles, from a 'Cal Looker' to a Volksrods. They vary between themselves but are very similar in many ways. Also the California Look has changed during the 30+ years of its lifespan. The most typical (and traditional) way to customise the exterior is to change the wheels and lower the suspension of the car. The favorite wheels are period-style EMPI 5- or 8-spokes, Speedwell BRMs, or Porsche factory rims like Fuchs from a classic 911. One of the original California Look modifications is to replace or remove the bumpers and trim, either to give a cleaner look or to reduce the curb weight; if bumpers are removed, pushbars are common. The stock bumpers are usually chromed or polished, sometimes painted or powdercoated. There are many clubs dedicated to 'Cal Look' including the DKP in the USA which was one of the first clubs dedicated to true 'Cal Look' cars. Today, the DKP still exists and the club is on their 3rd generation. There are also currently many big 'Cal Look' VW clubs based in Europe including the DAS (Das Autobahn Scrapers) in Belgium, the DFL (Der Fieser Luftkühlers) in Germany and the JG54 Grünherz (Greenhearts) in the UK.

Also, body kits are available, which are often derived from the styling of the Porsche 911. This is the only car designed before World War II to have a bodykit commercially available, though Beetles with them shouldn't be considered Cal lookers.

Resto Cal

Resto Cal look Volkswagens are air cooled vehicles that, aside from a lowered stance, appear as restored stockers.

For 'Resto Cal' look, a roof rack and similar accessories can be added. There are many other aftermarket parts that can be added to the Beetle, including wing mirrors, chrome wipers, stone guards, fender skirts mud flaps and badges. Rear light and front indicator lenses can also be changed. This is as far as a Cal Look or 'Resto Cal' car will go. Some resto cal look cars often veer towards lowriders, because of the stance and the number of period accessories on the vehicle. There is a large tendency toward the Resto Cal look, as these cars can be fairly easily returned to a 'stock' unmodified status. Enthusiast sites such as www.bugme.co.uk show what sort of modifications are often done to create or restore a Resto Cal Beetle.

Other Volkswagens

The Cal look aesthetic has been imported onto other Volkswagens, such as the Type 2 and Karmann Ghia to name but two. The same modifications are used, with the same end result. Some argue that this shows the versatility of the style, though some say it shows how formulaic cal look has become. In a scene that's based on creating a unique car, it would be ironic that the end result is the same. Hence some Volkswagen enthusiasts are branching out into turning Beetles (and other Volkswagens) into leadsleds, lowriders and Volksrods. Others are turning to later water cooled vehicles and the import scene, with the Volkswagen Caddy having a cult following. Others have exported cal look onto non Volkswagens

Non Volkswagens

Cal Look has also been exported to non Volkswagen vehicles, such as the Hillman Imp, Fiat 500, Porsche 356, early Porsche 911, its VW based sisters and even the BMW 2002. These cars have the same modifications as their Volkswagen counterparts and are seen as alternatives to the Beetle, either due to cost or the desire to be different.

External Links:

A guide to Cal look VW's

Cal & Resto

Bugland (In German)

Der Kliener Panzers

Volkswagen Short Bus Pictures

2009-07-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

Volksrod

2009-07-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

Volksrod

Volksrods are modified Volkswagen beetles. They are used as an alternative to traditional hot rods and are quickly growing in popularity. Classic Ford Model T's and Model A's are becoming more scarce and more valuable. Consequently, their expense has made obtaining and modifying one not feasible for the masses. Because of this, according to some, hot rods have lost that sense of rebellion and have become stale.

As an alternative, the Volkswagen community has turned to the volksrod. The volksrod starts out as a traditional Volkswagen beetle. They are cheaper, easier to find, and easier to find parts for.

One popular method of the conversion involves removing the front and rear fenders of the beetle, and then installing a classic Ford front axle to move the wheels forward and give the car a low, stretched look. After that it's finished off with a chopped top and a flat black paint job, often with pinstriping. Another popular customization is to move the stock Volkswagen axle beam forward or reverse the trailing/torsion arms and re-work the steering linkages. But as with all types of car customization, lots of different modifications are practiced in different combinations. The volksrod is also an extension of the rat rod customization style. usually built with little or no expensive machined aluminum or chrome plated parts, the VolksRod is mostly handmade by the owner with simple mechanical tools and welding equipment.The Volksrod/Ratrod usually eschewes an expensive paint job,utilising spray can paint applied in one's driveway. A common refrain, often heard, is "cut-weld-drive"

External links:

volksrods.com.

volksrods.co.uk.

Another volksrods site with gallery

VW Trends online acticle

Volksrod gallery pool on Flickr

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

2009-06-24T01:39:00.001-07:00

Volkswagen Type 166 'Schwimmwagen'

Manufacturer:

Volkswagen

Production: 15,000 (1942-1944)

Engine(s):

4-cyl. boxer, air cooled 1,131 cc, 25 hp @ 3,000 rpm

Transmission(s):

4-speed manual
2-speed transfer case;
4WD only on 1st gear / reverse

Wheelbase: 200 cm (78.7 in)

Length: 382.5 cm (150.6 in)

Width: 148 cm (58.3 in)

Height: 161.5 cm (63.6 in)

Curb weight: 910 kg (1,345 kg GVW)

Fuel capacity: 50 L (13.2 US gal; 11.0 imp gal)

Related: VW type 86 & 87

The VW Type 128 and 166 Schwimmwagen (literally Floating / Swimming Car) were amphibious all-wheel-drive off-roaders, used extensively by the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the Second World War.

The Type 166 is the most mass-produced amphibious car in history, and arguably the most capable light military wheeled off-roader in World War II.

Development

Volkswagen Schwimmwagens used the engine and mechanicals of the VW Type 86 four-wheel drive prototype of the Kübelwagen and the Type 87 four-wheel drive 'Kübel/Beetle' Command Car, which in turn were based on the platform of the civilian Volkswagen Beetle. However, Erwin Komenda, Ferdinand Porsche's first car body designer, was forced to develop an all new unitized bodytub structure, since the utterly flat floorpan chassis of the existing VW vehicles was totally unsuited to smooth movement through water. Komenda patented his ideas for the swimming car at the German Patent office.

The earliest Type 128 prototype was based on the full-length Kübelwagen chassis with a 240 cm (7.9 ft) wheelbase. Pre-production units of the 128, fitted with custom welded bodytubs, demonstrated that this construction was too weak for tough off-roading, had insufficient torsional rigidity, and easily suffered hull-ruptures at the front cross-member, as well as in the wheel-wells. This was obviously unacceptable for an amphibious vehicle. The large-scale production models (Type 166) were therefore made smaller, and had a wheel-base of only 200 cm (6.6 ft).

VW Schwimmwagens were both produced by the Volkswagen factory at Fallersleben / Wolfsburg, as well as by Porsche's facilities in Stuttgart; with the bodies (or rather hulls) produced by Ambi Budd in Berlin. From 1941 through 1944 a total of 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen cars were produced; 14,276 at Fallersleben and 1,308 by Porsche. Given these numbers, the VW 166 is the most mass-produced amphibious car in history. Only 163 are known by the Schwimmwagen Registry to remain today, and only 13have survived without restoration work.

Technology

All Schwimmwagen were four wheel drive only on first gear (and reverse gears with some models) and had ZF self-locking differentials on both front and rear axles. Just like the Kübelwagen, this heavy-duty 4x4 off-roader had portal gear rear hubs that gave better ground clearance, while at the same time reducing drive-line torque stresses with their gear reduction at the wheels.

When crossing water a screw propeller could be lowered down from the rear deck engine cover. When in place a simple coupling provided drive straight from an extension of the engine's crankshaft. This meant that screw propulsion was only available going forward. For reversing in the water there was the choice of using the standard equipment paddle or running the land drive in reverse, allowing the wheel-rotation to take the vehicle back ever so slowly. The front wheels doubled up as rudders, so steering was done with the steering wheel both on land and on water.

Images

Hermann Göring with a Schwimmwagen at Carinhall

German officers in a Schwimmwagen in France in 1944

Schwimmwagen from the December 1944 issue of the Intelligence Bulletin

VW Schwimmwagen at RAF, Duxford

Interior

VW Schwimmwagen

Schwimmwagen, Army Museum Dresden

Propeller

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

A Schwimmwagen loaded with Panzerfaust 60 anti-tank weapons.

External Links:

U.S. Intelligence report on German Schwimmwagen

The VW-Schwimmwagen Registry

Schwimmwagen enthusiast site

Schwimmwagen Photos of the Schwimmwagen at the Canada War Museum in Ottawa

UK Schwimmwagen owners site

Volkswagen Kübelwagen

2009-06-24T01:05:00.001-07:00

VW type 82 'Kübelwagen'

Manufacturer: Volkswagen

Also called: 'Bucket / Tub Car'

Production: 50,435 (1940 - 1945)

Assembly: KDF-Stadt (= Wolfsburg)

Predecessor: VW type 62

Successor: VW type 181 'Thing'

Class: Military Vehicle

Body style(s):

4-door utility roadster

Layout RR layout

Platform VW type 1 Kdf-Wagen

Engine(s)

aircooled flat-4,
985 cc (23 hp) /
1,131 cc (25 hp)

Transmission(s)

4-speed manual;
self-locking differential

Wheelbase 240 cm (94.5 in)
Length 374 cm (147.2 in)
Width 160 cm (63.0 in)

Height

165 cm (65.0 in) (top up);
111 cm (43.7 in) collapsible

Curb weight 715 kg (1,576 lb) (GVW 1,160 kg)

Fuel capacity 30 L (7.9 US gal; 6.6 imp gal)

Related:

VW 166 'Schwimmwagen'

VW 276 Schlepperfahrzeug

The Volkswagen Kübelwagen (short for Kübelsitzwagen, meaning "bucket-seat car") was a military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the German military (both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS). Based heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle, it was prototyped as the Type 62, but eventually became known internally as the Type 82.

With its rolling chassis and mechanics built at Stadt des KdF-Wagens (Stadt des Kraft durch Freude Wagens, now Wolfsburg) and its body built by US-owned firm Ambi Budd in Berlin, the Kübelwagen was for the Germans what the jeep was for the Allies.

History

The Kübelwagen on the Eastern Front in 1943.

Volkswagen Kübelwagen

VW Kübelwagen rear

Although Adolf Hitler discussed with Ferdinand Porsche the possibility of military application of the Volkswagen as early as April 1934, it wasn't until January 1938, that high ranking Third Reich army officials formally approached Porsche about designing an inexpensive, light-weight military transport vehicle that could be operated reliably both on- and off-road in even the most extreme conditions, suggesting that the Beetle could provide the basis for such a vehicle.

Porsche began work on the project immediately, having a prototype of the vehicle ready within the month, but realized during development that it wouldn't be enough to reinforce the Beetle's chassis to handle the stresses that military use would put on it. In order to guarantee adequate off-road performance of a two-wheel driven vehicle with a 1,000 cc FMCV 1 engine, it would have to be light-weight. In fact, the army had stipulated a laden weight of 950 kg including four battle-dressed troops, which meant that the vehicle itself should not weigh more than 550 kg. Porsche therefore sub-contracted Trutz, an experienced military coachbuilder to help out with the body design.

Developmental testing by the military began after a presentation of the prototypes designated as Type 62 in November 1938. Despite lacking four wheel drive, a mainstay of the American military Jeeps, the vehicle proved very competent at maneuvering its way over rough terrain, even in a direct comparison with a contemporary standard German army 4x4, and the project was given the green light for further development. The vehicle's light weight and ZF self-locking differential compensated for the lack of 4X4 capabilities.

Further development of the Type 62 took place during 1939, including a more angular body design; and pre-production models were field-tested in the invasion of Poland, that started in September that year. Despite their overall satisfaction with the vehicle's performance, military commanders demanded that a few important changes be made: the lowest speed of the vehicle had to be reduced from 8 km/h to 4 km/h as an adjustment to the pace of marching soldiers. Secondly it needed some improvement of its off road ability. Porsche responded to both requests by mounting new axles with gear-reduction hubs, providing the car with more torque and more ground-clearance all at once. Revised dampers, 16-inch wheels and a limited slip differential, as well as countless small modifications completed the specification. In order to reflect the changes, the vehicle was re-named Type 82.

Full scale production of the Type 82 Kübelwagen started in February 1940, as soon as the VW factories had become operational. No major changes took place until production ended in 1945, only small modifications were implemented—mostly eliminating unnecessary parts and reinforcing some which had proved unequal to the task. Prototype versions were assembled with four-wheel drive (Type 86) and different engines, but none offered a significant increase in performance or capability over the existing Type 82 and the designs were never implemented. As of March 1943, the car received a revised dash and the bigger 1,131 cc engine developed for the Schwimmwagen that produced more torque and power than the original 985 cc unit. When Volkswagen production ceased at the end of the war, 50,435 Kübelwagen vehicles had been produced and the vehicle had proven itself to be surprisingly useful, reliable, and durable.

VW resurrected the basic Kübelwagen design several decades after the war as the 1969 Type 181, developed for the German Federal Armed Forces and later also produced for the civilian market known as "Thing" in the US, "Trekker" in the UK and "Safari" in Mexico. Although similar in looks and design, almost no parts were interchangeable with the type 82.

Technology and performance

VW Type 82 with visible engine in Sicily (1943).

When the German military took delivery of the first vehicles, they immediately put them to the test on- and off-road in snow and ice to test their capability at handling European winters; several four-wheel-drive vehicles were used as reference points. The two-wheel drive Kübelwagen surprised even those who had been a part of its development, as it handily out-performed the other vehicles in nearly every test. Most notably - thanks to its smooth, flat underbody—the Kübel would propel itself much like a motorised sled when its wheels were sinking into sand, snow or mud, allowing it to follow tracked vehicles with remarkable tenacity.

In November 1943, the U.S. military conducted a series of tests as well on several Type 82s they had captured in North Africa; they concluded that the vehicle was simpler, easier to manufacture and maintain, faster, and more comfortable for four passengers than the U.S. Jeeps.

At the same time another Kübelwagen also captured in North Africa had been dissected in Britain by engineers of the Humber Car Company, whose report was equally unfavourable and dismissive.

Among the design features that contributed to the Kübelwagen's performance were:

Light weight - although over a foot longer than the Willys MB, it was over 300 kg (some 700 lb) lighter

(the car was even lighter than the smallest US military jeep ever accepted for service: the M422 'Mighty Mite')

Very flat and smooth underbody, that allowed the car to slide over the surface it was traversing, if need be:

Considerable ground clearance - roughly 28 cm (11 in) —in part thanks to:

The use of portal gear hub reduction, providing more torque and ride height simultaneously

Independent suspension on all four wheels

Self-locking differential, limiting slippage and retaining traction

Apart from that the air-cooled engine proved highly tolerant of hot and cold climates, and naturally invulnerable to bullet holes in the absence of a radiator.

Only for starting under winter conditions, a specially volatile starting fuel was required, contained in a small auxiliary fuel tank.

Also the body of the vehicle could easily be modified to special purposes, since it was not a load-bearing part of the structure of the vehicle.

The Kübelwagen could reach a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

Body variants

Type 82E – Kübelwagen chassis / Beetle body.

Type 82E rear

The following body types and variants of the Type 82 were produced:

Type 62: Prototype Kübelwagen, constructed from May 15, 1938; pre-production models (1939) field tested in the invasion of Poland

Type 67: 2-stretcher ambulance; Type 60 Beetle chassis with modified Type 82 body

Type 82/0: Basic four seater

Type 82/I: Three-seat radio car

Type 82/2: Sirencar (Siemens motordriven siren mounted on passenger side in place of the rear seat)

Type 82/3: Mock-up armoured vehicle/command car with machinegun-fitted turret over the cabin

Type 82/5: Kübelwagen chassis with the Type 60 LO Lieferwagen (open pickup truck) body

Type 82/6: Tropical version sedan-body box van

Type 82/7: Three-seat 'Command car' made up of a Type 82 chassis, fitted with a Beetle body and roll-up canvas roof section. These three-seaters had a co-drivers seat with fully reclining backrest for the commander.

Type 82/8: Like Type 82/0 but had an open body made of wood

Type 82/E: Kübelwagen chassis with Beetle body (688 manufactured)

Type 86: All-wheel drive prototype (6 fabricated)

Type 87: 'Kommandeurwagen' Type 86 4x4 Kübelwagen chassis with Beetle command car body. Fitted with running boards, under-hood-mounted spare tire (accompanied by a gas can, a jack, a small tool kit, and a shovel), and widened fenders for its larger-diameter Kronprinz (Crown Prince) off-road tires, some were provided to preferred officers, who could push through virtually any kind of terrain with them (667 produced)

Type 89: Fitted with an experimental automatic transmission

Type 98: 4x4 Kübelwagen-chassis with a Beetle body

Type 106: Fitted with an experimental transmission (assumed different from the Type 89)

Type 107: Fitted with a turbocharger

Type 115: Fitted with a supercharger

Type 126: Fitted with a fully-synchronized gearbox (assumed different from the Type 278)

Type 155/1: Half-track / snow-track Kübelwagen prototype. Pictures of several track-set designs exist,

although it is possible that these were consecutively fitted to the same prototype.

Trials proved that the Type 155 was able to cover the most difficult terrain, but the modifications necessary to the standard Kübelwagen were extensive and the resulting vehicle was both very slow and forbiddingly inefficient.

Type 157: Railway car equipment, used for Types 82 and 87

Type 164: Six-wheeled, twin engine, dual-control prototype; never entered production

Type 177: Fitted with a 5-speed transmission (as opposed to the standard 4-speed unit)

Type 179: Fitted with fuel-injected Volkswagen engine

Type 198: Fitted with a PTO and auxiliary gearbox for starting the engines of armoured fighting vehicles

Type 235: Fitted for power by an electric motor

Type 239: Fitted for power by a wood-gas generator mounted on the nose (also listed as Type 230)

Type 240: Fitted for power by bottled gas

Type 276: Type 82 fitted with a towing hook to pull a 37 PAK gun

Type 278: Fitted with synchronized gearbox

Type 307: Fitted with a heavy-duty carburetor

Type 309: Prototype fitted with a diesel engine

Type 331: Prototype fitted for power by a "native fuel system" (acetylene gas) engine (also listed as Type 231)

Type 332: Fitted for power by anthracite coal

Additional information

The Kübelwagen concept was the basis for other projects: the Australian Volkswagen Country Buggy, the VW Type 181 (The Thing) and the Porsche Jagdwagen.

The object resembling a helmet, often seen in the left front bumper of many Kübelwagen (and Kommandeurwagen), is actually a Notek black-out driving light.

The German word Kübelwagen is an abbreviation, fully pronounced Kübelsitzwagen (bucket-seat car).

The car was drivable in the Java level and was featured in Body Harvest on the N64.

It still used the name Kübelwagen in the game.

The car was also drivable in the game Call of Duty 3, in particular the Eder Dam map.

1943 Kübelwagen 25hp 1131cc

VW type 82 at Gmünd

External links:

http://www.kubelwagen.co.uk

M151 Mutt

1963 Volkswagen Type II Transporter Split Window.

2009-06-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

Split Standard

By Breanne McMullen

Watching the crowd applaud and the judge hand you the award for Judges' Choice is something for which many vintage car owners strive. This dream happened for Brad Warren of Decatur, Illinois when he debuted his 1963 Split Window Bus at the 1999 The Real Source's Beetle Funfest. He was the first ever to achieve this prize from this inaugural event. His Type II went on to win both Judges' and President's Choice in 2003 at the same event. Just a few miles down the road, in the little town of Effingham, Illinois, was where the little Bus began its story. Robert LeCrone, a local Illinois tool and die maker, originally bought this Bus right off the lot in 1963 and maintained it as his daily driver for nearly 30 years before his death. In the early 1990s the Split Window found its second owner and finally came to rest with Warren in 1997. Thankfully the original owner was a perfectionist and the harsh Midwestern winters hadn't eaten away at the original metal parts.

Without having to replace large parts of the pan or body, the cosmetics could begin, and the painting was completed ten months later. "Splitty," as Warren affectionately calls his Bus, was coated five times with factory Blue White and Turquoise from PPG. At this point, Warren had the chance to give the dashboard the same attention he paid to the exterior, but he opted instead to keep the integrity of the original paint job and kept the original owners service stickers intact. Warren said, "Seeing the Bus in the bright sun after the paint job" made it worth all of the sweat and money.

Deciding to wait on the engine and tranny, Warren took his Bus to Mac's Custom Interiors in Decatur, Illinois, for the ultimate workup. Mac's was able to upholster the interior to factory specifications by matching colors and styles with photos and old brochures from 1963. The result is an impressive ComoGreen vinyl interior that rivals those that sat on the original showroom floor. Mac hung a light gray Wolfsburg West cloth headliner and to seal the deal, Warren restored the fabric interior panels by retaining the original Phosphor sections and replacing certain areas with materials that matched the seats.

Even with a great vinyl and paint combination, Warren's "Splitty" was missing the middle seat. A quest was founded and Kent Zschoche of St. Louis located a 1963-only seat to do the job. The front and middle floor mats were the original, from-the-factory set and were in great condition, much like the rust-free underpinnings.

With all that work on vinyl, paint jobs and color schemes, Warren moved on to the meat of the restoration: the engine and tranny. The engine buildup stayed retro by fitting the 1500cc model with a NOS Solex 30 PICT1 carburetor with an original governor, for a "period look." The transmission and reduction gears were the original factory-issued parts. All of this beauty rides atop 6.40 x 15-inch Firestone bias-ply tires from Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it all comes to a halt with the help of BFY's German brake kits and new clutch. Little details like chrome plating on the hubcaps and tail light bezels adds to the overall look of this VW.

Being a self-proclaimed VW purist, Brad Warren is a member of Vintage VW Club of America and VW Club of America and has been active in these clubs even before owning "Splitty." Warren says that one of the best parts about owning a Vintage VW is "the favorable comments that you get from other people or the memorable stories people share." Ever since his father purchased a VW in 1981, Warren has been a fan of the stock Vintage VWs and plans to pass along the tradition in his own family.

Special thanks to Jamie Kikolla for the bodywork restoration done on this bus.

Two Judge's trophies and one President's Choice award later and this Split Window can officially be called a showstopper.

Warren paid attention to the detail of the tail light bezels on this bus and had them chrome plated. It makes for a nice last glance when he pulls around you.

"Splitty" was originally owned by a perfectionist who took great care to be sure it was kept clean from rust and other weather hazards. The body was in excellent shape when the restoration began.

When the exterior was painted Blue White and Turquoise, the dash was left alone. Warren wanted to keep the original service stickers--placed on the factory-painted dashboard--in plain view.

A custom Como Green vinyl interior, copied from old brochures to get that fresh-from-the-factory look, was created by Mac's Custom Interiors. The floor mats were the original set and were in great condition, so they stayed in place.

A light gray cloth headliner and restored fabric interior panels compliment the custom seats. By retaining the original Phosphor sections and using materials that matched the seats, the interior panels were restored.

The retro 1500cc model engine was fitted with a NOS Solex 30 PICT1 carburetor and the transmission and reduction gears were the original factory-issued parts.

Chrome-plated hubcaps and Firestone bias-ply tires keep the ride to VW shows smooth. Even the rims scream the theme of this Bus: pure stock.

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