VW Beetle Type 1 1968 

The People’s car is like freedom, equality and brotherhood, an almost unattainable ideal. A dream. Chasing after Atlantis. But someone managed to achieve it, and this German car, in the truest sense of the word, has conquered all continents, gaining popularity even in the USA. How is this possible?

Automotive journalism, much like sports journalism, should remain apolitical, so there is no need to search for any subtext in the mention of the Third Reich – it is simply the historical context of this project. The story of the best-selling car of all time began in Nazi Germany, where Hitler paved his path to power and made every effort to maintain the support of the German people. In 1933, a meeting took place at the Kaiserhof Hotel in Berlin between the Führer and two representatives of the automotive industry: Ferdinand Porsche, a renowned designer whose namesake company was only two years old at the time and Jacob Verlin, a car dealer from Austria who had caught the fascist leader’s attention during his work in car procurement. The agenda was simple: how to provide ordinary Germans with the opportunity to own a car? Existing models were too expensive and their maintenance was not straightforward. Allies faced similar issues after the end of World War II, as we wrote about in an article on the tiny Messerschmitt. The requirements of the German leadership were straightforward: accommodate five people, accelerate to 100 km/h, have a fuel consumption of up to one gallon per 32 miles (51 km), and cost up to 1000 Reichsmarks.

Ferdinand understood the task at hand and already had developments and plans in place. Soon after, the company Zundapp approached his office, for whom he created a prototype called Volksauto (sound familiar?), which later became the precursor to the Beetle. In 1934, at the Berlin Motor Show, Hitler made his first appearance as the “leader of the nation,” where he promised to provide every true German family with personal transportation. To implement this task (and also to attract funds from the population), a savings program was developed, whereby any German who wished to participate could have a portion of their wages transferred to a new car fund.

Hitler was not satisfied with the first prototypes – it was not possible to make the rear panel out of glass for that amount of money and a solid metal panel did not produce the desired effect and was inconvenient in terms of the car’s operation. By 1937, a general concept of the car was ready: streamlined shapes, compact size and a monocoque body (at that time, a frame construction was popular). It was planned to use an opposed engine with air cooling, positioned longitudinally behind the rear axle. The first experimental batch of cars was manufactured at the Daimler-Benz factory and sent for testing to drivers from the SS, who collectively drove about 2 million km. In 1938, a factory was even built for the production of the new car, but by that time, the fascists had revealed their true intentions – active preparation for World War II and the factory was repurposed for military purposes.
During the war years, the factory produced amphibious vehicles and off-road vehicles as part of the KDF-82 project, utilizing the initial developments of VW. Porsche was in charge of production but had to flee to Austria after the bombing, which almost completely destroyed the factory. Ferdinand was unable to return to the factory – until 1948, he was under a travel ban, which meant that he even remotely managed his own design bureau until his death. However, others decided to utilize the foundation he had created back in the early 1930s.

In 1946, Major Ivan Hirst of the British Armed Forces takes over the management of the factory and successfully advocates for the restoration of production capacities. Somewhere in the back corners, he comes across a prototype car that immediately seems promising to him. Thus, the “Beetle” gets its ticket to life and the factory receives an order for 20,000 cars. By 1947, the leadership is handed over to former Opel head, Heinz Nordhoff. The experienced manager realizes that the car sells well in the domestic market, but the German brand is weak and cannot provide the necessary funding for the factory. However, American dollars can do the job perfectly. The need for a sales representative emerges, and he is found in a dealership center in the Netherlands: a certain Ben Pon successfully sells a batch of 56 cars and receives a tempting offer to go to New York and try his luck there. Together with Ben, one Beetle and a set of spare parts are sent to the shores of America. However, strong anti-German sentiments prevail in the US, and there is no chance of selling VW there. In order to return home, the traveling salesman has to sell both the car and the spare parts. Not fully convinced, Heinz himself flies to the States, but also experiences defeat there.

Success comes in 1950 when VW establishes its own importer in the US, represented by Max Hoffman. Through a clever strategy, VW offers to sell cars to dealerships alongside Jaguar and Porsche, implying faster delivery of vehicles under these conditions. The dealership owners, considering the low price of the small car, have no doubt that selling the Beetle will be easy.
In 1955, the millionth VW Beetle is produced. The car constantly receives various updates, both small and significant, in terms of its appearance and technical specifications. For example, in 1951, the original mechanical brake system with cable drive is replaced with the hydraulic system that we are familiar with – keep in mind that the car was developed back in the 1930s! The promotion of the Beetle in the American market is strengthened in the 1960s, thanks in large part to excellent advertising campaigns that acknowledge the car’s weaknesses. William Bernbach developed a campaign that even advertising legends like David Ogilvy recognized for its effectiveness.

Success comes in 1950 when VW establishes its own importer in the US, represented by Max Hoffman. Through a clever strategy, VW offers to sell cars to dealerships alongside Jaguar and Porsche, implying faster delivery of vehicles under these conditions. The dealership owners, considering the low price of the small car, have no doubt that selling the Beetle will be easy.
In 1955, the millionth VW Beetle is produced. The car constantly receives various updates, both small and significant, in terms of its appearance and technical specifications. For example, in 1951, the original mechanical brake system with cable drive is replaced with the hydraulic system that we are familiar with – keep in mind that the car was developed back in the 1930s! The promotion of the Beetle in the American market is strengthened in the 1960s, thanks in large part to excellent advertising campaigns that acknowledge the car’s weaknesses. William Bernbach developed a campaign that even advertising legends like David Ogilvy recognized for its effectiveness.

The vehicle you see in the photo is one of the beautifully preserved (or meticulously restored, whichever you prefer) Moscow Kafer. Its owner is named Lev and a few years ago, after selling his stanced projects, he decided to acquire something interesting. He settled on a Porsche with an air-cooled engine, but buying one was not an easy task if you had budget constraints. After searching for a while, he realized that the Beetle was just as good! Well, not exactly as good, but it had its own charisma, style and most importantly, it was a rare collector’s item. However, buying a Beetle turned out to be more challenging than expected. The offers on the market were either too expensive or in poor condition. A suitable option was found in Belarus, where an enthusiast happened to be selling his excellently restored Beetle. Lev had to wait several months for the engine to be assembled, then he had to go there, deregister the car and make his way back home with it. By that time, the car had been lowered and the engine had just been assembled – all the conditions were set for an adventurous journey. And adventure indeed happened: the pulley alignment was disrupted and the fan belt stubbornly kept slipping off. The trip ended in the suburbs of Moscow when Lev had to call for a tow truck to transport his purchase.

The process of restoring classic cars is always costly and challenging. One of the key problems is finding a competent specialist. The story was further complicated by the car needing to be present at a friend’s wedding first and then at the owner’s own wedding! Deadlines were missed and the person entrusted with bringing the car to perfection consistently undermined trust. As a result, Lev ended up doing most of the work himself, along with his friends. The Beetle became an important part of the wedding celebration – those are the kind of photos that your friends are unlikely to have!

What is VW Beetle today? First and foremost, it is an unquestionable style icon. It is not just an old-timer – it is a legend on wheels that can hardly leave anyone indifferent. Having come a long way from being the people’s car of the Third Reich to becoming the world’s most popular car, Beetle has made a bold statement in the history of automotive engineering. Amen to the horizontally-opposed engine, may it be with you.

The material was worked on by:
Photographermccarthy606
Textits_sokol