Type 1

Heinrich Nordhoff became head of Volkswagen in 1948. Back then they were a small, unknown factory with cars the experts gave little market opportunities. Nordhoff wanted to make the brand a major car brand, and made completely new plans for production and marketing. He wanted to bet on 2 basic models, Type 1 - known as the public car "bubble" and Type 2 - the utility vehicle.

Volkswagen's ultimate summer car

Posted 28/05/2024 by Terje Bjørnstad

There are many visual similarities between the first and the last convertibles from Karmann despite the fact that there is over 30 years in between. The lines and shape of the canopy are the same. But the Volkswagen Cabriolet is not just about Karmann.

No bargains

A friend of mine is carrying a dream. Last year he took a photo of a two-tone Volkswagen 1303 S Cabriolet. He would like to buy one like that - and since he is a handyman, he could imagine buying one that he could renovate himself. The problem - as I see it - is that "everyone" is hunting for convertible-type people cars to refurbish - and now I don't think there are that many left, - and the ones that could be found again may have increased in value.

A quick look at the car exchanges confirms my suspicion. If you're going to have a "real" convertible, you'll probably have to shell out a couple - three hundred thousand for one that can be driven home on its own. But there are still restoration objects that have been stored, and which can now be picked up on trailers. Prices start at NOK 100. When rust is welded, wear parts replaced, new paint applied and a new canopy fitted, you will probably be able to sell it on for a couple of - three hundred thousand kroner. Not a deterrent, given that we are talking about a car with high cult status. But they were cheaper before.

Real convertible?

Did you notice I wrote "real" convertible. In that I add that it is about convertibles supplied by Volkswagen, although this was not something Volkswagen did itself. All the convertibles have been rebuilt by independent coachbuilders. From the mid-50s, all were rebuilt by Karmann. Previously, Volkswagen also had cars rebuilt by Papler and Hebmüller. Over the years, many cars have also been rebuilt by new players unrelated to Volkswagen. Some projects are based on conversion kits - others on free imagination. Some were successful - others not. The ones you can buy cheap.

Early years

The idea of developing convertibles based on Volkswagen cars was put into practice in 1948. Two renowned, independent, German coachbuilders, Karmann and Hebmüller, were commissioned. They developed completely different concepts. Hebmüller chose a "speedster" concept where the canopy was folded in around the rear seat. It gave the body a clean and sleek profile, although the stylish shape came at the expense of space in the back seat. Hebmüller therefore became a 2+2 seater. Karmann followed a more conventional concept where the canopy was lowered outside the compartment - in the same way as was done in the interwar period. Thus, the back seat could be used in its entirety.

Hebmüller went bankrupt in 1952 as a result of a fire that spread to the production plant. The company was not covered by any fire insurance and could not continue. A third coachbuilder, Papler, built special open commando vehicles for the police and military. Today, cars from Hebmüller and Papler are rare - and sought after by collectors all over the world.

1949 Volkswagen Karmann Convertible (Source: Favcars.com)

Several variants

Karmann continued to convert cars into convertibles according to the same design that they started with in 1948. The canopy solution, the raised window section and the straight, braced A-pillars meant that the convertibles had the same visual impact over the years. Had Hebmüller continued to deliver its canopy solutions, today one would be able to choose cars with the streamlined design. Sleek, sporty bodies were later to be supplied by independent suppliers such as Hoffmann, Ostermann og Dannert. It can be said that there has always been a market for converted Volkswagen cars in designs other than Karmann, and thus several players have covered this market - both with Porsche-inspired fiberglass bodies, and standard cars with truncated roofs and compact canopy solutions.

There are videos on the internet where amateurs cut the roof off their wagons with angle grinders and convert them into convertibles. There are also cars that can be mistaken for "real" cars built by Karmann. Although several have been rebuilt by professional car builders, it may pay to check whether the convertible you are about to buy was originally built by Karmann. If you are going to buy a custom-built car, it should come with documentation.

A Volkswagen 1200 converted into a convertible. Note that the original windshield has been retained.

From the interior. Bast baskets and flower tassels are great extras in old bubbles.

1965 Volkswagen Karmann Convertible (Source: Favcars.com)

Real Karmann?

Cars with flat windscreens are surrounded by marked, straight A-pillars (except 1972 Volkswagen 1302 S). The cars have a triangular window in the front side window. Both front and rear side windows can be cranked down. Furthermore, Karmann has a higher waist, separate air openings on the back cover, as the canopy covers the original ventilation. They also have reinforced channels. When the cars were new, they had a Karmann logo placed on the side panel in front of the right-hand door, although these often disappear after restoration. Finally, the cars have chassis numbers starting with "15" followed by the last digit of the year, for example "159" for cars manufactured in 1979 (and 1969). Another check you can make is to check in the vehicle registration card. The Volkswagen Karmann Cabriolet is only registered for 4 people - not 5.

1973 1303 LS Karmann Cabriolet (Oslo NO, 2016).

Electrical conversion?

There are standard kits for converting air-cooled Volkswagens to electric operation, with electric motors that can be fitted into existing flywheel housings. The solutions are relatively expensive, probably far more than what a professional overhaul of the existing drivetrain will cost. Vans are popular classics such as electric cars, but so far I have not been able to track down converted convertibles. The reason may be that the Karmann Cabriolet weighs 100 kg more than the standard Volkswagen - with a correspondingly smaller payload - and thus less capacity for batteries. In any case, electric operation may make the car more usable in daily use, but it will no longer be an authentic classic. You can also ask yourself: Will vintage cars with today's battery technology be in demand in 20 years?

Facts about the 1979 Volkswagen 1303 S Karmann Cabriolet

Weights and Measures
Length, width, height: 419 x 159 x 150 cm
Wheelbase: 242 cm
Net weight without driver: 940 kg
Payload: 275 kg
Number of seats: 4

Drivetrain
Engine: 4-cyl. boxer with or without injection, rear mounted
Gearbox: 4-speed via transaxle

Performance (standard)
Engine power: 50 hp
Top speed: 130 km/h

About the pictures

The main picture was taken Volksworld 2017 in Sandown at the exhibition to VW Cabriolet Owners Club GB. The picture of the Hebmüller car with the canopy down has been taken Air cooled 2021 in Tossa de Mar, Catalonia. The catalog image is borrowed from Anders de Lange's archive. The photos of the 1949 Karmann are old press photos distributed by FavCars.com. The red 1958 model was photographed during an excursion organized by Veteran VW club, Asker and Bærum. The yellow converted car was photographed on the occasion of Cars & Coffee, Øvrevoll gallop, 2016. It is a 1964 model. The image of the 1965 Karmann is provided by FavCars.com. The blue Volkswagen 1303 S converted into a Roadster-like convertible was photographed during a stay in a private garage in Fornebu. The brown Volkswagen 1303 S Karmann is pictured during a Volkswagen meeting at Folkemuseet in 2016. The light blue 1303 S was photographed at Rud in Bærum. The blue Volkswagen 1302 S with a flat windscreen is photographed at VolksWorld in 2017.

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Serra Bugs

Posted 12/08/2023 by Terje Bjørnstad

By Curt Fauskanger, guest writer (text and photo)

Yes, here comes another newsletter from Brazil with local VW stories and events, - the story of the "SERRA BUGS" car event, which is the eighth in the series, in the "village" of ITAIPAVA.

It started with a coffee chat in the office, a summer day (winter day actually) after I came back down to Rio after a short summer holiday (winter holiday actually) in August. Still confused? Good…

The seasons are, as you might understand, the opposite down here, so it's very easy to get confused when we talk about what we're going to do in a given holiday season, when you have to switch between who you're talking to, Rio colleagues or family at home. In any case, since the temperature or looking out the window does not help, as it does at home, one must actually check the calendar.

Well, we quickly found out that a car meet that is not too far away, and which also takes place on a weekend - we must be able to find that. As said, so done. Pleasant colleagues, as well as previously mentioned colleague Arcindo, hinted at a car meeting already the following weekend, and only a short drive away. I therefore received an invitation via Instagram to a meeting called "Serra Bugs", which was the eighth in a series of annual meetings for this small club in Itaipava outside Petropolis.

My colleague Einar and I agreed to book a hotel and go on a trip. The problem was that I still hadn't got the Brazilian license, so then we either had to hire a car with a driver, or take a bus. The latter was not very tempting, but after casually mentioning the upcoming excursion during another coffee break with my boss Andre Pires, he volunteered as driver and tour guide as his wife had gone away just this weekend, and that he could also say that he liked both cars and beer. YES! Thus, the plan was in the box. A lovely little Fiat was hired for the trip, and 3 adults in this little gunpowder case should be a fun experience on our excursion.

What I was NOT aware of was that there was a little "Ayrton Senna" (a local and somewhat famous car man) living in my boss! And the trip from Rio de Janeiro city, via Petropolis, therefore became an experience with hands clasped in the roof strap, on a two-lane road up the mountain side with slalom maneuvering between cars and screeching tires, in addition, the stomach muscles really got rid of balls of laughter as the trip progressed forth. In any case, we arrived safely after approx. 1,5 hours to the small town of Itaipava. We found the incredibly cozy hotel we had booked, which actually felt more like visiting a friend in his luxury home...

After a quick unpacking, we headed down to the park in Itavpava, where the meeting was. And WHAT a hit! A gigantic park with beautiful cars everywhere (97% VW), with beer stalls everywhere, as well as "churrasquieira" (grill/barbecue) in all shapes and sizes. It was also arranged that entry was free, but everyone who handed in 5 kg of food (flour/rice etc) was entered into the draw for a VW Brasillia. This is to give something back to all the poor in the immediate area, as poverty is HUGE in Brazil in general. A fantastically great idea by the club!

The car (VW Brasillia) is very similar to a VW 412 seen from Norwegian eyes, but somewhat shorter. This was placed quite conspicuously approx. 20 meters up in the air, on a mobile crane hook, next to the big LIVE stage. Yes, of course there was live music all day with different bands…

After more than 3000 (!) cars, a few barbecue skewers and maybe a couple of glasses of beer later, we of course ran into a colleague from offshore (what are the odds?) who turned out to both live there, own a VW (the very short one) and who knew the right people at the meeting. Because, of course, there was an SP2 on display, so I had to have a chat with this man. After I was taken to Mr. Galpao and started talking about cars, he says; "All these 5 cars here are mine", and pointed to the row of various cars (not just VW). "That's right!", I answered shortly. "Not bad to have 5 identical cars at the same meeting". My chin dropped quite far to my chest when he responded with "Yes, 5 may seem like a lot, but I have 150 cars in total..." (of all days; what kind of guy is this?)

Of course, I had to find out more about this, and quickly returned to my local colleague to find out more about this figure and his claim. Yes, it could be confirmed that this man had approx. 150 cars and had inherited them all from his father who was a very big car collector in Itaipava, and who was well known in the veteran environment as a passionate car collector and restorer of old vehicles. WOW! We MUST be able to check this out, right? What does it take to get a look at these cars?

Yes, his mechanic was standing right across the street and willingly talked about all these stripped down cars they had a full time keeping running, as almost all of them were in very good condition or restored to their original condition. He could of course show us the cars if it was OK for the owner? Yes!!

It was then agreed to meet at a specified address the following day at 08:00 (!) I couldn't help but accept this invitation, although something in the back of my mind protested wildly at the time, as years of experience tell me that this could be VERY early after a long evening of cars , food, beer and music (and of course good company).

Of course, the back of your mind was absolutely right, because back at the hotel there was a billiards tournament with the other guests late into the night. The next morning I woke up to my boss standing in the middle of my room calling my name, and thought I had to get on my feet if the agreement was not to be broken.

I managed to drag myself out of bed and could ascertain that I was sleeping very heavily with a combination of a lot of drink, and both hearing aids on charge... He thought the worst since I hadn't answered all his phone calls, and not least the pounding on my door like the rest of the hotel heard... but not me... After a quick breakfast, we got into the car, only one hour behind the agreed attendance, but fortunately my colleague and the mechanic had persevered and waited for these strange Norwegians.

The gigantic gate opened, and -WOW- what a sight greeted us! One polished car after another was lined up in a large garage, sorted by car type, year model, colour, size, yes, you name it! Damn flat so raw! I think the pictures manage to convey most things, but still have to say that everyone should have experienced this, because the quality and presentation of each individual vehicle was magical. Of course, it wasn't just VW, but they were fairly overrepresented.

There was also a separate department with both MCs and mopeds. In fact, he also had all the Honda CB Super Bike sizes from the 70s as well. And a separate department with all the Yamaha DT 125cc models, every year from 1980 to 1990. In addition, he had some 275cc motocrossers, of the Agral SXT 275 brand, but this is beyond the author's knowledge without Googling...

In addition, there was a long line of other motorbikes, and even ordinary tricycles of unknown makes, but a rich and fun selection that was a feast for the eyes.

Own range of both Chervrolet's (Opala), some selected Mopar, Ford, various Japanese, French and not least a lovely little yellow Fiat Sport Coupe 850. Also an impressive collection of all sorts of rarities through the -70s and -80s with everything from MC helmets to telephones (even a Norwegian 1967 model) and refrigerators and model cars.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, and hope there will be as much space as possible in this article, because I sent a lot of pictures!

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Puma

From its base in Rio de Janeiro depicts *Curt Fauskanger* car enthusiasm and the Brazilian car brand Puma. The Puma GT is a car that makes you want to own it at first sight. **See more**

Serra Bugs Air Cooled on Facebook

Volkswagen – German quality that became a sales success all over the world

Posted 14/03/2022 by Anders de Lange

The story goes as far back as 1931. In that year, Ferdinand Porsche started his own design office, which took on assignments from a number of car factories. It was the start of the development of the "bubble"

Difficult to launch

But the real adventure started for Volkswagen when Heinrich Nordhoff became boss in 1948. It was still a small, unknown factory with cars the experts gave little market opportunities. Nordhoff wanted to make the brand a major car brand, and made completely new plans for production and marketing. He wanted to bet on 2 basic models. There were to be products of high quality and good follow-up by the car buyers. In order to achieve the ambitious goals, he also had to invest in exports to other parts of the world – including the USA. The launch was difficult. The first car they took across the Atlantic had to be sold to cover the hotel bill. Interest in the car was frighteningly low. A series of impressively good marketing campaigns meant that the people's car later managed to capture large market shares on the American continent.

Volkswagen Type 1

Why was "Bobla" such a great success over such large parts of the world? It was relatively cheap to buy, was very reliable and made little demands on its owner. The car had a long life and therefore became a very popular used car, and there are probably many young people who have owned a Bubble during their university years. The fact that it was also delivered as a convertible from the start did not make it any less popular. The little people's wagon also became a star in the films about "Herbie". The first film came out in 1969 and the car gained cult status all over the world. It also did well as a sports car, winning a number of car races. The bubble was improved rather than changed throughout the 50s and 60s until the Volkswagen Golf came in as a successor in 1974.

High nostalgia factor

Today, there is still great interest in old folk wagons because they evoke good memories. Some cars take part in races for vintage cars and others line up at exhibitions or are simply used as - used cars.

Facts Volkswagen Type 1

Length: 407 cm
Width: 154 cm / height 150 cm
Top speed: 115 km/h
Engine: 1192 ccm, 34 hp

Do you see that?

See what's special about this ad?

Advertisement from Chr. Opsahl, Drammen, 29 May 1951

In this advertisement from 1951, the Volkswagen Type 1 is presented as the "People's Car". It was planned to give the car a Norwegian designation with its own Norwegian logo.