Sweet Volkswagen Bug.... whose is it?

[huntoon]

Anybody know anything about this particularly sweet VW bug?

[bdbecker]

Bump....

I don't know anything about it, but if I ever had a bug, I would make it look exactly like that.

[Antichrist]

Looks like a Type 87 4WD from WWII.

[Nigel Caffiene]

I want one!

[huntoon]

Looks like a Type 87 4WD from WWII.

1942 Volkswagen Beetle 4WD

1942 Volkswagen 4 Wheel Drive Beetle Type 87
[
http://volkswagenbeetle.goyalive.com...eetle-4wd.html
1942 Volkswagen Beetle 4WD
During World War II civil production was restricted, but for military supplies more than 667 cars were produced. The 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.

Kommandeurswagen - German: Commander's Car. The VW Type 87. A closed, liaison-type geländelimousin, built at the Volkswagenwerk during World War II. It was created by mating the KdF-Wagen sedan body, the Kübelwagen chassis, and the Schwimmwagen part-time (first gear only) four-wheel-drive system. This hybrid wound up looking like a muscular Beetle, and was delivered to the Wehrmacht in two versions: as a solid-roofed sedan, and a Cabrio-Limousine with a large sliding cloth sunroof.

History: the Volkswagen sedan was developed in the 1930’s to try and provide a cheap vehicle for German citizens to own. This never became the case, and most of the vehicles were used by the Wehrmacht (German army). During WWII, the German armed forces used the car in various roles: sedan, ambulance, and one even had a gas generator mounted in it to use various fuels. Due to it’s great reliability and simple maintenance, this vehicle (later named “Beetle”) had good results on all fronts. From the basic vehicle there was developed the full military versions, known as the Kübelwagen and the amphibious Schwimmwagen, the so-called German “Jeep”.

Purposeful cross-country vehicle. It is not generally know that by 1942 the Beetle was given four wheel drive and extra big track grip tires. The roller at the front was to help lift it over obstacles, and in this for it worked with the German...



I wonder if they ever made these in Mexico?

[BIGdaddy]

thats cool. where did the pic come from, OP?

[huntoon]

thats cool. where did the pic come from, OP?

Just this random pic website dethjunkie

Caution! That site isn't really safe for viewing while at work. It doesn't have any information any how.

[Antichrist]

I wonder if they ever made these in Mexico?

I never heard that they did. I don't think they were even made that long in Germany, just a couple of years I believe during the war.

[bdbecker]

Here's a little interesting tidbit from The Samba about a V8 powered 4 door version that may have been the origin of the VW bug design:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/vie....php?p=4301087

The Type 87 was manufactured by Tatra (pronounced TOT-tra) of Czechoslovakia. It was a four-door sedan, powered by an air-cooled V8 mounted in the back, and the suspension, chassis, basic shape and aerodynamics were basically ripped off by Ferdinand Porsche at the behest of Hitler, who of course commissioned the original "people's car" before World War II. Volkswagen was required to pay millions of Deutschemarks to Tatra after a lawsuit, and didn't finish paying off their debt to Tatra until the mid-1960s.

In addition, the Tatra Type 87 (more commonly known as the T87) played a small part in the Axis losing World War II by killing or maiming Nazi soldiers who drove T87s obtained during the invasion of Czechoslovakia too fast or too hard. Thus, Hitler banned all soldiers except those of high rank from driving Tatras so that he would have a better chance of winning the war. Thankfully, things didn't happen that way, otherwise I might not be here to share my vast information. (I was raised Catholic, am part Jewish, and had polio as a small child, all of which would have contributed to me being executed by the Gestapo or Schutzstaffel.)

This may not be exact information on the Tatra Type 87, but this is how I've heard and seen of it over the years.

And another sweet pic of the VW version...

[Mr. D]

I like the tough looking tires.