The German vehicle came to Madeira many years ago, having been purchased originally by the previous owner, who made changes. However, he kept the original parts he was replacing.
One day, the opportunity to exchange it arose and João Brazão handed over his VW, receiving in exchange the VW Type I - Split, from 1952. Although external appearances did not reveal it, a look at the interior allowed to see that it was a Split, so he didn't hesitate to make the deal.
When exchanged, it came with the extras that had been left aside.
Over the years, together with his father, he has been recovering the original soul of the car, also benefiting from another VW Type I Split that he acquired to use material from this one.
The VW Type 1, popularly known as the Beetle, was the first car model manufactured by the German company Volkswagen, being produced between 1938 and 2003.
It was the best-selling vehicle in the world, surpassing, in 1972, the record previously held by the Ford Model T, of American origin.
21,529,464 units were manufactured, numbers that make it the most produced single model in the world of all time.
The history of the Beetle is one of the most complex and longest in the history of the automobile. Unlike most other cars, the project involved several companies and even the government of its country and would lead to the founding of an entire automobile factory in the process.
In 1931, Germany was hit by a harsh recession and had one of the worst motorization rates in Europe. Most factories specialized in hand-assembled luxury cars which were still very expensive.
Since 1925, a basic concept, very similar to what would become the Beetle, was already in existence, developed by the engineer Béla Barényi (famous designer, responsible for several passive safety improvements). In the following years, several prototypes and models arose, such as the Superior, from the Standard firm, designed by the Hungarian Joseph Ganz — which was relatively cheap.
Even outside Germany, the idea took shape with the aerodynamic Tatras taking to the streets of former Czechoslovakia — cars that Hitler himself knew and admired. Aerodynamic, resistant, and beautiful, they had an air-cooled rear engine, a chassis with a central tube, the work of Austrian engineer Hanz Ledwinka, a fellow countryman and friend of the future Beetle designer.
This idea also captivated the Austrian car designer Ferdinand Porsche, a renowned engineer of the time, who, since 1931, had opened his own design office. He also had his plans for VolksAuto, plans that would soon begin to be put into practice.
As soon as he set up the office, he received an order from Wanderer (part of Auto Union, currently Audi) for a line of luxury sedans. Despite the proposal, the resulting project (which was given the no. 7 to give the impression of not being the first) was already somewhat similar in design to the Beetle.
Porsche's Typ 12 and Typ 32
Still in 1931, Zündapp, a motorcycle manufacturer, decided to take a chance on the idea of the German popular car. They commissioned the Porsche office (Konstruktionbüro) to build a prototype of a popular car. Porsche built three (in fact, the mechanics were supplied by Zündapp and the bodies by Reutter), which were named "Type 12".
Porsche was quite enthusiastic about the project. The car was compact, with a five-cylinder radial rear engine (similar to aeronautical engines), 1,200 cc, and had an aerodynamic body to reduce the power required and the size of the engine.
The first models, still very different from the Beetle, were ready in 1932. However, Zündapp, due to financial problems, terminated the contract. Porsche kept one of the cars, however, none of them survived the war.
Porsche, however, had already negotiated with another manufacturer to develop a "Volkswagen". Following Zündapp's trend, NSU decided to enter the automobile business. Porsche then used the lessons learned in the previous project and the ideas that were more refined, and the NSU model ended up being very similar to the Beetle as we know it. It had a four-cylinder boxer engine, torsion bar suspension and an obvious aerodynamic shape.
Despite the refinement of the design, however, NSU was unable to raise the necessary capital to start its line of automobiles and, in 1933, it abandoned the project. Porsche, which always built 3 prototypes, once again kept one (which survived the war and is now in the VW museum). The contribution of this NSU model (a company that, like Zündapp, contributed to the engineering of its prototype) would be valuable later, especially when choosing the Beetle's engine.
The deadline to develop the project was short, just 6 months.
In December 1934, the number of prototypes ordered increased to 3, in accordance with Porsche's philosophy.
Although the deadline was short, Porsche feared displeasing Hitler and, therefore, in 1935, two models, still somewhat rustic, were ready.
With a wooden bottom and 850cc two-stroke engines, the models were a closed-body sedan — called “Versuch 1” (V1) or "Prototype 1" — and a convertible, V2, made to please the Führer, a convertible enthusiast.
On October 12, 1936, the two pre-prototypes, plus one with a steel body (which, together with two others in steel, built with the help of Daimler-Benz, would form the W30 Series) were delivered to the GDR for testing (two of the cars had the engine that would end up being chosen for the Beetle).
In three months, each of them covered 50,000 kilometres, facing the worst terrain, during a testing routine six days a week.
To Porsche's satisfaction, the GDR's final report approved the project.
The problems pertained to the brake, which was still a rod, and the crankshaft, which broke frequently.
In 1937, 30 models of a revised version of the project were produced, including modifications from the previous battery of tests. Produced by Daimler-Benz and financed by the GDR, this series became known as the VW30 and was very similar to the final product, although without a rear window and without bumpers (in the early stages of the project, they were later equipped with bumpers).
These models were subjected to an even tougher battery of tests, with all thirty of them travelling 2.4 million kilometres in the hands of members of the SS, Hitler's elite troops.
After such thorough testing, the car's structure would be practically complete, with only the bodywork details remaining to be adjusted.
In 1936–1937, Porsche had travelled to the United States of America, where he was able to follow the series production processes. From there, he brought Germans accustomed to working in Detroit, who would help him make the project's mass production possible.
With this help, Erwin Komenda was then able to work on the final shape of the car. He then made a pre-production model, in wood and life size. Among the most visible changes are the split rear windows (incorporated in 1937 by Reutter), the engine cover and hood, and the doors with normal opening, in addition to the running boards (test models were very dirty on the most precarious roads).
With the completion of the project, machines and tools were also brought from the USA. Around 44 metal models of this new series (VW38/39) were then manufactured for senior executives and for advertising and display purposes.
Parallel to this, Tatra, manufacturer of the T77 and T87 in Czechoslovakia, had been developing cars similar to the Beetle since 1932 (V570 prototype). Hitler was an admirer of fast cars and once commented: "These are the cars for my autobahns." Coincidentally or not, Porsche knew Hanz Ledwinka, the designer of the Tatras. With the completion of testing of the Beetle and its imminent entry into production, Tatra was forced, by the German occupation forces, to give up the T97 project (practically the same as the VW30 prototype).
The FuBeetle generated an unusual number of prototypes and pre-production models. After the project was completed, Hitler became fearful that all the tribulations of the project would become public, tarnishing the image of German superiority that he preached so much.
Thus, after being certain that the pre-production models (V1, V2, VW3, VW30) would no longer be needed, the Führer ordered the dismantling of them all, a task that was once again the responsibility of the SS. This ended the car's long design cycle, after four years and millions of Reichmarks invested.
There were just over 40 Volkswagen prototypes until the project was completed — one V1, one V2, three VW3s, thirty VW30s, three final wooden models and the three VW38s present at the factory's founding ceremony. The number is not exact, however, some Versuch (V1 and V2) were used in the construction of VW3s and, likewise, some (if not all) VW3s became VW30s. Although officially only drawings and photos remain of them, the chassis of the VW30, number 26, has survived to this day, having been recovered in an Austrian scrapyard.
This chassis was used in a Kübelwagen, which prevented its destruction. The current owner has plans to restore it.
Furthermore, unconfirmed rumours suggest that a VW30 cabriolet survived in Czechoslovakia.
The NSU 32, Zundapp 12 and Aerocoupe prototypes (an aerodynamic coupe that would become the embryo of the future Porsche 356) belonged to Professor Porsche, and all (except the Zundapp 12 and one of the Aerocoupe) survived the war.
As for the pre-series VW38 vehicles, although those that took part in the founding ceremony were lost, a sedan was rescued in the 1950s. Converted to coal during the war, this vehicle was restored by Volkswagen itself and is now in a museum. Along with it is another VW38, which had been gifted to Hitler.
Due to a subsidy request that the RDA made, and Porsche's opposition to this request, the RDA ended up breaking with the Volkswagen project. Porsche was convinced that, with a well-planned mass production system, he could build the car for the suggested price and without the subsidy.
Then, in 1937, the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagen, GmbH (GeZuVor), in English "Society for the Production of the German Popular Automobile", was founded, being responsible for the production of the car. GeZuVor was an integral part of the Deutsches Arbeiter Front (DAF), or "German Workers' Front", which was an organization funded by worker contributions. Another section called "Kraft durch Freude", (or KdF), "Strength through Joy", was responsible for the car's sales system.
The car was officially named the KdF-wagen and the KdF decided that each car would be sold through a system in which the interested party had to pay five Marks a week and take possession of the car only after completing payments. Despite not knowing exactly when the car would be ready, around 175,000 Germans joined the plan.
On May 26, 1938, the foundation stone of the factory was laid, in the presence of Hitler himself. More than seventy thousand people participated in the ceremony. The event received heavy coverage in the German media, generating some international repercussion, the idea of Hitler himself, who intended to export the car to several countries.
On August 15, 1940, the first KdF Wagen officially left the production line, now with the internal name "VW Typ 1". It was dark greyish blue, just like all KdF sold would be. However, by 1944 only 640 of them would be produced and none would reach the hands of those who adhered to the 5 Marks plan. Everyone would be distributed among the Nazi party elite.
However, in 1939, with the inevitable outbreak of war in Europe, all available resources were devoted to the German war effort. Volkswagen, previously a major propaganda tool for German technological prowess, was quickly integrated into Hitler's military ambitions.
Production was interrupted after manufacturing just a few units, and the factory was dedicated to producing war vehicles based on the Beetle platform — uses foreseen by Porsche, in his project for a body separated from the chassis, and by Hitler himself, who had this use in mind behind the initiative itself in financing the entire project.
French and Russian prisoners of war were used as labour, an attitude that would later lead to Porsche's arrest in France.
Datasheet
Year: 1952
Brand: VW
Model: Type 1 Split
Country: Germany
Number plate: MD-25-60
Engine: 1200 cc
Gearbox: 4