British Army VW Beetle (1950s)

On the topic of VWs....

My first car was a hand-off from my dad when I was 18. He'd driven a VW 1600 fastback for a couple of years and I "inherited" it.

Okay car but a dreadful colour of orange! Mom used to joke that we should put a decal of a mug of root beer on one side and a hamburger on the other and contract it out to the A&W Hamburger bunch (don't know if this will be lost on you UK bunch...A&W is sort of like Wimpy's and waaaay better than anything McDonald's ever produced! Their corporate colours are orange and brown).

Unfortunately, under my drivership, the 1600 sooned ended up more like a 1400-1/2 as I constantly got myself into fenderbenders and managed to get my backend pushed in (to clarify, I mean the car's backend! LOL).

My next car was a vintage 1952 Valiant with push button transmission. Robin egg blue body and red leather interior. I quite liked that little car, but it got done in one winter when some fool rammed into the back of it as it was parked on the hill outside my flat and pushed it half a block down! I was really PO'd over that!!

Not being very expert on PCs did not realize the reason for the "spreadout",but its no problem and as you say we can get a good look at the picture,sure no ones gonna "winge"
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Don

I was in BAOR at the end of the fifties and both the army and the RAF used VW Beeltes extensively. They were driven hard by most drivers but were very reliable. People used to refer to their years of manufacture like those of wine. A couple of years after demob in 1961, I was in Germany and noticed they had all been replaced by the Austin/Morris Mini. In those early days the Mini was unreliable. It must have been an absolute nightmare for the REME & RAF vehicle workshops

Hi all,

In early 1950's most units had a VW, ours was CO's transport.
If I remember Germans could not buy them new then, so Army had them new for a few months then they were sold second hand to Germans!!
Not the best on wet cobble stones cornering faster than you should do.
The roof also collapsed when a large object was dropped from a top storey window, one of them mysteries of 40 Field Sqn "Who dropped a chair onto the CO's car" I think the culprit left the next morning on the train and demob.
Happy days.
Cheers
Tony

brian beckett wrote:

I was in BAOR at the end of the fifties and both the army and the RAF used VW Beeltes extensively. They were driven hard by most drivers but were very reliable. People used to refer to their years of manufacture like those of wine. A couple of years after demob in 1961, I was in Germany and noticed they had all been replaced by the Austin/Morris Mini. In those early days the Mini was unreliable. It must have been an absolute nightmare for the REME & RAF vehicle workshops

Did the Mini come into Army service that far back?? Or was it just in BAOR?

But I do remember the pain in the over the by-pass hose, even when I was an apprentice. Apparently there was a tool for replacing it with ease, but Austin-Morris/BMC/whoever (they had that many names) would not release it.

Paul.

one cold morning in fally the MTO asked a driver if he had checked his anti-freeze,reply yes sir,result 14 days jankers,he forgot he was driving a beetle,dave.

burgess720 wrote:

Hi all,

In early 1950's most units had a VW....Not the best on wet cobble stones cornering faster than you should do.

The roof also collapsed when a large object was dropped from a top storey window, one of them mysteries of 40 Field Sqn "Who dropped a chair onto the CO's car" I think the culprit left the next morning on the train and demob.
Happy days.
Cheers
Tony

I would think just about any vehicle roof would collapse under such circumstances LOL

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the design of the VW, ie the domed roof, picked up from architectural engineering principles and that the domed roof was actually stronger than most other car roofs because it was domed.

This is something Hardrations can perhaps address, as his memory is far better than mine in such matters.... :-)

I don't recall VWs being used for military purposes with Canadian troops at all. Not sure what we sported our senior officers around in, but I suspect it was probably Mercedes, possibly 280SL's.

I know in the '70s, it was not unusual to have your average taxi be a Mercedes sedan (something most Canadian civilians respond to with a certain degree of skepticism given that Mercedes are perceived as luxury vehicles), so I'm kind of thinking they might also have been used as 'official cars.' Probably in basic shiny black....

As I think of it, I'm also getting thoughts of Opels...hmmmm.

Citrons too, but they were more used by the Belgians and French (go figure!). Cool cars. Weird looking, but cool.

I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a reply from Hardrations, he's over here in the UK at the moment, having attended a BiscuitsBrown thrash. He will recover though, I am reliably informed, and we promise to pop him on a plane for home on Thursday.

Early 60's We certainly had at least a couple of beetles use as camp runabouts but the staff cars were Ford Zephrs and Zodiacs

Well,

I know we are familiar with the SIB in the forces.............

What the Internet throws up when you least expect it!

Go to this site and read about the SIB investigation into the VW Factory.

http://www.redcap70.net/PatColson_VW.pdf

I believe Stephan from Munster will find this very interesting,(with good translation) as it is not like the usual VW car write ups or reports one often find about Major Hirst and his success.

Hi all,

A great piece of history, that few know about.

Thanks
Tony Burgess

Hello can you repost the pics of the restored 1952 VW Beetle?  I am trying to restore a 1952 CCG VW myself.
I have tried to upload a pic of mine but it will not let me.

Stephen Lock wrote:

This is something Hardrations can perhaps address, as his memory is far better than mine in such matters.... :-)

I don't recall VWs being used for military purposes with Canadian troops at all.  Not sure what we sported our senior officers around in, but I suspect it was probably Mercedes, possibly 280SL's.  

I know in the '70s, it was not unusual to have your average taxi be a Mercedes sedan (something most Canadian civilians respond to with a certain degree of skepticism given that Mercedes are perceived as luxury vehicles), so I'm kind of thinking they might also have been used as 'official cars.'  Probably in basic shiny black....

As I think of it, I'm also getting thoughts of Opels...hmmmm.

Citrons too, but they were more used by the Belgians and French (go figure!).  Cool cars.  Weird looking, but cool.

VW beetles were used extensively in Germany, at least up to 1965. Besides being used for "utility" purposes, along with Kleinbuses, they were a sort of staff car for OCs of smaller units like transport coys and the like. Battalion commanders, along with the Brigade Commander, being higher up the food chain, had 1957 Chevrolet cars (complete with the big fins that were stylish and something to which Canadians did respond in those days). We never had Mercedes or Opel cars in my time.

They were still using the VW's when I left in Dec 68 and when I returned in 71. I think Opels were used for C.O.'s of major units starting in the 60's and the Generals in Lahr had Mercedes. The Major General O.C. Canadian Forces in Europe had his bugged by the East Germans. I remember seeing the photo's at Bde. H.Q.'s. I think it was Major General Johnston was the name, he was Black Watch I think.

I have tried to upload pics of my VW that came from Vehicle Coy 151 what ever that is but I can't up load it

Just to answer Stephen Lock.  The Canadians did use the VW Beetle. Well, they look like Canadians to me. Beetle

Looking for something completely different came across the link below which may be of special interest to VW afficionados:

http://www.cdvandt.org/BIOS-998.pdf

Investigation into the Design and performance of the Volkswagen or German Peoples Car

BIOS 998 dated 1945

Pborn4 wrote:

Looking for something completely different came across the link below which may be of special interest to VW afficionados:

http://www.cdvandt.org/BIOS-998.pdf

Investigation into the Design and performance of the Volkswagen or German Peoples Car

BIOS 998  dated 1945

Hi all, good to see this interesting report.
I have a slight memory of the German police in early 1950's had a Volkswagen without a roof or doors, four men could jump out quickly

Regards
Sapper

My dad was a tech storeman with 3rd and then 1st RTR, I remember him taking charge of several staff cars, they were ford Zephers, [ sp?] 4's and 6's, must have been late 50's early 60's, they were intended to be staff cars but I believe they thought that the "6" had far too much power so they sent them back. It might be that they were just at the regiment on trial? When I was at HQ 1 [BR] Corps in the early 70's we had the same situation with the range rover, we trialed them [ we had 2] for several weeks but they were sent back, 1. too fast, and 2. not squaddie proof. Ian.

A very old thread but have discovered in the Historical Records for 15 Vehicle Company RAOC mixed in with G Branch 2 Infantry Division for 1947

Detachment 15 Vehicle Company was based at the Wolfsburg Motor Works and were responsible for the issue of new Beetles

BTW 15 Vehicle Company RAOC as at 31 Dec 47 had 22 Officers and 626 other ranks in 6 locations including 151 Vehicle Park that was in Herford!

A further illustrated version of the VW Story -


https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft1_EN.pdf
https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft2_EN.pdf
https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft3_EN.pdf
https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft4_EN.pdf
https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft5_EN.pdf

https://www.volkswagenag.com/presence/konzern/documents/history/englisch/Heft8_EN.pdf

Is there a HEFT1?

Many thanks Pborn 4 for the historical notes...very interesting history.