TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:22 pm

I just got my birth certificate today and I was stoked to find out that my latest bus is from Competition Motors. That is really cool because two of my other cars are from Competition Motors also, another bus and an oval vert. And even better is that my July 53 convertible build date is only 8 days different then my bus. This would make my think they were on the Competition Motors lot at the same time.

Anyone know how often VW’s were shipped to the states, weekly, monthly? Any buddy else have a Competition Motors Bus? I know Everett had a 55 barndoor from there also. Who has the oldest Competition Motors car? From the research I have done they started selling VW’s in 1952.

Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:12 pm

Wasn't Competition Motors the distributor for all of the Southern California dealers? I believe that the birth certificates note the distributors, not the dealers. It is possible that all of your cars were sold there, but not likely. Correct me if I am wrong...

Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:58 pm

House wrote: Wasn't Competition Motors the distributor for all of the Southern California dealers? I believe that the birth certificates note the distributors, not the dealers. It is possible that all of your cars were sold there, but not likely. Correct me if I am wrong...

Yes, the birth certificates lists the distributer and not the actual dealer for the bus.

Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:16 pm

How many VW dealers were there in California in 1953?

Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:19 pm

My '54 Single Cab is from Competition Motors.

The Green Camper Kombi that was restored in WA then went through an auction and is now in S. CA is also from Competition Motors.

I thought they started selling Buses in 1953 but I'd be interested in any other research you have found.

I don't know if there were any other LA dealers in 52/53/54?

What is your latest Bus?

Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:59 pm

I found this dealer in Sherman Oaks CA, Jack McAfee Motors. Jack raced one of John Von Neumann’s cars and got himself a dealership out of it. But this one didn’t open until November 1953. From lots of web searches it looks like Competition Motors started selling VW’s around April 1952 and I think Von Neumann was the first to be selling VW’s in California as he was working directly with Max Hoffman.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:59 am

I know that Allred Brothers Volkswagen/Porsche was in business in Glendale, California in the early 1950's as well. My December 1953 Panel Bus was logoed there, still has the tiny signature visible on both sides although it's just a faded impression on it, no logo paint left. I made a pretty amazing discovery several years ago and that is that there are about 4 Dove Blue commercial Buses that are in the barndoor.dk registry, all VERY close in chassis numbers, and all existing in Southern California and I believe Arizona today and most of the owners know each other. I'll try and figure out the range from oldest to youngest, it was VERY short, can't recall the exact number. Mine is 20-070259. I know the George's Single Cab and East Coast Josh's "Lionel Richie" Kombi were two of the others. I suppose it is highly possible that they came over on the same shipment, likely could have been sold at the same dealership, etc. as they were all likely made on the same or consecutive days. A truly crazy coincidence that they are all still so relatively close today after 55 years of life.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:08 am

OK, glad I just rechecked it, it's crazier than I remembered...

In order we have:

My December 1953 Panel.........20-070259

A December 1953 Truck...........20-070288 (29 Units later)

Josh's Lionel Richie Kombi........20-070291 (3 Units later)

George's Single Cab................20-070297 (6 Units later)

A total range of just 38 units from first to last, all 4 still exist in the western United States, either 3 or all 4 in Southern California. I just don't know where the first Truck resides nor who the owner is for sure...

Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:13 am

EverettB wrote: What is your latest Bus?

i'm taking a guess it's the Mark Rafferty DLX...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=396397
20-056313, July 53...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=531420

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=253548
Looks like Drew's passed it on already

Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:21 am

RockStock you must be the mr obvious guy.

BUCIOBATISTI wrote: I know that Allred Brothers Volkswagen/Porsche was in business in Glendale, California in the early 1950's as well. My December 1953 Panel Bus was logoed there, still has the tiny signature visible on both sides although it's just a faded impression on it, no logo paint left. I made a pretty amazing discovery several years ago and that is that there are about 4 Dove Blue commercial Buses that are in the barndoor.dk registry, all VERY close in chassis numbers, and all existing in Southern California and I believe Arizona today and most of the owners know each other. I'll try and figure out the range from oldest to youngest, it was VERY short, can't recall the exact number. Mine is 20-070259. I know the George's Single Cab and East Coast Josh's "Lionel Richie" Kombi were two of the others. I suppose it is highly possible that they came over on the same shipment, likely could have been sold at the same dealership, etc. as they were all likely made on the same or consecutive days. A truly crazy coincidence that they are all still so relatively close today after 55 years of life.

Brendan does the Birth Certificate for your 53 panel say it was delivered to Competition Motors?

Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:25 am

buggen wrote: RockStar you must be the mr obvious guy.

BUCIOBATISTI wrote: I know that Allred Brothers Volkswagen/Porsche was in business in Glendale, California in the early 1950's as well. My December 1953 Panel Bus was logoed there, still has the tiny signature visible on both sides although it's just a faded impression on it, no logo paint left. I made a pretty amazing discovery several years ago and that is that there are about 4 Dove Blue commercial Buses that are in the barndoor.dk registry, all VERY close in chassis numbers, and all existing in Southern California and I believe Arizona today and most of the owners know each other. I'll try and figure out the range from oldest to youngest, it was VERY short, can't recall the exact number. Mine is 20-070259. I know the George's Single Cab and East Coast Josh's "Lionel Richie" Kombi were two of the others. I suppose it is highly possible that they came over on the same shipment, likely could have been sold at the same dealership, etc. as they were all likely made on the same or consecutive days. A truly crazy coincidence that they are all still so relatively close today after 55 years of life.

Brendan does the Birth Certificate for your 53 panel say it was delivered to Competition Motors?

I don't have a birth certificate for my Bus.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:41 am

bugg'rd wrote: mr obvious guy

EverettB wrote: What is your latest Bus?

good job. touchy subject?

Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:46 am

Brendan you should get one it would be interesting to see what it says, mine only took 4 weeks to get.

Are you going to run sealed beam headlights in the 53? I would bet that it came with those. My July 53 vert has the original sealed beam headlights in it, with 53 date stamped codes on the buckets, and both the 53 vert and 53 bus have M code 18 listed on the birth certificate.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:52 am

buggen wrote: You should get one it would be interesting to see what it says, mine only took 4 weeks to get.

Are you going to run sealed beam headlights in the 53? I would bet that it came with those. My July 53 vert has the original sealed beam headlights in it, with 53 date stamped codes on the buckets, and both the 53 vert and 53 bus have M code 18 listed on the birth certificate.

I got a set of early Hella symmetrically fluted European Headlights for my '53. When I got the Bus the headlights were smashed to shit, probably by vandals at some point. The buckets that were in there were complete garbage.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:54 am

Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:20 pm

buggen wrote: How many VW dealers were there in California in 1953?

heres a dealership that was from so. cal. I have only seen one of these frames and i believe this is the same frame.

Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:52 pm

norman wrote: buggen wrote: How many VW dealers were there in California in 1953?

heres a dealership that was from so. cal. I have only seen one of these frames and i believe this is the same frame.

Now you've seen two...

Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:23 am

BUCIOBATISTI wrote: OK, glad I just rechecked it, it's crazier than I remembered...

In order we have:

My December 1953 Panel.........20-070259

A December 1953 Truck...........20-070288 (29 Units later)

Josh's Lionel Richie Kombi........20-070291 (3 Units later)

George's Single Cab................20-070297 (6 Units later)

A total range of just 38 units from first to last, all 4 still exist in the western United States, either 3 or all 4 in Southern California. I just don't know where the first Truck resides nor who the owner is for sure...

VWs destined for the U.S. (and likely Canada and Guam as well), cabriolets excluded, were assigned consecutive chassis numbers in blocks, even though they didn't roll off the assembly line back-to-back. I have seen several cases where this was true, starting with the 1950 Hoffman cars all the way to the last hard top Beetles exported from Germany in the mid-to-late '70s. It's likely all the '53 BDs in the high 20-702XX block were configured for the North American market; but were delivered to other distributors (e.g., Hansen-MacPhee, World Wide), as well as Competition Motors.

Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:39 am

janerick3 wrote: VWs destined for the U.S. (and likely Canada and Guam as well), cabriolets excluded, were assigned consecutive chassis numbers in blocks, even though they didn't roll off the assembly line back-to-back

Aussie clutch around Oct 54
http://www.barndoor.dk/Gallery54_28a.html
http://www.barndoor.dk/Gallery54_29a.html

Columbian clutch around Dec 54
http://www.barndoor.dk/Gallery54_36a.html
bottom 6 buses. the 4 buses above this are all Northern Europe (ie Sweden)

Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:09 am

janerick3 wrote: BUCIOBATISTI wrote: OK, glad I just rechecked it, it's crazier than I remembered...

In order we have:

My December 1953 Panel.........20-070259

A December 1953 Truck...........20-070288 (29 Units later)

Josh's Lionel Richie Kombi........20-070291 (3 Units later)

George's Single Cab................20-070297 (6 Units later)

A total range of just 38 units from first to last, all 4 still exist in the western United States, either 3 or all 4 in Southern California. I just don't know where the first Truck resides nor who the owner is for sure...

VWs destined for the U.S. (and likely Canada and Guam as well), cabriolets excluded, were assigned consecutive chassis numbers in blocks, even though they didn't roll off the assembly line back-to-back. I have seen several cases where this was true, starting with the 1950 Hoffman cars all the way to the last hard top Beetles exported from Germany in the mid-to-late '70s. It's likely all the '53 BDs in the high 20-702XX block were configured for the North American market; but were delivered to other distributors (e.g., Hansen-MacPhee, World Wide), as well as Competition Motors.

How did you figure out that the cars didn't roll off the line in order of the Vin numbers? From birth certificate build dates?