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Mon May 19, 2008 1:22 pm

Does anybody have any interior pics of the Hitler vert? I've seen a few outside pics but very few of the interior. What kind of dash does it have? I hope somebody, that has been to the museum, has taken some pictures of the inside. Another question is why does the top frame, when folded down, have no overhang in the back? Could it have not been complete when presented to Hitler?!? :shock:

Mon May 19, 2008 3:01 pm

Mon May 19, 2008 5:01 pm

Whoa, thx IN2VWS !!!! :shock: those colors just give it a real antique look! I wonder what was originally on the right hand pod back in 38'? The dash looks a little bit different from this angle.

I'm still curious about the top as to why it's short. I'd appreciate it if any of you guys have any picks of this car in the museum or otherwise please post them!

Mon May 19, 2008 5:21 pm

Keith Seume's book, "The Beetle" has a wonder series of pictures of that very car beginning on page 24. If anyone has that book and can scan those pages, we could all talk about it. These are good quality pictures. :wink:

Mon May 19, 2008 5:26 pm

I might have photographed the wrong car. is it this one we are talking about?

Mon May 19, 2008 5:34 pm

That's the one in Seume's book but I don't think it's the same one Hitler had.

Mon May 19, 2008 5:37 pm

Ninamashr wrote: Whoa, thx IN2VWS !!!! :shock: those colors just give it a real antique look! I wonder what was originally on the right hand pod back in 38'? The dash looks a little bit different from this angle.

I'm still curious about the top as to why it's short. I'd appreciate it if any of you guys have any picks of this car in the museum or otherwise please post them!

That is not the same car that is in the museum. That one has the weird treatment of the sheet metal above the deck lid and the double set of louvers. The one in the museum has a smooth treatment above the deck lid and one large set of louvers. That is the one that was at the cornerstone laying ceremony.

As far as I know the one is the museum is the only one that still exists and I believe it was a year later than the cornerstone car.

As best I can tell the right pod had a shift pattern diagram that was somewhat different from the existing one on the 38 hardtop that the museum still has.

The top appears to be a canvas top without the extensive padding and headliner that was present on the production Kabs so that mechanism would probably fold a lot flatter.

Mon May 19, 2008 5:47 pm

splitjunkie wrote: Ninamashr wrote: Whoa, thx IN2VWS !!!! :shock: those colors just give it a real antique look! I wonder what was originally on the right hand pod back in 38'? The dash looks a little bit different from this angle.

I'm still curious about the top as to why it's short. I'd appreciate it if any of you guys have any picks of this car in the museum or otherwise please post them!

That is not the same car that is in the museum. That one has the weird treatment of the sheet metal above the deck lid and the double set of louvers. The one in the museum has a smooth treatment above the deck lid and one large set of louvers. That is the one that was at the cornerstone laying ceremony.

As far as I know the one is the museum is the only one that still exists and I believe it was a year later than the cornerstone car.

As best I can tell the right pod had a shift pattern diagram that was somewhat different from the existing one on the 38 hardtop that the museum still has.

The top appears to be a canvas top without the extensive padding and headliner that was present on the production Kabs so that mechanism would probably fold a lot flatter.

Seume says it is a 1938, the earliest known survivor, and carries the chassis number 31.

Mon May 19, 2008 5:55 pm

53 0val wrote: splitjunkie wrote: Ninamashr wrote: Whoa, thx IN2VWS !!!! :shock: those colors just give it a real antique look! I wonder what was originally on the right hand pod back in 38'? The dash looks a little bit different from this angle.

I'm still curious about the top as to why it's short. I'd appreciate it if any of you guys have any picks of this car in the museum or otherwise please post them!

That is not the same car that is in the museum. That one has the weird treatment of the sheet metal above the deck lid and the double set of louvers. The one in the museum has a smooth treatment above the deck lid and one large set of louvers. That is the one that was at the cornerstone laying ceremony.

As far as I know the one is the museum is the only one that still exists and I believe it was a year later than the cornerstone car.

As best I can tell the right pod had a shift pattern diagram that was somewhat different from the existing one on the 38 hardtop that the museum still has.

The top appears to be a canvas top without the extensive padding and headliner that was present on the production Kabs so that mechanism would probably fold a lot flatter.

Seume says it is a 1938, the earliest known survivor, and carries the chassis number 31.

if that is the case then they redid the rear louvers back then.

Here is a picture of a cab with louvers matching the ones of the one in the museum.

Check out the radio.

Mon May 19, 2008 5:59 pm

:shock: Photo shop? Actually, different event...........Porsche is wearing a different coat.

Mon May 19, 2008 6:11 pm

53 0val wrote: :shock: Photo shop? Actually, different event...........Porsche is wearing a different coat.

I believe that is the cab that was made specially for hitler.

Here is the same car I believe. It is the one in the museum. Now sans radio. Note how the crease on the cowl above the deck lid dies out in the same spot under the canvas top. In the old picture it has a cover snapped over it.

You can also see that the top is a very simple top compared to production models.

There are many details that are different on that car from the one in the cornerstone cerimony. The cornerstone car had the weird louver detail with the squared off corners of the deck lid like the 38 that is in the museum and was like all of the first vw 38s. It also had flat glove box doors and a steering H steering wheel.

Mon May 19, 2008 6:17 pm

splitjunkie wrote: 53 0val wrote: :shock: Photo shop? Actually, different event...........Porsche is wearing a different coat.

I believe that is the cab that was made specially for hitler.

Here is the same car I believe. It is the one in the museum. Now sans radio. Note how the crease on the cowl above the deck lid dies out in the same spot under the canvas top. In the old picture it has a cover snapped over it.

You can also see that the top is a very simple top compared to production models.

There are many details that are different on that car from the one in the cornerstone cerimony. The cornerstone car had the weird louver detail with the squared off corners of the deck lid like the 38 that is in the museum and was like all of the first vw 38s. It also had flat glove box doors and a steering H steering wheel.

Those are the pictures I talking about. :wink:

Mon May 19, 2008 6:26 pm

the corner stone cab

Note the rear louver detail, square corner deck lid, H steering wheel, glove box doors like on the other vw 38's, grab bars on the top of the front seats and the shift diagram on the right pod.

the same dash details on the surviving vw 38.

Mon May 19, 2008 7:21 pm

Thanks for all that information. So there were 2 Kab's, how interesting, i always thought there was only one. Here is the cornerstone kab, I think, but check out the handles on the backrests of the front seats, they are bent towards the passengers, not straight like in the previous pictures, another mystery perhaps?

Mon May 19, 2008 7:22 pm

So then is the museum car the one pictured on page 186 of the Chris Barber book? The caption of the photo says "On his 50th birthday, 20 April 1939, Adolf Hitler received the first KDF Wagen to be given away. It was a convertible car, the first of very few built during the war. It was usually driven by Eva Braun, seen driving here in Obersalzberg."

Mon May 19, 2008 8:42 pm

Very Ironic especialy for 1938 that Eva was driving but Adolf could/would not! :shock:

Mon May 19, 2008 11:46 pm

I would check carefully before copying details from the museum car, as some of the cars in the museum are not 100% correct. :wink:

Tue May 20, 2008 12:07 am

It looks like the is an indicator switch on the steering column, and the gear shift knob looks like a bus one.

Tue May 20, 2008 4:07 am

The vert in the museum is not the cornerstone vert. It was in private hands use until 1956 and got then back into the factory. It was said then that it was the one that was given to Hitler. They restored it quite lousy for the museum and most pics that are around show that state. In between it was restored a second time and is now more correct.

Tue May 20, 2008 6:04 am

splitjunkie wrote: the corner stone cab

Note the rear louver detail, square corner deck lid, H steering wheel, glove box doors like on the other vw 38's, grab bars on the top of the front seats and the shift diagram on the right pod.

the same dash details on the surviving vw 38.

The dash on the cornerstone vert sure looks flat compared to the museum vert. Did the early vw 38's have a different dash? I thought I saw a flatter dash on a prototype beetle somewhere?