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Fri Jan 01, 2010 11:53 am

I was thinking of your guy's & gals of the Barndoor forums when visiting my mother-in-law who is from Belgium.

I took this photo via my mother-in-laws photo album. She born in Belgium had a cousin with a shoe store in the 40's till 60's and this Barndoor was their's photo probably taken in 1953 according to notes in the album. I don't know if it was for the business but I was blown away as I was looking for old VW photos of her homeland album last month. Sorry I couldn't scan it just a photo of a photo.

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:05 pm

I also found this ad in her photo album I am not sure of the year of this ad but early 50's to the best I can tell via the info in the album. Maybe someone can tell us?

Price difference between the transporter and the Samba Barndoors aren't much but then it was

And what is a "Midget Bus" located at the bottom of the ad?

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:21 pm

Holy crap !?
Why is that an Austrian dealership flyer , currency in (then) Austrian Schilling, selling to Belgium ????? :? :shock: that is 2000km away...

very nice pics !
I also love the 1949 or 50 Ford V8 parked next to the Transporter !
both equaly beautiful classics.

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:27 pm

ok, wait a minute, upon closer inspection I saw that the price list is for USArmy members, the US army was also in force up until 1955 here in Austria, so this being a 53 flyer sounds logical...prices are in US $ + a fee in Austrian Schilling.- very interesting !

consider that typical Austrian wages during that time would have been 250-500Schilling/month. means aditional fee of 8000 ATS.- translates in 16 month of working wages... at that time US $ probably would be around 20-25 ATS
means 8000.-ATS is around additional 400.- $....

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:28 pm

hi! so the advertisement is not a belgian one, but from Austria, a pricelist for US-Army people that lived in Austria then... and you want to know what they mean by that 'midget' bus, well, when I compare those prices... it MUST be a 23 window DELUXE !!

Transporter = 1025$ = panelvan
Pick-up = 1025$ = singlecab
Station-wagon= 1125$ = 11window standard
Midget-Bus = 1225$ = luxe-standard, so 11 window with seats,...
SPECIAL Midget BUS = 1612$ = MUST be the Deluxe, and...
Ambulance = 1640$ ....

... the 'special midget-bus' and the Ambulance are nearlu the same price, look o, EVERY early fifties price-list, and the Ambulance is ALWAYS the most expensive one, it costs just a bit more then the Deluxe... so the 'special-midget' must be one of the many names given to Deluxes those days, and different for different countries

...that's what I think, not 100% sure, but I'm sure I'll be close to the truth!!... if NOT, someone correct me!!

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:34 pm

djfordmanjack wrote: ok, wait a minute, upon closer inspection I saw that the price list is for USArmy members, the US army was also in force up until 1955 here in Austria, so this being a 53 flyer sounds logical...prices are in US $ + a fee in Austrian Schilling.- very interesting !

Hi Gunther!! yes, the US Army staff could buy their cars in Europe for good prices, also here in Belgium, and in Germany for example... I believe this Topic-poster's family-in-law must have been related to a soldier too, maybe they moved from Belgium to Austria, or the other way??

...ps. I found a few more AUSTRIAN barndoors on postcards and old pictures!!

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:40 pm

Linda Grunthaner wrote: I was thinking of your guy's & gals of the Barndoor forums when visiting my mother-in-law who is from Belgium.

I took this photo via my mother-in-laws photo album. She born in Belgium had a cousin with a shoe store in the 40's till 60's and this Barndoor was their's photo probably taken in 1953 according to notes in the album. I don't know if it was for the business but I was blown away as I was looking for old VW photos of her homeland album last month. Sorry I couldn't scan it just a photo of a photo.

Hello! so your mother-in-law was BORN in Belgium, but are you sure this picture was taken in Belgium, and that her cousin's shoe-store was there too? or, was it in Austria maybe?? ...if you get in contact again with her, could you PLEASE ask her if it was in B. or A. ?? and if in Belgium, which city or town was it please?? (or which place in Austria? that might be interesting for our Austrian friend djfordmanjack :D .

Thanks, and the best for 2010 !!

Gunther, Belgium

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:41 pm

Günter, I'm positive on this one. originally in German or Austrian dealership flyers the Deluxes would be called 'KLEIN bus' translates into small bus ( considering the term bus then used here was for 30seaters or so truckchassis based transporters).
So somebody in the dealership messed up the translation using the term midget (dwarf?!) for small.
Sorry, we're just Austrians... :lol:

considering the US buildt 50 Ford in the pic, this picture could also be from the US !?
I guess the pic is not from Austria, since our licence plates were black with white digits!

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:46 pm

djfordmanjack wrote: Günter, I'm positive on this one. originally in German or Austrian dealership flyers the Deluxes would be called 'KLEIN bus' translates into small bus ( considering the term bus then used here was for 30seaters or so truckchassis based transporters).
So somebody in the dealership messed up the translation using the term midget (dwarf?!) for small.
Sorry, we're just Austrians... :lol:

considering the US buildt 50 Ford in the pic, this picture could also be from the US !? \

In the US it was referred to as a "Microbus," so, same idea, just different use of words.

Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:59 pm

djfordmanjack wrote: Günter, I'm positive on this one. originally in German or Austrian dealership flyers the Deluxes would be called 'KLEIN bus' translates into small bus ( considering the term bus then used here was for 30seaters or so truckchassis based transporters).
So somebody in the dealership messed up the translation using the term midget (dwarf?!) for small.
Sorry, we're just Austrians... :lol:

considering the US buildt 50 Ford in the pic, this picture could also be from the US !?
I guess the pic is not from Austria, since our licence plates were black with white digits!

G., that's the BEST explanation!! yes, midget = dwarf and must be a wrong translation of the KLEINBUS (standard), and the Special-Kleinbus, is the DELUXE!! that's it...

...one of the Deluxe's I recently saw on an Austrian Hotel - brochure, was from St. Corona am Wechsel, licenseplate begins with 'N'

Fri Jan 01, 2010 2:28 pm

arent the deluxes refered to as microbus deluxe in the factory english service manuals? i remember it being microbus for the standard

Fri Jan 01, 2010 4:42 pm

ambu55 wrote:
...one of the Deluxe's I recently saw on an Austrian Hotel - brochure, was from St. Corona am Wechsel, licenseplate begins with 'N'

G. FYI: N stands for Niederösterreich (= Lower Austria.) 'Wechsel ' is the mountain ridge that seperates Lower Austria from my home county Styria.
looking forward to find the pics in the vintage photo section !

Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:26 pm

Midget Bus is used in the brochures for Barndoors in Canada, although it referred to the Standard Microbus.

One example:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/52midgetbus.php

Sun Jan 03, 2010 3:45 pm

Hi yes she said it was from Belgium, I saw the store on another photo but it was torn down in the 70's The next time I am in Michigan I will get a copy of other homeland photos. I don't understand the American car though and I will ask her ASAP. She is in her upper 70's and was born in Belgium although traveled there several time since then. Thanks for all the info on the area and the Barndoor. I hope to get to Europe again and see some of the museums hopefully of VW's.

ambu55 wrote: Linda Grunthaner wrote: I was thinking of your guy's & gals of the Barndoor forums when visiting my mother-in-law who is from Belgium.

I took this photo via my mother-in-laws photo album. She born in Belgium had a cousin with a shoe store in the 40's till 60's and this Barndoor was their's photo probably taken in 1953 according to notes in the album. I don't know if it was for the business but I was blown away as I was looking for old VW photos of her homeland album last month. Sorry I couldn't scan it just a photo of a photo.

Hello! so your mother-in-law was BORN in Belgium, but are you sure this picture was taken in Belgium, and that her cousin's shoe-store was there too? or, was it in Austria maybe?? ...if you get in contact again with her, could you PLEASE ask her if it was in B. or A. ?? and if in Belgium, which city or town was it please?? (or which place in Austria? that might be interesting for our Austrian friend djfordmanjack :D .

Thanks, and the best for 2010 !!

Gunther, Belgium

Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:48 am

Linda Grunthaner wrote:
don't understand the American car though and I will ask her ASAP.

This was just my thought that the 50 Ford could be a hint this being a US photo. Anyways I would like to point out, that these 49-50 Ford were quite common here in Europe too ( Due to Army personal and the Us trying to increase international business) There are still some of these Fords around and I have collected quite a few (6) old (Austrian) titles (including a photo of the actual car) to proove. Old postcards from Belgium, Netherlands aso show a lot of vintage American Iron too.
Sorry, not to hijack your thread but to point out interest in local automotive history incl. a US owned photo of a Belgian Barndoor, probably bought at an Austrian dealership by a US Army member... :lol: ...times were different then.
regards
Gunter, Austria

Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:31 am

Interesting, well the car could have come from their trip visiting family because it is their home :wink:

djfordmanjack wrote: Linda Grunthaner wrote:
don't understand the American car though and I will ask her ASAP.

This was just my thought that the 50 Ford could be a hint this being a US photo. Anyways I would like to point out, that these 49-50 Ford were quite common here in Europe too ( Due to Army personal and the Us trying to increase international business) There are still some of these Fords around and I have collected quite a few (6) old (Austrian) titles (including a photo of the actual car) to proove. Old postcards from Belgium, Netherlands aso show a lot of vintage American Iron too.
Sorry, not to hijack your thread but to point out interest in local automotive history incl. a US owned photo of a Belgian Barndoor, probably bought at an Austrian dealership by a US Army member... :lol: ...times were different then.
regards
Gunter, Austria

Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:16 pm

Building style is positive Belgium....Flanders. And a US car was common in the 50's in Belgium... That and VW's.

Send me the name and age and if I find it, I let you know what adress it was....private message.
Happy New year , to you to Guenther :lol: .

Greetings. Peter.

Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:43 pm

peter schepens wrote: Building style is positive Belgium....Flanders. And a US car was common in the 50's in Belgium... That and VW's.

Send me the name and age and if I find it, I let you know what adress it was....private message.
Happy New year , to you to Guenther :lol: .

Greetings. Peter.

...same for you and your family Peter!! you're right, I also looked closely at those buildings... ther's still a LOT of them around here, same style!! ...and I also thought about the poster's mother-in-law, her cousin had a SHOE STORE... you also know a belgian Samba member that runs a shoe-store, no?? I do!! if he reads this, hello K.!!! and, K if you do, this shop was not a relative or someone you know??

to Linda Grunthaner : it would be GREAT too if the shoe-store's name or family name was known...

G.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:53 am

ambu55 wrote: peter schepens wrote: Building style is positive Belgium....Flanders. And a US car was common in the 50's in Belgium... That and VW's.

Send me the name and age and if I find it, I let you know what adress it was....private message.
Happy New year , to you to Guenther :lol: .

Greetings. Peter.

...same for you and your family Peter!! you're right, I also looked closely at those buildings... ther's still a LOT of them around here, same style!! ...and I also thought about the poster's mother-in-law, her cousin had a SHOE STORE... you also know a belgian Samba member that runs a shoe-store, no?? I do!! if he reads this, hello K.!!! and, K if you do, this shop was not a relative or someone you know??

to Linda Grunthaner : it would be GREAT too if the shoe-store's name or family name was known...

G.

Guess I am the Belgian shoe-store Samba member. Too bad this is no relative and I do not recognise the place neither, but this looks like it was a shoe factory if You study the picture.

I think only the mother-in-law can help us out here...

Can be in the neigbourhood of ambu55, there where different factories!!

Kurt.

Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:48 pm

empiparts wrote: ambu55 wrote: peter schepens wrote: Building style is positive Belgium....Flanders. And a US car was common in the 50's in Belgium... That and VW's.

Send me the name and age and if I find it, I let you know what adress it was....private message.
Happy New year , to you to Guenther :lol: .

Greetings. Peter.

...same for you and your family Peter!! you're right, I also looked closely at those buildings... ther's still a LOT of them around here, same style!! ...and I also thought about the poster's mother-in-law, her cousin had a SHOE STORE... you also know a belgian Samba member that runs a shoe-store, no?? I do!! if he reads this, hello K.!!! and, K if you do, this shop was not a relative or someone you know??

to Linda Grunthaner : it would be GREAT too if the shoe-store's name or family name was known...

G.

Guess I am the Belgian shoe-store Samba member. Too bad this is no relative and I do not recognise the place neither, but this looks like it was a shoe factory if You study the picture.

I think only the mother-in-law can help us out here...

Can be in the neigbourhood of ambu55, there where different factories!!

Kurt.

hello Kurt !! yes, I was thinking about you... so no relatives?? and yes, in my neigbourhood, there used to be a few little factories, but I don't know them, I guess they stopped producing a long time ago, no?? if the mother in law can remember where it was, we could to the town go find the house for a Photograph or maybe old stories if the old family still lives there...?