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Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:05 am

Maybe this has already been discussed.

I was looking through the David Eccles specification guide and noticed the photo from the July of 1951 show. Sorry I don't have a picture of it on my computer. It is on page 11 in the lower righthand corner. If you look at the logo'd panel behind the deluxe(blue and white), it looks as though it has an open rear hatch. When looking further, you can see a difference in the lettering on the panel as opposed to the lettering on the cargo above on the roofrack. Also, looks to have a sliding door handle and the shadow on the gutter rail is thicker from the rear corner up to the door. Is this the earliest known sliding door vw? If so, crazy rare! Anyone know of its history and whereabouts?

If this has already been discussed elsewhere, sorry and disregard.

Thanks for any info.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:18 am

That is a cover from VW Information magazine, which is on the site.
Here's the cover scan:

It does look like it slid back like a slider door

Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:20 am

WOW! That have I missed :shock:

Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:36 am

It gets better than that, if you look closer, not only is the BOCO panel a sliding door, it is a walk through as well.
A '51 era Barndoor Sliding Door Walk through with opening rear hatch.!!!!!

Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:38 am

thats crazy! :D

Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:18 pm

Whaaaat?! 8) Seems like the 70's made some time travle ;)

Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:41 pm

Heinrich Nordhoff suggested sliding doors to be designed for the type 2s SOP already in 1949/1950. But his engineers turned down his request due to lack of time. This can be read in German language in different books.

Just by chance: BOCO is a German clothing renting agency, founded in 1899 in Hamburg. In 1998 BOCO was taken over by CWS.

Maybe this is an early pre-series example which was used for fair display or a special development for the 1951 fair. We will probably never know but the paint design suggests that this panel drove through 1950´s Hamburg after the 1951 fair was over ... If somebody wants to do some research at Autohaus Raffay in Hamburg I wish you luck ...

Wed Nov 02, 2011 1:42 pm

:shock:

Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:01 pm

Walk through? I don't see it.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 2:23 pm

campingbox wrote: Walk through? I don't see it.

I think he's refering to the upper missing vents.
But early panels didn't have those at all.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:24 pm

Greg
I have some other pics of it here that were in that same magazine scanned above and it shows clearly the sliding door using an ice pick handle and also the walkthrough option.I will dig them out and post them here.I tis a very interesting Bus.....

Wed Nov 02, 2011 3:59 pm

Wolfsburg Classics wrote: Greg
I have some other pics of it here that were in that same magazine scanned above and it shows clearly the sliding door using an ice pick handle and also the walkthrough option.I will dig them out and post them here.I tis a very interesting Bus..... please post pics of the walk thru asap..that would be interesting to see,,

Thu Nov 03, 2011 2:18 am

Confirmation of a slider but not much use otherwise.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:17 am

Found this in my brochure collection :D
The brochure is printed June 1952.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:58 am

nice pic Tony!,,do you know if it's a walk thru slider??

Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:15 am

andre b wrote: nice pic Tony!,,do you know if it's a walk thru slider??

I don't have any information about this bus, except for this picture

Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:19 am

Well it cleary has upper vents in that pic.

Well spotted TRG!

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:01 am

thanks scotty. that thing is sick. anyone have any interior shots of it?

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:17 am

The rear wheel well is different in those 2 photos.

The magazine cover one looks wacky so maybe it is retouched.

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:36 am

Looks to me like it's just partially covered by the sliding door(?).