How Many Left?

sbritt · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:38 pm Post subject: How Many Left?

I heard them talking about this site on the most recent episode of Top Gear:

http://howmanyleft.co.uk

So I decided to check out how many 411s are still on the road in the UK (almost about how many are listed in the classifieds here on The Samba!). There's double the amount of 412s surviving across the pond, but there seems to be a steady decline since 1994 (which makes sense I guess).

Too bad there's not a site similar to this in the States or other countries. I'd be interested to know how many Type 4s there are currently in circulation. Kinda makes you appreciate your rare car a bit more, eh?
_________________
current owner of:
'69 VW Fastback "Jaunty"

previous owner of:
'74 VW Thing
'00 VW Golf
'04 VW Golf GLS
'72 VW 411 2 Door

ubercrap · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:01 am Post subject:

Hard to tell since many exist but may not be driveable. Your 411 2 door sedan is perhaps the rarest Type 4. I've only seen pictures, for sale, or heard of a handful (maybe 10 or so in the US) since I started to be very interested in these '04. Probably a few multiples of that in garages, salvage yards, barns, fields somewhere. Seemingly very few '73 412 2 door sedans were imported as well. All others are more common. Anything other than the 2 door sedan probably has numbers in the hundreds in the US maybe? I've seen a red 412 4 door driving around Atlanta a few times just by accident and saw a picture of an interesting modern house in Atlanta online that had a 411 4 door (I think) parked in front of it a few years ago.
_________________
'74 412 wagon
(3) '74 412 2dr. sedan
'73 412 2dr. sedan

reluctantartist · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:51 am Post subject:

That site is down-right depressing. It looks like interest in the 412's peaked in ~2004.
_________________
1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

ubercrap · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 11:19 am Post subject:

Numbers dropping fast it looks like- soon to be comparable to VW K70's?! in UK! Shocked

_________________
'74 412 wagon
(3) '74 412 2dr. sedan
'73 412 2dr. sedan

vwspotter · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:24 pm Post subject:

Its very rare to see a Type 4 on the street in the UK these days, about a year ago i saw a Type 4 two door driving down my high road, i've never seen it since.....

As for K70s.....even rarer but that's because they are shite cars Razz

Neil

raygreenwood · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:07 pm Post subject:

Bear with me for a moment.

Back in the late mid to late 90's...while traveling a 13 state region as my job (Tex, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New mexico, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennesee, Mississippi, Missouri)........and yes I felt compelled to list them all so you can get an idea of the milagae I drove.

I was originally based out of Atlanta GA...so I drove my own car to virtually every state in that list except the first five (West of the Mississippi river). I would fly to Dallas and drive everywhere in those states...which were vast....in a rental car.
Later I was based out of Dallas and drove my own car all over the central Southwest...and flew to Atlanta to rent cars to drive all over the southeast.

Because my daily driver was my 412....or actually a series of two 412's and a 411 wagon....I put somewhere north of 300,000 miles on my type 4's in about 6 years. Lots of work. Lots of maintenance and very few serious breakdowns.

The gist is that this was pre-internet for most people I know. But getting around a lot I started checking with as many state DMV's as I coudl legally do a search on. There was about 1/4 of the US states that I could get no registration quantities for. By about 1998...I was pretty sure that there was roughly 250-300 type 4 vehicles registered or tagged in the US.

Because I could not get information for a couple of west coast states (where VW'sare popular)...and a few East coast states as well. There may have been a lot more that were arround and running. By traveling so much....and teh fact that I frequented the circles and places where type 4's could find parts...I was pretty sure of the average distribution.
For example....I know that between 1993 and 1997...there were only 7 type 4's registered in Georgia. I know where 4 of them were. One was mine and the other 3 were in a 30 mile radius of Atlanta. One of the others I came across in a fluke at a used car lot in South Georgia in the smallest town imaginable. I know it was one of the 7 because it had been in the possession of that lot owner for three years...and was resgistered.

I have no idea now. With the internet....and Shoptalk forums and the Samba...and the ability to network...I have seen the interest and availability nearly double +...since 2000.

I would say all told....and again not all driveable or registered...there are perhaps 500+ type 4 vehicles on this continent.

The hard to reconcile key...is that some states..will lalow you to own and park a vehicles that is not registered or running...as long as its insured. Others...like Texas in most municipalities...require that if its in public view, it must be tagged. To be tagged....it must run and drive.

Ray

sbritt · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:32 pm Post subject:

I've only seen two driving around since moving to Oregon, but judging from the classifieds here on The Samba, there seems to be quite a number of them in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to moving here, I lived in Northern California for 15+ years and just saw a handful of them running about (the first Type 4 I came face-to-face with was a 412 Variant in a junkyard, and have been in love with 'em ever since!).

The '73 4-door 412 that I mentioned earlier:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461569

is STILL sitting in the car lot around the corner from my house. Who knows when it will ever go to auction, since some of the cars in the lot have been there since I moved to Portland in 2008. It would make a great car for a Type 4 collector/lover, as it's in immaculate condition, both inside and out (with just a few very minor cosmetic issues). I'll keep folks posted on the auction if the lot owner ever calls me back!
_________________
current owner of:
'69 VW Fastback "Jaunty"

previous owner of:
'74 VW Thing
'00 VW Golf
'04 VW Golf GLS
'72 VW 411 2 Door

Lars S · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:54 am Post subject:

Found at the "Vereinigung der VW 411-412 Besitzer" -site that the number of Type4's in Germany has dramatically decreased from 7682 cars in 1986 to only 374 in 2011. These figures are from the authorities and I guess all cars with German papers are counted, even those "resting" in barns etc.
If the approximate number of cars sold in Germany was known one could make a rough approximation for how many Type4's (out of the 368.000 in total produced) stille are left worldwide...

/Lars S
_________________
Porsche 914 -72, Bahia Red daily driver
VW411 2-d -70, White, in archive
VW412 4-d, -73, Gold Metallic, daily driver
Suzuki T500, -69, Candy Gold, in archive
Suzuki K50, -77, Black, daily driver
BMW R69S -69, White, in archive
Husqvarna 118cc, -47, Black, in archive

kirk knighton · Samba Member Joined: January 23, 2005 Posts: 100

This is indeed an interesting question/topic. I have three of these poor beasts, all three are up and running, registered, insured, etc. I may end up buying that red four-door in Portland if it ever gets out of that sorry lot it's in. I haven't been without a Type-4 since April 1984; not sure how I'd handle life without at least one!

wshawn · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:41 am Post subject:

sbritt · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 2:29 pm Post subject:

Lahti411 · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:58 pm Post subject:

Sbritt, did you happen to buy your car from a guy called Justin? I think he's a garden designer or something. If i remember correctly he was selling a 411 that looked exactly like yours. He was more active in these forums a couple of years ago, but haven't seen him for a while.
_________________
My cars: 1972 VW 411 Variant; 1973 VW 412 4d sedan; 1976 Saab 99 Combi Coupé

sbritt · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:20 am Post subject:

Yes, Lahti, I DID buy the 411 from Justin! I guess he just got tired of it and after buying a new car, he didn't have much use for it. Also, it wasn't running when I got it, but he towed it over to my house and I figured out it was a bad fuel pump. Since then I've had to do a bit of work on it, but it's running great and now all I need to do is concentrate on the cosmetic aspects of the restoration. Hopefully I'll be able to focus on the body work and get it repainted soon!
_________________
current owner of:
'69 VW Fastback "Jaunty"

previous owner of:
'74 VW Thing
'00 VW Golf
'04 VW Golf GLS
'72 VW 411 2 Door

wshawn · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:56 am Post subject:

sbritt · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:38 pm Post subject:

Wow! You've got quite a project on your hands, but I'm sure it'll turn out great. I can't wait to see your progress once it's completed. Thanks for keeping another T4 on the road and saving it from the crusher!
_________________
current owner of:
'69 VW Fastback "Jaunty"

previous owner of:
'74 VW Thing
'00 VW Golf
'04 VW Golf GLS
'72 VW 411 2 Door

Lars S · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 9:32 pm Post subject: How many left?

Does anybody have an idea, roughly how many 411/412's were sold in Germany in total?

/Lars S
_________________
Porsche 914 -72, Bahia Red daily driver
VW411 2-d -70, White, in archive
VW412 4-d, -73, Gold Metallic, daily driver
Suzuki T500, -69, Candy Gold, in archive
Suzuki K50, -77, Black, daily driver
BMW R69S -69, White, in archive
Husqvarna 118cc, -47, Black, in archive

reluctantartist · Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:05 pm Post subject:

I had tried to find out, but all of the English resources had nothing (the ones I found)...maybe a German friend might know. I am interested in coming up with a number too...though it might be depressing.
_________________
1982 Westy, 1974 412 Variant... Yes, Aircooled's are great! Oh and I do have modern computer controlled vehicles too, but I just don't care about them.

19super73 · Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:22 am Post subject:

I know I have 3 Type 4's currently. Only one is near roadworthy and that's my '73. I have a '74 Wagon and a '71 Wagon for parts donors. I haven't seen a Type 4 running around my area for over 15 years. As far as I know I'm the only one in the local club who even ownes one.
_________________
'73 Super Beetle w/ all the Sport Bug extras
'75 La Grande Beetle, 1st in Class, Das Volks 2011
'75 110 Standard Beetle
'71 Doublecab
'73 412 wagon "Nasenbär"

subimanx · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:07 am Post subject:

So how many of the earlier Type 4's do you think would still be around??? I know theyre not common in Australia...mines a 69 4 door. Shocked

vonkr · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:20 am Post subject:

about 100 in Holland and 100 in Germay, driving and not driving

About half of those cars are driving (and in pretty good condition), many are waiting to be restaurated

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