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Wed Aug 31, 2022 11:29 am

Vanagonsgoslow wrote: Did anyone ever think that the poor welding on the very early cars had been done as deliberate sabotage by the German workers or the result of a shortage of enough welding gas/supplies so that the workers used as little of their precious welding supplies as possible?

The defeated German soldiers had no fondness for the Russian and French occupying armies; possibly the defeated Germans had a little more fondness for the British and American occupying forces. In those early years the Allies were still trying to figure out what to do with a defeated Germany and were "accidentally" starving the civilian population with very meager rations. By that time the Germans certainly had already learned about all the "tricks" used when it came to industrial sabotage, as the slave laborers the Germans extensively used during WW2 had been engaging in it to sabotage the German war efforts.

Shortage of good metal, shortage of good gas, welding rods and other shortage of suply... I do not think they made sabotage... just my idea

Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:33 pm

unlikely to be sabotage in my opinion however, relations between the germans and the british running the factory took a while to settle down. there was widespread pilfering and lack of co-operation from some of the germans. some resentment perhaps but more an uncertainty about the future, especially as the russians were so close. wing co. berryman recalled that when he asked the manager of the paint shop to improve the poor paint finish on the cars his interpreter suggested that he would have better results if he ordered him to do it. you can imagine the british way 'would you mind...it would be nice if...' coming after years of nazi rule.
remember also that the factory was badly damaged with wood and tarps keeping the weather out and that the machinery was worn out or damaged too. this, and the chronic shortages, makes it all the more remarkable that viable cars were produced in any number.

Wed Oct 26, 2022 10:06 pm

RUNKLE wrote:

Looks like another candidate to send back to the factory for a rebuild!

Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:54 pm

The bumper says rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop

This raises the question, were they all labeled like this behind the license plate?

You can see the sign No. 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop at the bottom of this famous photo.

From Battle for the Beetle:
When the British occupied Wolfsburg, their Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) took over the workshop that the Americans had been using for vehicle repair. Designated the No. 2 Auxiliary Workshop, it was housed in one of the more habitable areas of the works, and reported to Workshop Control Unit 30 at Hannover (Ludvigsen 102).

At [Maj. Ivan] Hirst's request, Berlin-based [property control manager Leslie] Barber recruited ... Capt. Ted Weeks who supervised engine and vehicle overhauls (Ludvigsen 108).

Part of the shop area of the factory was taken over by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshops for the [major overhaul] work. The workshop [occupied] 16% of the total shop area and employed 8% of the labour force employed at the works (Ludvigsen 355, 356).

4th line overhauls Volkswagen monthy capacity: 250. (Ludvigsen 356).

The Works received the Class 5 hard cases among the Beetles needing repair, the ones whose over-enthusiastic drivers, reveling in the agile handling of these little cars, had spun, rolled or crashed their charges. Unrepairable cars were simply stripped, their usable parts being cannibalized to keep others going (Ludvigsen 356).

The department overhauling cars ... continued for some time. Later when the British fleet began to show its age, the overhaul operation was shut down. The British then exchanged older cars for new ones, and the factory sold off the "trade-ins" to dealers for overhaul and resale to the public. These ex-British cars were known as "CCG-Wagens" (Ludvigsen 356).

Thu Dec 08, 2022 11:46 pm

RUNKLE wrote:

Fri Dec 09, 2022 10:26 am

^ I wonder who these people are to have a recon beetle in the garage, perhaps a bit of 'frat' going on... :wink:

Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:38 am

finster wrote: kdf engine assembly

Judging by the various states of assembly, as well as the condition of the Kubelwagens, this could be the reconditioning line as well.
There's no reason they couldn't cannibalize Kubels to help rebuild sedans. This would explain the odd sedan that shows up on a Kubel chassis.
I would have loved to see their scrap pile!

Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:34 am

^ that would account for the non-kubel exhaust on the most complete engine

Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:05 am

... and the scruffy-looking exhaust!

Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:44 pm

finster wrote:
Shipment of used CCG vehicles apparently returned to the factory from active postwar duty for refurbishment. As the CCG fleet aged, the cars were freshened up and offered to dealers to be sold off as used cars. Many ended up in taxi fleets.

Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:10 am

Another front bumper saying Rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop (!!)

Wed Dec 20, 2023 2:22 pm

Blue Baron wrote: Another front bumper saying Rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop (!!)

That's how I feel driving my split! 👍 😆

Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:56 am

too small to read but probably another reme car

Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:09 pm

That's amazing that another photo surfaced. The exact wording appears to be:
Rebuilt by 2 REME Aux. Wk Shop

It's also interesting that some of the tires appear to be repurposed Kubel military treads rather than civilian tires, which were in desperate supply.

Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:20 am

finster wrote: too small to read but probably another reme car

Comparing the guys in the previous pictures, the numbers on the hood and the way the taxt is written on the front bumper: isn't it just the same car on all te pictures?

Thu Jan 18, 2024 5:09 pm

The first and last pictures yes, but the second car appears to have entirely different markings.

Thu Jan 18, 2024 5:49 pm

Two Glove Boxes wrote: Blue Baron wrote: Another front bumper saying Rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop (!!)

That's how I feel driving my split! 👍 😆

That looks like one of the same guys from the above photos to me.

Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:38 am

finster wrote: production line or reconditioning section?

Looks like about the right sized staff for the overhaul workshop.

Sat May 25, 2024 8:44 am

interesting label...