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Thu May 03, 2012 9:04 am

From a thread in Oval Window:
Matt_VWmag wrote: Hi there,

Apologies for digging up an old thread, but I was researching a story for VW Canada magazine and came across this forum. First of all, holy hell you all know your stuff! Second, thought you might be interested in this old VW publication. It has info on the first VW Canada office at 1360 Yonge St. as well as a copy of the first shipping order from 1952. Sorry for the crappy cellphone pictures:

The rest here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Matt_VWmag&show_results=summary

VIN #s

So anyone own these Buses?

I don't see any of them in the registry at http://barndoor.dk

Thu May 03, 2012 9:07 am

Trevor told me one of Ken's may be one of the first Buses that made it here to Canada.

Thu May 03, 2012 9:45 am

I was actually talking about his 52 Splitwindow bug Geoff. Rumoured to be the green 11C on the list. Now we can confirm or discredit it with that list.

Thu May 03, 2012 3:05 pm

Looks like my split was built in April. I had always though that they might have just had the delivery destination incorrect. I would not be the only incorrect detail I've had on birth certificates.

My '53 type 2's are all built in Feb '53, 2 of them on the 13th, and the Deluxe on the 12th. This is the Single cab.

Thu May 03, 2012 6:56 pm

Cool article. Not sure what month VW Canada opened but I think it was early '52....unless this is the first order for the C.N.E?

Thu May 03, 2012 7:02 pm

buseric wrote: Cool article. Not sure what month VW Canada opened but I think it was early '52....unless this is the first order for the C.N.E? further to this the bus in my avatar is a barndoor with a subhatch, westy rack without legs screwed to the roof, VW Canada Toronto, chromed pressed front bumper w/bush bar. weird rear bumper and the logo ''Egypt to Alaska'. This was sent to me from a friend, not sure where he got it...early camping box?

Fri May 04, 2012 8:20 am

buseric wrote: Cool article. Not sure what month VW Canada opened but I think it was early '52....unless this is the first order for the C.N.E?
december 1952 is when the first shipment showed up on the docks. of course VW was known to sell the cars from exhibitions afer they were over.

when you are down for the BD exposition this summer, be sure to ask me to see the special canadian VW history book that I have....

Fri May 04, 2012 9:41 am

cool stuff,my 52 was supposedly of the first buses to be shipped to canada

Sun May 06, 2012 10:36 am

hugheseum wrote: cool stuff,my 52 was supposedly of the first buses to be shipped to canada

yeah I think Brian in MI has a couple of the early ones from the former Chipps yard..Too bad on that place with everything getting crushed...

Sun May 06, 2012 10:37 am

Lind wrote: buseric wrote: Cool article. Not sure what month VW Canada opened but I think it was early '52....unless this is the first order for the C.N.E?
december 1952 is when the first shipment showed up on the docks. of course VW was known to sell the cars from exhibitions afer they were over.

when you are down for the BD exposition this summer, be sure to ask me to see the special canadian VW history book that I have....

Will do, if I make it. Still hoping but $$$ is tight, need to smile at the wife the right way....

Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:23 pm

Lind wrote: buseric wrote: Cool article. Not sure what month VW Canada opened but I think it was early '52....unless this is the first order for the C.N.E?
december 1952 is when the first shipment showed up on the docks. of course VW was known to sell the cars from exhibitions afer they were over.

when you are down for the BD exposition this summer, be sure to ask me to see the special canadian VW history book that I have....

Can't stop wondering if my '52 Zwitter is one of those Beetles... really need to get my birth certificate printed!

Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:27 am

my buddy craig owns/owned this 53' that was one of the first single cabs brought in to canada. apparently it used to sit in the original showroom on Yonge Steet in Toronto.

I believe it was originally optioned with Mountain Gears, as apparently the single cab was not slow enough on its own

Here is a picture of the single cab pre resto..

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=78357

Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:40 pm

Cool history. I'm surprised "one of the first ones" was not a smooth gate.

Fri Jun 22, 2012 5:20 pm

Michael, do you have any pics of it after the resto? Would love to see them.
BTW, how's my old Kombi coming along?

Sat Jun 23, 2012 11:04 am

EverettB wrote: Cool history. I'm surprised "one of the first ones" was not a smooth gate.

It would have been. Both Ken and I have smooth gate Canadian trucks which would make it earlier than that one pictured (assuming those are the original gates in that pic) Anyone know the VIN# of the one in Ontario?

Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:15 am

We are the 10th of July today !
A good day for an uptade of this thread

I contacted recently the archive department of the CNE and they sent me 4 pictures of the VOLKSWAGEN area during the CNE 1952.
Those pictures have been taken the 6th of september 1952... Thought you will like them :

Original size here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/946572.jpg

Original size here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/946569.jpg

Original size here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/946570.jpg

Original size here : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/946571.jpg

EverettB wrote: So anyone own these Buses?
I don't see any of them in the registry at http://barndoor.dk

It's not in the registry but yes, one of those busses has survived (not very well i have to admit)... :D
I will open a Built thread in the next weeks/months when i will begin to work on it (needs LOTS of work and parts), so you will know more about it.

Cheers,
Florian

Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:52 am

ace pics!
virtually the full T2 range - Panel, Kombi, Standard, DLX, Ambulance...just the Single Cab missing?
nice display. chrome VW badges, poster boards, photos up high...

Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:59 pm

We need pics and info Florian!
Sounds like a good score.

Been a month since OCTO, you have some pics and vids to share of the cruise down?
Keith

Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:54 pm

Riff Raff wrote: We need pics and info Florian!
Sounds like a good score.

Been a month since OCTO, you have some pics and vids to share of the cruise down?
Keith

I'll take a stab at this one. My guess is its a deluxe and it was recently spotted headed down the highway not all that far from the CNE? And I'd also bet that while rough, its also reasonably complete... 8)

Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:36 am

You are right Eric, that's the one.
Deluxe VIN# 20-29559, built the 30th of June '52.

I knew it since a while, thanks to a local VW guy who is more interested into beetle than busses (at this time he didn't know it was a BD) and is a friend of the previous owner's grandchild. He is on this forum, so Aaron if you read me, once again a big thanks to you !!!! :P

But the owner who had it for the last 55 years needed a bit times to be convinced. I went to his home every 2 months since one year and he finally agreed to let it go last month....

More pictures soon in a dedicated thread.
If you have Barndoor Deluxe parts which might be for sale, please contact me :wink:

Cheers,
Florian