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Thu Aug 29, 2013 7:53 pm

Is it going to be a working replica? The engine seems pretty straight forward. I think a carb would be the hardest part.

Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:18 am

79SuperVert wrote: You missed two crucial words in the Wiki entry: "The Volkswagen factory was handed over by the Americans to British control in 1945; it was to be dismantled and shipped to Britain."

Although that was the intent, it never happened. The British started repairing Allied vehicles in the factory, and then started building Beetles to barter for raw materials and food for the factory workers. Nor did production start "immediately". There are several very good accounts of how the factory struggled mightily to produce cars in those first few years. One of them is "Volkswagen Beetle - The Rise from the Ashes of War".

http://www.amazon.com/Volkswagen-Beetle-Rise-Ashes...hes+of+War

My apologies for having continued the thread hijack, but the story of how the factory got back on its feet is really fascinating.

Thank you for the book link and sorry for the confusion. Looks like an interesting read. I will order it tonight.

Sat Aug 31, 2013 9:50 am

Sorry to also thread jack....but you should also read "small wonder"...pretty much the historically accurate history of VW and tehstory of Heinz Nordhoff....

Yes...as noted and there is a really good story in Small wonder...as to how the British army was usuing the VW plant to repair Army and Civilian trucks...when the French delegation from the war-prize commitee arrived to strip what they wanted from the factory...most notably the roof line sheet metal bead rolling /welding machine that makes the distintive lip/rain gutter on the VW chassis. The machine was unique and the car could not be built without it and it would have spelled the end to any further VW construction.
The Brits..and I think an American possibly ...entertained the French group, even wined and dined a bit...drove them around in a Schwimmwagon..even off into the river or canal...and them showed them a broken down machine of dubious use...and got them to walk away without taking crucial parts. The ability to manufacture VW's was saved.

I am paraphrasing of course. Read this book. Ray

Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:36 pm

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/vw-beetle-aircooled-engine-1-3-fully-functional

Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:43 am

https://www.printables.com/@bglasford1/models

About 1/2 way down the page. Broken down into 10 sections. Fully working. Engine, transaxle and stand. Electric starter simulation. Transaxle fully functional.
Approximately 1/2.5 scale.