TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1949 Split Beetle from a visitor

Mon Feb 24, 2025 4:29 pm

From member Rudi:
I hope you like this historic photo from my family. It shows my aunt and godmother, age 16, in 1955. Using remote country roads in the Black Forest of Germany, my grandfather Josef Kiefer was teaching her to drive, in a slight violation of the law; driving age in Germany is 18. She still drives today, in modern Germany's much increased traffic. The '49 Split has disappeared into unknown distant branches of the family.

I asked him if he wanted me to post it on the site for people to possibly enhance it or color-correct it so it looks more like it did originally.

I know there are several people who enjoy doing that and are quite good at it.

I'm assuming it was original Pastel Green.

I have sent him a link to this thread as well.

Thanks!

Mon Feb 24, 2025 5:00 pm

Also:
He didn't ask and we didn't talk about it but any ideas on what dealer badge is on the side?

Mon Feb 24, 2025 5:43 pm

It almost looks colorized. Old prints and slides often do.
I couldn't do much, just a little darkening of shadows and slight color tinting.

Mon Feb 24, 2025 11:56 pm

KTPhil wrote: It almost looks colorized. Old prints and slides often do.
I couldn't do much, just a little darkening of shadows and slight color tinting.

As the car has the "new style german registration plates" the pic must be after mid 1956, if not 1958. In 1955 there were only the old style plates around.
For me, there is too much brown beige in the colorized pic. The color of rims: my 3´50 Export, also pastellgreen L 11, which I got 1970, when I was 7 years old, had single tone painted rims in L 16 bright green. (all 5 rims are dated 1´50) It´s a bit brighter than L 11 pastellgreen. The rims on the pic are looking much "too beige" in my eyes.
Is it known, where to, which region the car was sold, dealer patch?

Tue Feb 25, 2025 6:53 am

this dealer badge facebook group would be the place to ask about the badge. we don't know where the car was sold when new and how many owners had it before it was in the photo...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/156572241354151/

I had a quick scroll through the photos but nothing leapt out at me for a match.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 8:07 am

Thanks for the correction on year.

They said it was in 1955 but the name of the file sent to me had "1960s" in the filename so that is probably more likely.

I will let you know if any other information is passed on when they read this thread.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:20 pm

EverettB wrote: Also:
He didn't ask and we didn't talk about it but any ideas on what dealer badge is on the side?

Best I can tell, it's the "crotch cooler", a little vent that the early civilian Beetles came with. It shows better on an 8x10 printout I have at the house.
The original dealership was probably either VW Gramling or VW Eberhard, both located in Karlsruhe, Germany and still in business when I was a kid.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:28 pm

wagen19 wrote: KTPhil wrote: It almost looks colorized. Old prints and slides often do.
I couldn't do much, just a little darkening of shadows and slight color tinting.

As the car has the "new style german registration plates" the pic must be after mid 1956, if not 1958. In 1955 there were only the old style plates around.
For me, there is too much brown beige in the colorized pic. The color of rims: my 3´50 Export, also pastellgreen L 11, which I got 1970, when I was 7 years old, had single tone painted rims in L 16 bright green. (all 5 rims are dated 1´50) It´s a bit brighter than L 11 pastellgreen. The rims on the pic are looking much "too beige" in my eyes.
Is it known, where to, which region the car was sold, dealer patch?

Correct in both paragraphs, KTPhil. The photo *is* colorized. I scanned the original B&W photo some years ago, which was the typical contact print measuring only 9x6 centimeters. The colors really don't quite look right in the digital file because I had optimized them for my inkjet printer, where they are less murky. The rims should be more faded-looking indeed.
Most likely the car was bought in Karlsruhe, Germany (on a Europe map, look for the spot where France pokes a triangle-shaped border toward the Rhine river). My grandfather turned the car over to a college student in the 1970s when he was getting too old to drive. That's the last I ever heard or saw of the student, who was a very distant relative, or of the Beetle. The 16-year old girl driving it in the picture is still around, she's my aunt and godmother, sharp as a tack and still driving a car today, at age 85.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:44 pm

Georgia Brigand wrote: EverettB wrote: Also:
He didn't ask and we didn't talk about it but any ideas on what dealer badge is on the side?

Best I can tell, it's the "crotch cooler", a little vent that the early civilian Beetles came with. It shows better on an 8x10 printout I have at the house.
The original dealership was probably either VW Gramling or VW Eberhard, both located in Karlsruhe, Germany and still in business when I was a kid.

Here, my 10´54 has a Eberhard, Karlsruhe dealer badge. But that badge is positivly different.

EDIT:
Eberhard was active since 1948, but not knowing, if they had in earlier times that version, that is affixed on the green split. First owner of my jupiter grey 54 standard was the tax office of Karlsruhe. A Dehne fuel gauge is installed. They used this beetle till 1963. Till around 1978 my beetle was in that region.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:46 pm

EverettB wrote: Thanks for the correction on year.

They said it was in 1955 but the name of the file sent to me had "1960s" in the filename so that is probably more likely.

I will let you know if any other information is passed on when they read this thread.

Yes. Sorry, I missed that number in the filename. I only got hold of my aunt's birthdate long after I digitized the photo. Definitely 1955, which was the year she turned 16. My granddad, Joe, started giving driving lessons to his young daughters when they reached that age. (I myself was busy being born that year).
Joe told me about those driving lessons when I was a teenager. I was fixing and riding vintage motorcycles and developing an interest in his motor stories. Joe was a WWI flyer, steam locomotive driver for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, and later professional chauffeur. Joe had his three daughters dress up identically, with the oldest one just over 18 and holding a drivers license. When a police car appeared in the distance, they stopped, all got out of the car and walked around it in circles. The confusion was great enough to make it impossible for the Polizei to tell who had actually been driving, and that the 16-year old had been behind the wheel.
It tells you a lot about Germany in the 1950's, but also about my grandfather's character that had him doing pranks like that whenever he could. I miss that dude. He passed away in 1980 at age 88.

Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:54 pm

wagen19 wrote: Georgia Brigand wrote: EverettB wrote: Also:
He didn't ask and we didn't talk about it but any ideas on what dealer badge is on the side?

Best I can tell, it's the "crotch cooler", a little vent that the early civilian Beetles came with. It shows better on an 8x10 printout I have at the house.
The original dealership was probably either VW Gramling or VW Eberhard, both located in Karlsruhe, Germany and still in business when I was a kid.

Here, my 10´54 has a Eberhard, Karlsruhe dealer badge. But that badge is positivly different. Not knowing, if Eberhard was active in 1949 or had in earlier times that version.

Fantastic ! I'm pretty sure it was the crotch cooler that looks like a dealer badge in my old photo. Another Brigand Beetle !
For those who may not know -- the nickname "Brigand" is bestowed on people who were born in Karlsruhe. It's French (France is 15 minutes away) for highway agent, or street robber. The history of the city bears some evidence to that. After 2000 I think the use of the nickname faded a bit.

Wed Feb 26, 2025 3:06 am

Georgia Brigand wrote:
Best I can tell, it's the "crotch cooler", a little vent that the early civilian Beetles came with. It shows better on an 8x10 printout I have at the house.
The original dealership was probably either VW Gramling or VW Eberhard, both located in Karlsruhe, Germany and still in business when I was a kid.

could you post the b&w photo please?
if it is a 49 then it wouldn't have crotch coolers as these were introduced in 51. the car has bumpers and chrome horn grilles as used on 'export' models from june 49. I think I can discern pinstripes on the wheel discs.

Wed Feb 26, 2025 3:54 am

finster wrote: Georgia Brigand wrote:
Best I can tell, it's the "crotch cooler", a little vent that the early civilian Beetles came with. It shows better on an 8x10 printout I have at the house.
The original dealership was probably either VW Gramling or VW Eberhard, both located in Karlsruhe, Germany and still in business when I was a kid.

could you post the b&w photo please?
if it is a 49 then it wouldn't have crotch coolers as these were introduced in 51. the car has bumpers and chrome horn grilles as used on 'export' models from june 49. I think I can discern pinstripes on the wheel discs.

Pinstripes, I also thought about that. Agree with you, rim front left can be with, but not for sure. Pidoll book 1994 says till 4´50. (but it´s not claimed for all colors)
My pastellgreen L 11 with believed to be original rims, all 5 dated 1´50, painted in L 16 had no pinstripes for sure. Production date 01.March 1950, VIN 1 - 0 149 74x, body 98 56x.
Since April 1970 car is in my hands (and has connected VW-Logo on original hood)