How many known splits are left?

[c_wilburn]

OK, I'm always a bit nervous to ask a question here, but here goes.
Does anyone have a rough idea how many split window beetles are in collectors hands still? I realize there may be a 20 acre field full of them yet to be discovered, but I'm wondering how many are known about. I recently read an article claiming the number was around 300, does that sound right?

[ZENVWDRIVER]

... bet no one knows for sure - if I had to guess, i'd say 25% of the original number, worldwide.
I drove a '50 as my daily in the 70s and already there were very few around.
_________________
5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
3/55 113 Beetle, stratos silver
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 - SOLD, sadly
1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[c_wilburn]

[Martin Southwell]

I would agree with the 1% figure mentioned above as being a sensible start figure, as I and other have pondered the same question for years. Mass produced cars always have the lowest survival rate, as there is always another one around the corner to buy as a runner, or to pull apart for spares, until one day you realise that there very few are around.

Scrap metal has always had a commodity price, and not everyone is able, or wanting to store, or restore, a rusty old car, especially when they are at the bottom of the value graph, and so the scrap man cometh!

[oldsplitvw]

Using split convertibles as a reference point would be useful, as a number of dedicated individuals have meticulously documented most known cars.

Split vert production ended with around body number 10,000, and with 159 or so surviving cars, it puts the survivor rate at about 1.6% It is safe to assume that more effort would be put into saving a convertible when a similar condition sedan would be junked.

1% seems reasonable for sedans, and I wouldn't be surprised if the number is less

Will

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[quote="ZENVWDRIVER"]

[flightofphx]

At the last three big shows I have been to, I haven't seen any splits. None. I think the number of surviving cars is very low.

[pastellgreen]

Why not having a look into the Split-registry?
They count over 2400 split vehicles, the last update was on 2016, so inbetween more splits have been resurected than scraped I think... in addition, not every split owner did registrate his car. Perhaps you are not far away thinking about 3000 survivor.

[sled]

yes there are quite a few cars on the split registry, but there are also quite a few that are not. Myself and at least ten more splits I know of in my area are not on the registry...and thats just splits near me! think about how many are not registered globally.


there are more still in existence than you think...just because people don't bring them to shows doesn't mean they don't exist.
_________________
drive your split.

[EverettB]

[Splitdog]

My wife once asked me, "How many show-winning, ragtop, Bordeaux Red crotch-cooler splits with a turbo motor that does 11's in the quarter mile, and can cruise on the freeway for hours without overheating, are there"?

This was after I was offered a nice sum for mine.
I love her.
No, I really, really love this woman.
_________________
CH³NO²

Z = z² + C

Der Blitzkrieg Kafers

#notacallooker

[ZENVWDRIVER]

yup, I know where a few of my old splits are... one's in storage - a '52 with ccs - a 50 standard and '50 11G are being restored again... that's 3 more... 25% was a high figure... probably more like 5%, worldwide
_________________
5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
3/55 113 Beetle, stratos silver
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 - SOLD, sadly
1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[FullFender]

I'd imagine there is less on the coast and in the rust belt regions of the US. Who knows how many prestine standards much less splits are tucked away catching dust in Cali, AZ ect ect

[Splitdog]

Thank you. I thought so, too.
_________________
CH³NO²

Z = z² + C

Der Blitzkrieg Kafers

#notacallooker

[Blue Baron]

The vast majority of these cars were sold in Germany, and Germans had no great love for them, throwing them away en masse. Plus with the destructive winters, and harsh TUV rules causing vehicles to be junked for just a single rust hole (the Germans never found anything they couldn't over-regulate), I think 1% of German splits surviving would be a generous figure. I'd put the number closer to a tenth of a percent. (This also explains why Deluxes vastly outnumber Standards, because Standards were considered throw-away cars.)

That leaves exports, and as we know, neighboring countries didn't throw things away like the Germans did. Many cars survived in Sweden or Belgium, for instance.

If we look at the USA, only a tiny handful of the production was sold here, but Americans loved these cars, and the split back window saved many cars from destruction, because people recognized that they were special. That's why such a surprising number of Hoffman cars have survived.

American travelers also liked to bring them back from Europe as cheap mementoes of their trips, especially those with an affinity for Volkswagens. With millions of Volkswagens on the road, you really stood out if you drove one of these cars, and had the admiration of the other Volkswagen drivers.

So, with the vast German fleet virtually wiped out, spotty numbers of cars surviving in European barns or in the hands of careful owners, along with those rescued by quirky Americans, 1% to 2% of total production surviving to this day is not unlikely.
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.

Heinz Nordhoff

[Boomsma]

Interesting Topic.
I love digging in the past and to do this with old Volkswagons loving it
In my neighboorhood (north of the Netherlands) I know a few:

-A blue one from 1952, was in original state but it went under restauration some years ago, I did'n see it again since but I think it's finished and still in hands of the same owner who did the maintenance on my first beetle back in 1993.
Unfortunatly I have no contact with him anymore.
I also know that this car was in his earlier days in the village where I growed up.
-A black one from 1951, had sometimes contact with it's owner (a former policeman) back in '96-97 but I also lost contact and I don't know where the car (and his owner) went.
-Sometimes I see a grey split driving in the same village where I grew up but I don't know who owns it and where it's home is.

So only 3 I know of in my neighboorhood and I don't believe they are registered anywhere.
And on meetings here I also see almost never one while there are a lot of beetle lovers here

Also I knew of a Hebmuller who was under resauration in a village about 25 km away from my house.
I saw it once in a company who repaired and sold old Volkswagons.
Later the firm went broke and I went there once when that just happened and the Hebmuller was still there, unfinished.
This was also somerwhere in the late '90's.

I don't know where it went afterwards but changes are high it is one of these cars registrated on this list: www.hebmueller-registry.com.

I've also heard of an oval window beetle in a barn in the neighboorhood with other oldies but I've been not able to find out where.
I've spoke the owner once and he told me he did nothing with these cars and wasn't planned to do so and did't want to sell either.
Too bad, I was interested offcource

So, that was my story hoping you will have a lot off them too
Edit: here is a picture of the grey split:

[Grant Reiling]

[D. Haviland]

As far as I know, there is only one in Vermont, but it's a zwitter, if that counts.

[ZENVWDRIVER]