The first official US imported export model split

[usariemen]

I got this magazin from April 1949.

There is a little note about the first official export split that went to the USA.
That was before the export models where even sold in Germany.

The text says:
"The first new export model of the Volkswagen was recently, packed in a woodbox, sended to the USA. There shall the car at the german export exhibition in New York in april be shown to the american audience.
Its general shape stayed untouched but the vehicle got a whole new face by a splendid interior, a pastellgreen exterior, lots of chromed parts and a beautiful gloss."

I assume the car stayed in the USA. Is anything known about it?
Does it still exist?
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Master of my domain!

[Hacksaw-BoB]

b]Yes, the VW stayed in the USA and it exists in my Vintage VW collection[/b]

_________________
Hacksaw BoB

http://www.VintageVolkswagenModels.com

Collector of Vintage VW Toys

BoB's Restor-Version Shop

[janerick3]

Quite a lot is known about the first VW imported into the US by Ben Pon (except its fate and color--rumored to be dark blue w/red rims), but this the first time I've seen anything about the second VW imported in 1949.
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Thanks,
Jan K.

[usariemen]

Yes, but the pic known of Ben Pon with a car getting loaded on a ship shows at best a so called "early export".
A standard wich got a bit pimped up with some chrome parts.
But still no side trim and with black three spoke and speedo pod, etc.
For this exhibition a true export model was sended as it was sold then on from june 1949.

I googled it and the show was held from the 9th of April 1949 in the Rockefeller Center and was called „Military Government German Exhibition Industry Show“
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Master of my domain!

[Blue Baron]

This is car No. 2 of the fabled two VWs officially exported to the U.S. in 1949. It was exhibited at a "Germany 1949" trade show in May or June of that year, attended by Heinz Nordhoff. This was Nordhoff's first trip to the United States after the travel ban against him was lifted for beiing a "war industry leader." Nordhoff managed Opel's Brandenburg truck factory during the war, the largest in Europe.

The fate of car No. 2 is unknown, but I believe its chassis number has been documented.

If you look closely at the photo, the car appears to have carsten trim.
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.

Heinz Nordhoff

[Blue Baron]

[usariemen]

[Abscate]

[DDub]

Pretty sure I remember VW doing an article back in the '60's. They found one of the two original cars on a farm being used to herd sheep in the mid west. It was in the Small Wonder magazine.

[Blue Baron]

I'm thinking you're thinking of the contest to find the oldest VW in America, which turned out to be a '45 sedan owned by a Nebraska farmer. (Actually, there was some debate over who the actual owner was.)

It was a 1960 promotion by VW to celebrate the 500,000th VW imported to the U.S. There was an article in Foreign Car Guide, and a mention of it in the book Small Wonder.

The car was restored by the Vintage VW Club of America and I believe resides in the REME museum in England. (No carsten trim on that one, though.)
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.

Heinz Nordhoff

[DDub]

Nope, different car. This was one of the first two '49's to be sold here. MIGHT still have the article somewhere.

[Blue Baron]

I recently found this a nice large print of the famous photo of Ben Pon offloading the first officially exported VW to the States.
(Click on the photo for full size.) Pon is on the left.

This was in January, 1949, and the car has some interesting features. Note the Dutch registration. This is an indication that
the car was most likely sent by the factory to the Netherlands before being shipped to the U.S. Also, note the grooved bumpers,
coming months before they appeared in regular production.

The reason Dutch importer Pon was selected is it was felt that not being German, he would have more luck interesting U.S.
importers. Turned out he had no luck at all, and ended up selling the car and his spare parts to pay his hotel bill.
It's great that photographic evidence of these two cars still exists.

_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.

Heinz Nordhoff

[KTPhil]

If it was packed in a crate for shipment, why is it in the open when being offloaded? Maybe supports the theory above about it being shipped (in a crate?) to Netherlands, and then (in the open) across the Atlantic?

Also, the trim (or lack of it) isn't consistent. We must not be talking about the same car.

[splitjunkie]

[Blue Baron]

[Schwing]

I know this topic is about 1949, but does anyone know how many 1950s were exported to the US?
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Shadetree Westy
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657279&highlight=

Single Cab - BBXXVII Long Distance Winner
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[Blue Baron]

328 Sedans.

Convertibles N/A.
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.

Heinz Nordhoff

[Schwing]