Bosch headlight lens 1961 with VW logo

[pastellgreen]

Happy, more a better new year to all,

My first question for this year: I have an October 1960 de luxe with Bosch headlights. Now I came over a car in the classifieds, also an October 1960 with correct asymmetrical headlights from Bosch but with VW Logo as known from the symmetrical lenses.
Does someone know, until when there have been such lenses with VW logo and if these lights also had the "Bosch" stamping in the chrome rings?

[67 Florida Deluxe]

That might be a difficult question to answer definitively, as those are market specific lenses versus a universal part. My '56 has fluted lenses with with the "BOSCH" trim ring, VW logo at the top and BOSCH letters (italicized) and logo at the bottom, but they are symmetrical lenses for the Swedish market. Yours are specific to left-hand drive. Makes me wonder what a right-drive country like England would have had; asymmetrical to the right (the opposite of yours) or symmetrical like the Swedish style?
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental

[pastellgreen]

Asymmetrical light was introduced in Germany with the new model in 1960. These have been used at least in all European cars for right hand traffic. For driving in countries with left hand traffic during a visit, these lenses had to be masked with a certain sticker, so the lights would not blind the oncoming traffic.
Concerning the VW Logo, I bet these lenses are one year onlies, maybe the VW logo was a relict of the former style of symmetrical lenses. Perhaps we will not get any answer from the Americans here due to their clear glass they have in these sealed beam headlights so they have no idea for this European style lens?

[67 Florida Deluxe]

[pastellgreen]

Now I got the answer fom the former OEM manufacturer of the headlight lenses:
VW fitted the cars that left the factory with lenses with VW logo until 1961. In the same time, if you needed a spare, you generally got a lens without VW logo on it, even if you ordered it at an official VW dealer. That explains, why there are so many lenses out there without a VW logo, even the real old ones.

As BOSCH stopped the former manufacturer reproducing the lenses for the classic market, there is nothing to do than searching for good used ones. The asymmetrical ones are one-year-only, so that will take long to find a pair.

[67 Florida Deluxe]

Very interesting! If I had a '61 with the uber-rare asymmetrical lenses with the VW logo, I'd remove them for safe-keeping and use some other lens. Knowing me, I'd have two complete headlamp assemblies: The originals to swap in for a show and the replacement style for everyday driving.
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")

OG member of the '67 Posse

A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental

[pastellgreen]

@florida deluxe: Yes, I always keep a whole second same car (two pearl white '61), so I don't need to swap parts...

Concerning the correct lenses, I'm confident: After a one day search, I was able to source a pair of these. One through Ebay:

And the other one through thesamba:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2348994

Unbeliveable!
But I will look after these also in future, it's always nice to keep a spare part.

[carcrazed]

I just checked my '61. The VW logo is at the bottom. I am 99% sure they are original to the car.
_________________
1965 Herbie Replica. 1776cc dual Kads.
1961 Beetle 33,000 Original Miles

"Just When you think you are getting ahead, you're always wrong."

[pastellgreen]

Interesting. Are yours really asymmetrical and do you have a picture?

I could imagine they are not from BOSCH but from another Company such as HELLA, or also they are symmetrical.

[pastellgreen]

So I got the two parcels. One with a lens only, the other consists from a set of headlights, only one with a VW Logo.

After taking apart the headlight assembly, taking to a guy who is really firm with restoring these lights, I have following information:

For the european cars, the model year 1960 was the last one with symmetrical headlights but the first model year with chrome rings with BOSCH Sign like this:

This sign stayed also for the asymmetrical headlight lenses in model year 1961. I suspect the sign disappeared together with the VW Logo on the lens mid 1961.

[pastellgreen]

After cleaning the two lenses, I found some differences. These lenses are one-year-onlies, but came from two different mouldings:

Also, the glass itself seems to have differences in its composition. The left lens appears to be ultra clear, the right one has a yellowish tint:

I cleaned both as well as I could and have the impression, this tint is no dirt. Could other things influence the appearence of the glass?