1947 Standerd

[53 0val]

[vdubinit]

well its 30,000 obo now so is it now worth it or not
do those id tags mean it is a one off deluxe

[53 0val]

Even the "cornerstone" cars had chrome bumpers. There is a picture of '46s being put on a train by British Army personal and they all have chrome bumpers. When I find it, I'll try to scan it in. If I remember right, the hubcaps were painted though.
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"What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away." Dobee, Dobee, Do

[Wiggy]

Ben Pon picking up six of the first exports to Holland in 1947. Doesn't get closer to a factory photo than this (the factory is right behind). Note the chrome.

_________________
Kevin "Wiggy"

My 58 Ghia Vert

My 51 Split 11G

My 57 Deluxe

My 56 Oval

[Richard Roth]

The caption above the picture reads:
One of the first export model Volkswagens pictured in 1947. These cars had improved paintwork and chrome-plated trim (courtesy VW)
If you click on the picture to enlarge, you can read it.
This is an official factory photo taken right in front of the factory itself !

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The problem with reality is that there's no background music !

1966 Empi GTV MKIV
1954 Kabriolett Beetle
1953 Porsche 356 1500S
1957 Cable brake standard model
1962 cable brake standard model
1956 23 window Samba
1960 Austin Healey 3000
1961 Corvair Greenbrier

[johnshenry]

Cool. I wonder if Ben Pon Jr. makes a "Bordeaux Red". ???
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Scott H]

Which guy in the picture is Pon?
I've always assumed the guy on the left since he seems to be telling the other guy about the car but I've never heard for sure.
Anybody know? ..... and who's the other guy in the picture?

A quick Google turned up a picture of Pon, Jr. here:
http://www.bernardus.com/bw/biographies/bw5a.html

Strong resemblance to the guy on the left, so I think I answered my own question. I would still like to know who the other guy is.
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Scott

[Rome]

"quiet discussion at the Jaguar dealership"

Precisely, Nigel!

Or since we are dealing with GERMAN cars, "Ja wohl, Fritz!"

[Major Woody]

What a difference between here and the regular beetle forum. Over here the dialog is like a quiet discussion at the Jaguar dealership. Over there it's like Saturday afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese!

[Rome]

John Henry, quite right. My original post described those Pon Beetles lined up as seen from the FRONT (nose). The shot of Mr. Pon with the "first US Beetle" was taken from an entirely different angle.

Max Hoffman, based in NYC, usually had an excellent nose (and Midas touch) for the cars he distributed (among other cars, was the exclusive importer for BMW thru '75) but he must've had a head cold for the VW, sneezing it off in '55 when VoA was first established.

[vwbrain]

hey guys My 51 std was brought into the USA in new york by Max hoffman the history from wolfsburg said it had chrome hubcaps , handles, and bumpers no other chrome anywhere. I am thinking about selling it but really dont have the time for tire kickers and pix lookers if anybody is interested call me at work 540 389 8587 later Mark Dearing

[RichOakley]

It was decided by Wolfsburg, with exports in mind, quite early on (probably in '47) that not everybody in the world would like a 'dull' VW. To attract potential foreign buyers, it was suggested that some parts should be chromed to entice foreign buyers. Early Belgian (possibly un-official) exports in '47 and Swiss exports of '48 were usually shipped with chromed banana bumpers, nipple/large logo hubcaps and headlamp rims. These were known at the factory as 'export' models (but not sold as a deluxe/export model.
Meanwhile over in Merry Olde England, J Colbourne-Baber was happily purchasing the occasional car from Servicemen stationed in the UK (I have a couple of unpublished pics of his dealership somewhere dating from 1949). It was his policy to make these cars as shiney as possible to sell to the fickle UK market and hence he had these parts chromed.

[[email protected]]

If you look close at the rear bumpers you will set thay are shorter than the stock pre 49 bumper and they should be more tapered at the ends. looks like modifeid later bumper to me.
Pre 49 bumper are rare are than hens theeth
cool car I cant wait to but my 47 besides it at a show.

[twinwindows]

The early cars had chrome, period pictures do not lie and cuz I said so!

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CRG
My builds
BAD TEMPER 11
CHRISTINE
GFK LIFER!

[johnshenry]

Don't think that is the Ben Pon pic Rome is referring to. He is talking about 1947, when VW started exporting out of Germany to other European countries.
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[KantDriveFast]

[johnshenry]

Windsor Maine.
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Skim]

shit I wish I had known that show was going on. I was in Maine on Saturday. I could have gone. Where in Maine was it?
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GFK
Samba since before the towers collapsed. Still here.
1953 Kabriolet
1959 Lowlight Ghia vert
1960 Lt Grey Double Cab SMZ LEGIT
1963 Deluxe Turkis Walk Thru 15 Window OG Paint

[Rome]

Ben Pon, the Dutch VW importer in Amersfoort, brought in the first genuine export VWs in 1947. Many of you must remember the popular photo of a row of dark-colored Beetles viewed from the nose, with the tall Mr. Pon standing next to one. Those Beetles did have chromed bumpers and hubcaps.

VW offered an "export" model starting with the 1949 model year, which did have a bit more chrome and trim than Guy's car.

When I worked for the VW factory in Wolfsburg Germany from '80 thru '83, my very first business trip was to accompany somebody to drive to Pon's distributor office still in Amersfoort. By that time, the business was being run by his son. I was not as interested in vintage VWs at that time though.

While attending the Lottermann's great Vintage Meet in Germany back in '91, I met a man (Mr. Walter Herrmann, who has his type 82E Beetle featured in 9/05 HotVWs) who authentically restores vintage Beetles. He had a '47 Beetle at the show which was painted a more satin-look dark green, which was the correct sheen from the factory at the time. I do not know if the "chrome package" on Guy's car upgraded the paint to a glossy finish.

[Hebster52]

Radclyffe roadster built in 1946.... Note. no sidetrim. There were acctually not any so called standards until 1949 when the new export models became "deluxe's"

First beetle imported to Sweden in 1948....

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~Kris~
"The Hebster52" my Hebmuller replica build
The 912ST
The KidVRod project
The 356 Pre-A replica,SOLD
The 1966 Kommanderwagen, SOLD