I got my VW "Birth Certificate"

[KillerTux]

I just got my VW “Birth Certificate” but it is different then any other I have seen. It has some kind of security strip on the side I guess to stop counterfeit copies. My question is does Washington, USA mean the state of Washington or D.C.? Also what are hinged quarter windows.

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1964 Beetle Convertible

[Glenn]

Hinged 1/4 windows are "pop outs".

Here's what they used to look like.

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Glenn
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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[VW_MAN_73]

Where do you get the cirtificate? Do you go online and order it? How much? Thanks.

[jhicken]

Washington State.

-jeffrey
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Der Kleiner Kampfwagens

[KillerTux]

I guess my beetle has been through alot. Gone across country and it doesn't have the pop out windows.
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1964 Beetle Convertible

[daveteri]

My birth certificate also stated "Washington, USA". I emailed Susanne Wiersch, with VW museum with the same question. She stated that my VW was shipped to Washington DC. This makes sense, since my car was sold by a NC dealer.

[Fattie]

[wantsAbugg]

You can get them HERE:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=398
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[Yellowbeard]

KillerTux, your Birth Certificate looks just like mine.

There's a sticky in the 'General' forum.
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[Bugs'n'Pugs]

[NOVA Airhead]

I just received mine the other day and its the same format with the silver stripe.

I ordered it online. Do a search as someone posted the translation since the on-line site is only in German.

One think interesting on mine is that they did not have the engine number. It said "is not available". It didn't really matter since I know my engine is not original.

The shipping location would definitely be Washington State. Washington, DC does not have a deep water port for that type of freight. If anything, a car destined for DC would likely come into Baltimore.

The price has gone up on this do to the strengthening of the Euro against the dollar.
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Ghia Owner Emeritus

[Bookwus]

Hiya Killer,

Concerning the port of destination...................

VW DID have import facilities in Seattle for their air-cooled cars. However, VW identified that port as "Seattle". The M-Code for that port was US (S as in Seattle).

I agree with Nova in that DC does not have a deep water port and, that being the case, it is unlikely that Washington, DC was the port of destination. Would it have been possible for VW to actually land the cars some other place nearby and call it Washington?

However, I do wonder why the AutoMuseum MIGHT be referring to US as Washington. Given the location of your car, it would be more likely if the original port had been in DC.

I think that you might want to follow up with the AutoMuseum just to get a clear and authoritative final answer.
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Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

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[what year is it]

The Mid Atlantic distributor was just outside of Washington DC in Lanham,MD. Cars that were shipped there came in from Baltimore,MD, about 44 miles from there.

[NOVA Airhead]

Bookwus:

Good point. I had not thought of this. Did VW actually ship cars around to the west coast from Germany?

It would seem more likely that they would land in the US on the east coast and then be transported by rail to the west coast. Its seems like this would be cheaper and faster but I'm only guessing.

I have seen birth certificates with destinations of NY and Boston.
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Ghia Owner Emeritus

[Rome]

Most definitely to CA by ship, thru the Panama Canal. Biggest CA port was Los Angeles/San Pedro; another was in San Francisco. VWoA's Western office was in Culver City in the 60's, a suburb of Los Angeles. Once the cars were loaded into the ships (by crane), it saved alot of effort to not unload them to a train yard. They would've been subject to dust storms in the desert, vandalism from kids throwing things at the passing rail cars, bird droppings or hail for the cars on the top if they were not covered, etc. The additional week it took the ship to go from an eastern port to the LA port is more than offset by the arguments above. Plus, those ships held hundreds of cars; current ones even thousands. You'd need alot of trains, manpower and fuel costs to get such quantities cross-country. Ships since the late '70's have been the type where the car is driven into the ship, then driven out at its destination.

[clarkbre]

I don't know about you guys but it sucks having to put "state" everytime I have to tell someone the state I live in. Washington is right next to Idaho "state" and Oregon "state".

Anyways, in this case it would be Washington DC (not state). Geographically, it would be crazy to send a car from Europe to Seattle. You might as well send it around the world for that matter. California was the West Coast's delivery point.

[emu88]

I got mine,

But i cannot find anywhere what the M401 is. Ayone know at all??
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