Barndoor Coachbuilders #4: Kastenhofer

[AustroBus]

Hi again!

Maybe the one or other user still remembers my other threads from a few years ago - all about coachbuilders that converted VW barndoor panels back in the 1950s:

#1 Coachbuilder: Hans Kohlruss
#2 Coachbuilder: Karl Schreiner
#3 Coachbuilder: Unknown ones

Those threads have been created in 2016 and i did not fill them with much content anymore.. Mostly because my friends and I are collecting lots of old photos as well as stories from former owners - all with the goal to publish them in a book in the near future. Only depends on when my friend finally takes the time...

But back to topic. Due to some brand new discoveries that i made, i decided to continue this series today.

Everybody please learn more about another - in the VW scene so far basically unknown - Austrian coachbuilder:

Karosseriefabrik IG. Kastenhofer & Cie.

This company existed from about 1912 until 1980 in the third district of Vienna, Austria. They worked with all kind of cars, initially even built bodies for planes! This coachbuilder business survived the First World War, the financial crisis of the 1930s and the Second World War!

Some of you might even be interested in the fact, that in the workshop of Kastenhofer VW-related cars like a Porsche 356/2 Cabriolet (Gmünd-Series) with chassis number #004 or the first Denzel sportcars have also been bodied.

And of course with the early 1950s several VW Barndoor panels also found their way into the garage of the Kastenhofer coachbuilding company.

Here is a vintage photo – showing their workshop and 8 coachbuilt barndoor buses:

This is an ad from a magazine in late 1953.

Take a look at special details like:
- added windows behind the b-pilar, 2 short and a long one
- shiny aluminium frames around the windows
- additional headlights on the front roofs (on the buses in the background)
- a wooden window frame - visible on the inside of the passenger side of the bus in the front (light rectangular frame) - right where the flash of the photo camera hits the upper aluminium frame of the second window.
_________________
Blog website:www.austrosplit.com
1967 Deluxe VW Bus - Resto Thread

Barndoor Coachbuilder Topics:
"Hans Kohlruss & Co"

[AustroBus]

Two very rare vintage pictures and an ad

_________________
Blog website:www.austrosplit.com
1967 Deluxe VW Bus - Resto Thread

Barndoor Coachbuilder Topics:
"Hans Kohlruss & Co"

[AustroBus]

The surviving Kastenhofer Barndoor Buses

Yes, you have been reading right! In Europe two buses from Kastenhofer survived.
To be honest they do not have any coachbuilder badges, but i think it is quite obvious who built them.. if you compare them with the photos shown above.

1953 Ex company Fire brigade bus of "OKA Gmunden" - now in UK

1952 - recent barn find from Slovakia


Both buses have some similar details such as:
- the long window in the back - with roll up/wind down mechanism (!!!) and wooden frames on the inside
- a strange sunvisor
- glas panes from a viennese company - logos by "Sicherheitsglas STELZL - Wien VII"
- a cover for the inner area right where the upper air vents are
- the same interior panels for the front doors
- holes in the front roof (even though the red bus had this area welded a few years back. but before that, the holes were present)
_________________
Blog website:www.austrosplit.com
1967 Deluxe VW Bus - Resto Thread

Barndoor Coachbuilder Topics:
"Hans Kohlruss & Co"

[AustroBus]

Further info

I really did a lot of research on that topic over the last week. Tracing down the entire available history of Kastenhofer workshop in Vienna. Additionally i also contacted the owners of these two surviving buses and asked them for a few interesting detail photos.

Visit my website to read more about that. It's just to much text to write it down here again:
https://austrosplit.com/en/research-vintage-vw/vwt1-coachbuilders-1950s/kastenhofer-workshop-vienna/

I can't tell you how happy i am that i was able to discover this missing part of austrian automobile history - and that (concerning the VW buses) after almost 70 years!

Let me know your thougths below.
_________________
Blog website:www.austrosplit.com
1967 Deluxe VW Bus - Resto Thread

Barndoor Coachbuilder Topics:
"Hans Kohlruss & Co"

[djfordmanjack]

tremendous investigation work, Alex !

I wonder if this is a converted split bug roll up crank ?

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Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !
52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
54 Oval project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior

[busben]

Really great information

[AustroBus]

Thank you Günter & Ben!

I can't really tell as i did not see a split bug crank in person yet.

But in the meantime i received some hints, that there might also be a third surviving bus in a hidden collection somewhere in Germany! How cool is that? This also gives me hope that a second Kohlruss or the first Schreiner bus will also show up one day!
_________________
Blog website:www.austrosplit.com
1967 Deluxe VW Bus - Resto Thread

Barndoor Coachbuilder Topics:
"Hans Kohlruss & Co"

[Bendango]

Also for sale right now!!!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2398775
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I want a real garage.

WANTED - [WTB] 55-62 Bus Thin Lip Package Tray SWR

Getting Used - SWR 60 westy copy built by vw ( apparently )
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320866

[mandraks]

alex

was there not another barndoor with rollup windows at HO a while back? from the UK?

I am getting old and forgetful, so i don't remember the owner...
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regards

Uli

----------------------------------------
'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[Bendango]

[karl h]

the 52 is for sale

_________________
61 panel: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=465022
68 ghia vert
arctic alice (63 ragtop on irs): http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,27456.0.html
86 Caravelle
04 new beetle vert

[karl h]

not mine, just thought the pics sjouldnt get lost when the ad is deleted

here is the text of it:
Very unique VW T1 Viennese coachbuilt barndoor with windup windows is up for sale. Only one worldwide known with windup windows and aluminium window frames.

This 1952 barndoor started its life as a panelvan, originally delivered to Porsche Salzburg. In 50s this bus was brought to coachbuilding company called Kastenhofer, located in Vienna, Austria.

In July 1913, Ignac Kastenhofer officially founded the company „Ignac Kastenhofer & Cie“. They built car bodies and aluminum superstructures of all kinds. Initially, the company was also active in aircraft construction, but this activity soon stopped.

Interesting facts: A Porsche 356/2 Cabriolet built by the Kastenhofer company with the chassis number 004 was exhibited at automobile fairs in Vienna and Geneva around 1949.
Denzel’s oldest surviving car (dated 1949) was also bodyworked in 1948 in the Kastenhofer workshop in Vienna. This vehicle can still be seen today in the Prototype Museum in Hamburg.

You can read more about the company here: /

With the beginning of the 1950s and the introduction of the Volkswagen Transporter, almost all Viennese coachbuilders used the potential of this versatile vehicle and converted panel vans into window buses, camping vehicles and advertising cars. Of course the Kastenhofer bodywork factory also did that and after 70 years here you can see a proof!

There is only one other Kastenhofer barndoor known – red 1953 with windup windows but this one does not have the aluminium trimming around windows.

Other than these two buses – there is only one more austrian known coachbuilt barndoor – Kohlruss. Kohlruss and Kastenhofer were both based in Vienna and there were some workers that have been building buses in both of the companies.

The typical modifications for Kastenhofer buses are added windows to the side, mostly 3 windows per side (we got a proof that there were also 13 window buses built), wind up windows, aluminium frames around windows, full wooden interior – frames around doors, windows, roof, pillars,...), added headliner, windows with „Stelzl“ logo, interior panels, and more details.

I found this bus in 2020 very close to Vienna, Austria, that indicates it spent its whole life in the same area.
Surprisingly, it was not in bad condition compared to other barndoors found last years. I did welding job, all the typical areas were repaired, chassis rails were pretty good and did not needed a replacement.

Engine is 25hp which was in place when I found the bus, it was completely rebuilt around 300km ago, I kept every visible part original, not repainted so it matches the bus. Original distributor present.

Gearbox is original to the bus, the crashbox one. Brakes are completely rebuilt. I just installed new link pins to the front axle recently. New wiring loom by VWlooms from UK installed. All 4 original 3.50x16“ rims are present. Original front bumper, doors, sekurit windows, handles with 1 key. Fresh set of Firestone deluxe champion 6.00x16“ tires.

Interior – original dashpod, 9 seats, front seat is original to the bus, middle is later one and rear was there when I found it – installed by the coachbuilder. Front door cards are original to the bus even with aluminium covers on the bottom parts. And very important part of the bus – the wood work. In „as found“ condition the wooden parts were in poor state, but we managed to copy all the parts that were there, even we kept a few of them original! Was a lot of work, crazy how they did it 70 years ago but it is done and it looks amazing. I have lots of photos of original wood and of course I kept all the old wood in the box.

Paint – originally delivered in doveblue, but coachbuilders always changed the colour as their own stamp. When this bus was converted, they put a new paint to it – dark green. There is lots of „original“ green paint on the bus, however of course I had to make a few paint blending jobs. Under the green there is still full doveblue first paint, would be shame to remove the green as it is a big part of the history, but it sure is a good feeling you got full original paint hidden on the bus.
_________________
61 panel: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=465022
68 ghia vert
arctic alice (63 ragtop on irs): http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,27456.0.html
86 Caravelle
04 new beetle vert