Tabla de contenidos para December 2021 en VolksWorld

“the hope of seeing MKT 759F again sadly dwindles with each passing day” Having sent the last issue off to print, I awoke the next morning preparing for what should have been a relatively simple day on planet VolksWorld, dealing with emails and basic housekeeping prior to diving into the next mag. That all changed around 10.30am when Jo, my wife, asked, ‘Where have you moved the Beetle to?’ When I replied, ‘Nowhere’, her face looked puzzled. ‘Are you sure? Because it’s not on the driveway…’ It took a moment for things to sink in, followed by several minutes of confusion and despair as I stood on the driveway staring at the empty gap where the Bug was parked. To be honest, a month on, I still can’t believe that…

Addie Vroegindewij from Melissant in The Netherlands has been into VWs for over 20 years. Unsurprisingly, a few cars have come and gone in that time, but the ’72 1300 Beetle you see here was his first, bought in 1998, and so occupies a special place in his heart. Purchased 23 years ago as a basket case, the car has been rebuilt twice in that time, once as a quickie resto in his early 20s, and a second time as a nut and bolt renovation into the car you see here. Painted in the unusual choice of Late Bay Taiga Green, with a matching interior, we think you’ll agree he’s nailed his colours to the mast with this one, and produced a late model Looker that just works so well.…

“Andy prefers to call this car ‘GT-inspired’… as he based his modifications on the rare, lightweight factory GT models” Some cars just ooze style and character. And, as I pulled in at Karmann Konnection to check out the ‘cool little car’ I’d been told they had for sale, I immediately knew which ride KK sales manager, Paul Boosey, had been talking about. This ’65 356C belongs to serial Porsche collector, Andy Boyle but, as he’d finished the project and was looking to move it on, Andy handed it to the guys at KK to sell on his behalf. Paul explains: ‘Andy actually purchased the car from us a couple of years ago, so it’s almost as if it’s come home. For a short while, at least.’ Andy has owned more…

In these days of multiple air bags, driver assistance aids and safety cells, we as car drivers have never been safer. In fact, some manufacturers have gone as far as saying that nobody should die or suffer serious injuries in the next generation of vehicles. A wild claim considering the way some people drive, but one we certainly hope will be true one day. By comparison, early VWs were basic in design, yet surprisingly robust in their construction. The biggest problem was the proximity of front seat occupants’ heads to the windscreen, which became a major concern as the years went on. Split Screen Buses were the worst of all, as the entire body is perilously close to the front of the vehicle. “driving a classic VW remains a treat,…

The vintage automotive scene encompasses numerous varieties, from hot rods and muscle cars to Japanese classics and, of course, air-cooled Volkswagens. If truth be told, the latter have long been looked at with indifference, if not disdain, by the V8 crowd in particular, but that tide started to turn with the turn of the century. Signs stating ‘No VWs! No Minitrucks!’ at the entrance to car shows and cruise nights are now largely a thing of the past as all classic car enthusiasts realise we’re all just car guys at heart, and accepting ‘others’ is a more healthy way to enjoy our shared hobby. It likely boils down to the fact that pre-1980’s cars are increasingly uncommon sights on the road now. To the point that when we do pass…

Oettinger Kraftfahrtechnische Spezial Anstalt was founded in 1951 by the late ‘father of tuning’, Gerhard Oettinger. Unless you’re a student at the school of Old Speed, the surname will possibly sound more familiar to you than the full title of the company he formed. But go back and look at that company name again, paying close attention to the capital letters. Have you got it? Of course you have, it’s Oksa, right? Okay, so he took a little liberty and snagged another couple of letters to make Okrasa. Ah yes, that sounds better, doesn’t it? An altogether far more marketable brand name, even in his native Deutschland one would imagine. The marketing prowess goes further still though. Long before Viagra, India had already invented a ‘tonic for male impotence’ called…

“The Georg Fischer KdF Wagen was produced in two different sizes” The year was 1938, and a special event was taking place in the newly formed town of Stadt des KdF Wagens. The laying of the cornerstone for the new factory to produce an automobile for all German citizens was a reason to celebrate. Sadly, history proved the celebrations to be short lived but, when the new KdF Wagen was put on display at The Berlin Auto Show in the following year, it was received with great excitement. All German citizens were invited to participate in a savers programme toward the purchase of their own KdF Wagen and, in total, some 700,000 people paid in over 380 million Reichsmarks. Of those, 336,000 citizens completed the programme, but not a single…

South Coast cruisin’ Hey guys, I just thought you would like to see some pictures of our latest club cruise out, which took place in Dorset on 9 October. I founded the South Coast Beach Buggies club and regularly organise meets and cruises, typically starting in Christchurch. In this case, we cruised along the Bournemouth coast and, as you can imagine, turned a few heads along the way. We’re always looking for like-minded Buggy owners to join us and you can find more about the club by searching for South Coast Beach Buggies on Facebook. Steve Kynaston via email…

When unveiled in 1969, Volkswagen owners were surprised to discover a new model in the line up with a shape that bore no resemblance whatsoever to the beloved Beetle. The square lines were somewhat reminiscent of the wartime Kübelwagen, but it was marketed as a fun car. It would adopt different names depending on locality, with Europeans generally sticking to VW’s rather austere Type 181 (left-hand drive) and 182 (right-hand drive) nomenclature. German enthusiasts called it the Kübel, for obvious reasons, while Brits preferred Trekker. In the United States, after an open competition to come up with a suitable name, settled on Thing. The 1974 car you see here, therefore, is a Thing as it belongs to Southern California resident, John Meade, who chose a rather unusual treatment when he…

When you speak to most people who aren’t into Volkswagens and mention you have an old VW Bus, the usual question is, ‘Is it a Split Screen one?’ Followed by, ‘Do you surf?’ Groan. Splits may be the most iconic of all VW Buses but, in the same way a ’67 Beetle is the best all rounder, there’s a lot to be said for an Early Bay Window when it comes to looks and practicality. Early Bays are undoubtedly the best compromise for a useable Bus that still retains some of the charm of the earlier models, and for that reason it’s the one many would choose, hands down, even if money was no object. Liam Murphy from Folkestone in Kent would be inclined to agree. He also owns a…

The Radial Motion three-cylinder engine is a four-stroke, twin spark, dry sump, petrol motor with 120-degree configuration. It features a common journal crank, three gear-driven camshafts and pushrod actuation. Heads can be either water, air or oil cooled, and valve sizes are 2-inch intake and 1.5-inch exhaust. With 99mm bores and 86.5mm stroke, the capacity is 1998cc, though a 2.1-litre version is also available. Compression ratio can be set between 8.5 and 11:1, depending on application, and it can be specified with either triple Mikuni carburettors or direct port injection with either a single throttle body or ITBs, with MoTeC electronic engine control. Weight is 75-95kg, depending on induction system used. Radial Motion say the engine produces around 100bhp and 150Nm of torque per litre, but clearly that’s a moveable…