Volkswagen Beetle "Pretzel": a time capsule that is not even worth restoring (18 photos)

Volkswagen Beetle is a legendary car, one of the most massive cars of the 20th century, produced with a total circulation of 21.5 million copies. This is along with the Latin American production.





In Latin America, "Beetles" are still used in as cars for every day, while German-made cars are of collectible value. The rarest are the cars of the early issues, their main external difference is an oval rear window, but this copy is unique even against their background. This is the so-called "Brezel", nicknamed for its double rear window, each halves of which resembled a bun in shape.



Before us is a car made in 1950 (Typ 11A), body number 142 405. Export version, as evidenced by the abundance of chrome and hydraulic brakes, which began to be put on the export version sometime in April 1950. On the domestic market of Germany, they continued to release the usual Type 11 with mechanically driven brakes.





Volkswagen Beetle was positioned as a budget car, Save money on everything you see. Pay attention to the color of the body, it is in native paint, and it has never been glossy, even from the factory.



Inexpensive enamels in those years required polishing after painting, for giving them gloss, and they also saved on this. many owners polished their beetles by hand.



The interior is poorly preserved, but the upholstery is all original. Foam is not here instead of it, some plant, from which washcloths were also made. Forgot, what is it called. In general, everything is natural, no synthetics.









One of the distinguishing features of Bretsel is the absence of vents in the doors. It was cheaper that way. Rotary windows at the "Beetles" will appear later, and as to me - completely in vain, because in the end they will be abandoned, so Volkswagen in the late forties looked into the distant future.



The instrument panel drove me into a stupor. From actually, devices here only the speedometer. And that's it. There are also 4 control lamps - oil pressure, lack of charging, turn signals (they are semaphore type, hidden in middle pillar) and high beam. Where is the fuel gauge?



It will appear later, in 1953, but for now the driver was asked to look into tank before the trip, and measure the level of gasoline with a ruler. I used to be like that did the same when the fuel sensor failed in Kopeyka.



Nearby is an electric clock, a very expensive accessory for those times. Save on the necessary device and set the clock - strange approach.



The pedal block can not be called comfortable. Off center right seats, pedals are too close together - common the problem is in budget cars of the first half of the 20th century.



Finally, let's look under the hood, because there is still a native motor of this Brezel, a four-cylinder boxer with a volume of 1.1 liters, with compression ratio 5.8, giving out power of only 25 hp.



The engine block is made of magnesium alloy, the so-called "Electron", which makes this car related to the Czechoslovak Tatra-87. Alloy very light, but the parts from it are practically unrepairable. heads aluminum alloy cylinders, which was also an innovation in the era the dominance of cast-iron cylinder heads.





Car up for sale for a hefty $85,000. Perhaps it the only Typ 11a that has survived to this day in its native paint, for with the exception of the roof, and with a native interior. If I bought it, I probably wouldn't. I would restore it, but I would leave everything as it is. Sosay, it is beautiful in its own way, like an old dusty bottle excellent drink made from grapes, very long aging.