Talk:Volkswagen Beetle

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An event mentioned in this article is a July 30 selected anniversary

1 Summary
2 Hitler's design influence
3 The [2] link
4 the 67 bug photo
5 discrepancy with 'volkswagen' page
6 Fuel Gauge
7 Need help for picture
8 Type 0
9 confusing layout
10 How to classify the Beetle?
11 Hitler designed the beetle?
12 How comes..
13 Model History pre translation
14 What can be done with the VW Beetle

[edit] Summary

...is utterly boring!

[edit] Hitler's design influence

RE:

Hitler himself played some role in the car's shape and, possibly, nickname. Dissatisfied with the initial design of the car's front end (and perhaps caught up in the 1930s' mania for all things streamlined) Hitler penned a more rounded shape on a napkin and handed it to Porsche with the instructions, "it should look like a beetle, you only have to look to nature to find out what true streamlining is."

Does anybody know where this quote came from, please? I've done a Google search and only found it in the Wikipedia article or its copies.

I was under the impression that Porsche copied the Beetle's design from the Tatra T97, though its quite possible that Hitler's influence in the beetle's design has been air-brushed out of its history.

If the quote is unsubstantiated then it's probably a fabrication and should be removed. Conch Shell 09:34, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

There was also a series of rear engined Mercedes which looked awfully like that with a rear engine, the Mercedes 130... [1]Hektor 22:38, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] The [2] link

This states Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich in the summer of 1932, Hitler designed the prototype for what would become the immensely successful Beetle design for Volkswagen.

Hitler didn't become chancellor until 1933 so judge this statement for yourself. Conch Shell 10:02, 6 May 2005 (UTC)

PS The drawing also shows a car with vertical headlights. These didn't become a feature until 1968, which also raises suspicions.

Another more comprehensive link

Another page where the pic is featured: [3]. Although that doesn't prove anything. DirkvdM 10:03, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] the 67 bug photo

the 67 has the correct headlights. this was the first year for these

Only in the USA - all other markets did not get the upright headlamps until the 1968 model year (August 1967 onwards).

The USA-spec 1967 Beetles had 12-volt electronics; an outdated book titled Volkswagens of the World featured post-1967 Beetles produced in Brasil and Australia which still had the 'bug-eyed' headlight housings. More information about Beetles produced outside Germany (e.g. Mexico, Brasil, South Africa) should be posted, especially for the differences between the European and locally-produced variants.

[edit] discrepancy with 'volkswagen' page

the volkswagen page says that those who paid into the savings scheme had it honoured after the war, this article says that they didn't - which is right?81.102.41.34 19:01, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

Both. The german page [4] says:

After the war the savings in the value of over 280 million Reichsmark, which had been acquired by approximately 340,000 persons (of it 70,000 after 1939), lost their value. Many savers tried to enforce their claims with legal means. Volkswagen could however successfully prove that it had never arrived in possession of the saver funds, because these were on a blocked account of the bank of the German work. The processes ended 1961, under exclusion of a legal claim to grant with the offer of Volkswagens, the prevented customer a discount of 600 DM with the purchase of a vehicle. Who wanted to buy no new car or couldn't, was paid off only 100 DM.

85.181.59.117 11:19, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fuel Gauge

One of the neat things I remember about our '67 bug was that the mechanical fuel gauge operated even when the engine was off. From what I understand this was replaced by an electric gauge around 1967-68, so I suppose we had one of the last. --JeffryJohnston 20:04, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Need help for picture

hey could someone check the picture on the page about the Sten gun. There is a picture about a french partisan with an american officer. We are trying to find what the car is. If anyone with an idea give me your opinion? paat 00:35, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

Well, it's definately not a Beetle. To me, it seems to have some similarities with Citroën 2CV and Citroën Traction Avant. What other Citroëns were there by that time? --Boivie 01:11, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

Whatever it is, it could have been altered like those lights on the wheel housing, for military prupaces. Only somone who knows the car would be able to say if it was or wasnt. Nick carson 11:07, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Type 0

I deleted this:

"Further more, some rumors suggest that the Beetle was originally designed for conversion into a makeshift armored car in times of war. Its style resembles a tankette without a turret or armor. There is no documentation or real-world support for these claims, however it is possible that they surfaced based on the misunderstanding of how elements..."

It's baseless, & an encyclopedia is not a forum for repeating preposterous rumors. Trekphiler 09:55, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] confusing layout

Someone please move The origins of the car date back to 1925... under the pictures. --Espoo 15:46, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to classify the Beetle?

Is it a compact car, a subcompact car...? It's definately not a sedan, since it's a two-box car (I agree with the coupé label). My suggestion is to reference it primarly as an economy car, since that page also describes other inexpensive vehicles of the post war era. Any other suggestions? -- NaBUru38 01:55, 21 October 2006 (UTC) How about a rear-engined fastback, just like for instance the fiat 500 / 600 ?

A funny question :-)) - for me, and as a german. Whose parents first owned a FIAT 500 bought 1958, Next car then was a VW 1200 A, the "Standard" (simple) beetle of those years, bought 1965. We sat in the back of the FIAT 500 with four children, and every time it was fight. Then with the beetle: luxury pure in respect of space. So IMHO: the Beetle is no "subcompact" car (=FIAT 500?) . But a "compact car" - related to american cars. In Germany the beetle was a "normal" car until the early 70ies. The only bad disadvantage was a lack of luggage space, compared with other "normal" german cars like Opel Kadett, Ford etc. BerndB

VW calls is a "Sedan" in all advertising. It has a seperate trunk (though at the front), which is how a sedan is classified, correct? macman2626

[edit] Hitler designed the beetle?

The text says:

The origins of the car date back to 1925, when Adolf Hitler drew concepts of the Beetle in a Munchen restaurant.

I seriously doubt this as Hitler is not really well-known for his engineering capabilities. In addtion, the German article mentions no such event. Is there any source for this assertion?--88.64.172.180 20:48, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

I reverted the sentence to an earlier version as I suppose this was vandalism.--88.64.172.180 21:01, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

?The text should not be merged due to the serious historical difference between the two ~~robertbowerman

I read somewhere that Hitler did draw a couple of very rough sketches of a streamlined bodyshell in outlining priorities for the "People's Car" project. I think I've even seen a photo of these sketches in one of the biographies.

Streamlining was new technology for autos in the '30s, having been first employed in the Chrysler Airflow. Of course, Hitler was not an engineer, but he did have some interest in automobiles, and as several of his biographers report, he was able to absorb surprising amounts of technical information about tanks, planes and other weapons. This does not make him the "designer" of the VW; he was basically its backer.

(Please understand, I am absolutely no admirer of Hitler in any way; it's just that I've read a lot about the Nazi phenomenon.)

Sca 16:47, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Streamlinig was new technology which was derived from airplanes and blister zeppelines in the 20ies in Germany and first was employed for car building by german cars. Hitler war fascinated by the possibilites of new techniques in many respects. But his demand was a savvy car, or more likely he is said as having supported this demand. AFAIK he did no sketches for the body shape of the later beetle. But former he was a (bad) painter.. The later shape does not reflect an influence of a bad painter.. BerndB

[edit] How comes..

that - if given VW Beetle - there occur two additional wrong engine types in the right box (V4 & R5 machines which were brickbuilders´ homemade works but were never series versions), and if given Volkswagen Beetle only the right flat 4 engiens show?? 217.191.227.81

[edit] Model History pre translation

Nick Carson & me agreed to do something for the beetle article. Here we are / 1st with a pre translation of the model history of the german featured article. Regards BerndB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Nick_carson#Model_history