Date:         Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:02:18 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: 60 years ago this week
In-Reply-To:  <016201c7d386$e8451b70$0401a8c0@cspfr2>
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>Ol' Ben brought a few VW's over here to sell.  Not much interest but he sold
>the ones he brought over in order to pay for his ticket back to Europe.  The
>bugs eventually caught on. He then saw a flatbed truck being used to ferry
>parts around the VW plant and then drew a box with 4 wheels on it on a
>napkin (like the Stonehenge from Spinal Tap) as his design for a new
>vehicle.  The new vehicle was the VW bus. The first one was on a bug chassis
>which bent in half under the weight. The new reinforced version was a hit
>all over the world for those who desperately needed a box on wheels that
>went up to 50 mph.
>
>Later someone added a sloped windshield to that box on wheels and found a
>way to make water leak out of the motor.  With a couple hundreds pounds of
>camping gear these vehicles found homes with crazy people who like to throw
>money at them.

I just can't understand why people believe Pons was the inventor of
the Type 2. A box with a Beetle floorpan ain't a Type 2. An indirect
predecessor, perhaps, but no more than that.

The first Type 2 was built in 1949... every panel was handmade (oh,
baby, where is it now??). It LOOKED just like a Barndoor, which is
basically what it was. This vehicle was not designed or styled by
Pons. I don't think it used a Beetle chassis either... too narrow,
with no crossmembers. It was indeed not strong enough, and was
redesigned for production.

And whoever styled it was a genius. How to make something shaped like
a box (or loaf of bread) look NICE, well, whoever he was, he
succeeded.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut