There's an excellent book about the immediate post-war period at VW called: "Volkswagen Beetle - the Rise from the Ashes of War" by Simon Parkinson, 1996, Veloce Publishing Plc, available from either Amazon Books or Classic Motorbooks. In a nutshell, the British took over the factory in early May 1945. Production was re-started shortly thereafter, with a number of Kubelwagen being built from parts left at the factory. The factory was "repaired" using tarps, poles, etc. to initially secure the interior of the plant from the rain. By September 1995, the British Military Government placed an order for 20,000 beetles to be produced for use by the Occupying forces, the German Post Office, Red Cross, etc. Originally it was thought that the Kubelwagen would be the ideal vehicle for these organizations, however the plant which produced the Kubel bodies was in Berlin and under the control of the Soviets, so the beetle was given the nod. Car production resumed in late 1945. Here are the production figures for 1945-47 beetles: 1945 - 1,785 1946 - 10,020 1947 - 8,987
Ric |
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