PUNJAB HERITAGE MOTORING CLUB

Punjab Heritage Motoring Club
3-Lower Back,Noble enclave
Opp park plaza
LUDHIANA, PUNJAB 141001
India

ph: 0091 9876800700
fax: 0091 161 3016777
alt: 0091 9814000300


                  Interesting facts from the past

VW Fact # 1 In 1962, more VWs were registered in the US than Studebakers, Lincolns, Renaults, Volvos, Mercedes, Triumphs, M.G.'s, and Porsches combined.

 

VW Fact # 2: Introduced in April 1969, the Ford Maverick was the first of the domestic small cars developed to compete with Volkswagens.

 

VW Fact # 3: The 1961-63 Type 3 heater was overdesigned and could easily melt the plastic heat exchangers under the rear seat if left running full blast. The design was changed in 1964 to incorporate a fresh-air mixer.

 

VW Fact # 4: The first official production "walk-through" Bus was made in 1958.

 

VW Fact # 5: VW built a plant in Emden for three reasons: the port was within a mile of the factory, efficient rail facilities, and a labor surplus.

 

VW Fact # 6: In 1964 "Device AB for Hand Operating of Controls of VW by Disabled Persons" sold for about 382 DM. It could be purchased directly from the German manufacturer and installed at the VW dealer.

 

VW Fact # 7: In August, 1966, the Volkswagen Transporter line became 12 volt.

 

VW Fact # 8: In February, 1963, US dealers sold a total of 22,745 vehicles, including 20,262 passenger cars and 2,483 trucks and wagons

 

VW Fact # 9: In June 1959, VWs took 1st and 2nd place in Australia's 1200 mile Ampol Tasmanian Trial. Tarred surfaces alternated with icy and snowy stretches of road, and mud up to 1 foot deep in places.

 

VW Fact # 10: On April 5, 1949, Testing of the VW Transporter prototypes ended.

 

VW Fact # 11: American "Tourist Delivery customers picking up cars in Hamburg in 1962 were presented a bouquet of flowers and personal instructions on the workings of their new car and how to drive it.

 

VW Fact # 12: VW sales from Wolfsburg amounted to nearly $2,325,000,000 in 1967.

 

VW Fact # 13: In May, 1964, VW dealers had a monthly sales record of 24,305 passenger cars and 3,603 Transporters.

VW Fact # 14: A 1960 Double Cab could be bought for $2330

 

VW Fact # 15: In early 1965, Nigeria imported its 15,000th VW from Wolfsburg.

 

VW Fact # 16: A 1959 VW Panelvan carries 1,830 pounds payload in 170 cubic feet.

 

VW Fact # 17: In 1962, Volkswagen Canada purchased an Elliott 5500 Addressing Machine to speed up bulk mailing. It clicked off addresses at the rate of 6,000 per hour.

 

VW Fact # 18: In 1968, each VW distributorship represented an investment of more than $2.5 million.

 

VW Fact # 19: The two-piece "splitcase" transmission was used through the 1960 model year for Beetles.

 

VW Fact # 20: In 1959, the 1,000th Westfalia Transporter Camper Conversion was built.

 

VW Fact # 21: In 1959, a new VW rolled off the final assembly lines every 19 seconds.

 

VW Fact # 22: During 1963, Volkswagenwerk exported 8,724 Bugs and Type 3s through the Tourist Delivery program.

 

VW Fact # 23: To help instruct mechanics in the metric system, VWoA produced oversized working replicas of three tools: a three-foot high dial indicator, a four-foot vernier caliper, and a four-foot micro-meter.

 

VW Fact # 24: A stock Bus Transmission is so over engineered, it can handle up to 150hp!

 

VW Fact # 25: In 1965, VWoA advised dealers to provide customers with a dealer-identified licence plate frame instead of the usual dealer sticker placed directly on the car.

 

VW Fact # 26: In the early 1960s, VW's standard dealerships were in a L-shaped design to provide sufficient space for establishing VWs 3-point system of workflow and communications, e.g. between parts-service-service office and parts-cashier-customer.

 

VW Fact # 27: In two daily shifts, the 46,000 workers at the Wolfsburg plant produced 4,700 cars a day in 1965.

VW Fact # 28: From, 1948-1965, Volkswagenwerk AG had invested about $1,275,000,000 into its plants and facilities

 

VW Fact # 29: In 1968, two VW innovations, not company sponsored, appeared on the American auto scene - the Dune Buggy (comprised of a cut-down VW chassis and a fiberglass body) and an Electric VW Bus.

 

VW Fact # 30: From 1956 to 1961 the VW 1200 Beetle won Swedish Reliability Challenge, a series of rigorous cross-country endurance contests.

 

VW Fact # 31: Vinyl covered walls, 2 roof windows, a 2-burner gas stove, a sink with drain, curtains on all windows, "Dormatic" seats, wardrobe, and a blanket locker were part of the standard equipment on the 1963 Dormobile Caravan.

 

VW Fact # 32: Volkswagen had kept the 1500 off the American market for four years so Bug sales would not be affected

 

VW Fact # 33: During 1963, Volkswagenwerk exported 55,271 Transporters to the rest of Europe.

 

VW Fact # 34: Late 1960s Volkswagen parts and accessories "Made in the U.S.A": Batteries were manufactured by Prestolite Division, Electra Corp., Toledo, OH

 

VW Fact # 35: One of the many VW innovations: Transparent brake fluid reservoir - 1961.

 

VW Fact # 36: In 1964, VW led the industry with 190 average sales per dealer from January through June. Chevy averaged 170 and Ford averaged 129 cars per dealer in the same six month period.

 

VW Fact # 37: Starting in 1964, the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company (a subsidiary of Goodyear Tire) manufactured "economy" tires for VWoA under the name "Autobahn".

 

VW Fact # 38: From late 1967, the Type III could be equipped on request with fuel-injection and an automatic three-speed gearbox.

 

VW Fact # 39: Of the 330,000 issues of the Summer, 1963 Small World magazine mailed out, 285,000 issues included a return postcard for owner feedback

 

VW Fact # 40: Only 42,510 Type 3 Ghias were ever produced by VW and Karmann

VW Fact #41:(Donated by Siddhartha Khona-Mumbai)The suggested retail price for the 1964 edition of the Instant Heater, made by Stewart-Warner, was $49.50 for Beetle sedans, $54.50 for Ghias and Buses. Installation costs were not included.

 

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Punjab Heritage Motoring Club holds no responsibilty for any deal,made by any member of the club.The buyer or the seller must ensure the deal in every manner before finalising,as this association is solely meant for the betterment of society and has nothing to do with sale,purchase of vehicles or other articles.

The entire data on this site is sole property of P.H.M.C .Copying of the content in any manner will attract legal action.



 

 

Punjab Heritage Motoring Club
3-Lower Back,Noble enclave
Opp park plaza
LUDHIANA, PUNJAB 141001
India

ph: 0091 9876800700
fax: 0091 161 3016777
alt: 0091 9814000300