Oh to own a 'British' Beetle! · International Vintage Volkswagen Forums

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Old Blue
pre67vw Junkie Topic Starter

14 years ago

Its all very well owning an early Volkswagen, but at the end of the day when you take it along to a non-VW vintage or classic car show in England, some folk wonder what it is doing on show alongside 'proper' vintage/classic cars. It wouldn't be the first time that I've been directed to the public car park by a marshall on my arrival to display a VW at such an event.

Our Morris Minor is much more appreciated and welcome by the British public at an English classic car show than any VW will ever be it seems. No comments of 'why spend-time and money preserving THAT German car' when displaying the Morris of course, or 'why keep a Crout car?' as I've been asked by senior citizens. Even now, so many years after the war, there are still many older folk that hold the Beetle with contempt.

Would be great to own a Beetle with an interesting UK history. There is of course the odd UK known Beetle like Tony Levy's Rattletrap, which wins hearts over with its history and past appearances on British television and in newspapers/magazines due to its incredible mileage and survival against all the odds. But how many others? I can't think of any really.

The ultimate goal is to own a Beetle from those really early VW days, 1945-1948... a VW built under British direction. Such a car would be great to take along to UK car shows, to show that the British actually saved the Beetle after the war, and maybe appease the 'anti -Hitler's car' brigade.

It is a goal that is getting less likey though, the spiraling prices are taking care of that.:(

1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!

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Rich Oakley
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

I've taken my '47 along to generic classic car shows. It attracts a bit of interest but I guess no more than if I took a run-of-the-mill split or oval.

There are a handful of interesting early cars out there with 'UK' history that I know of. I personally don't class Tony Levy's old car as one.

47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.

Lost64
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

In the early 1990's I took my fully restored '64 Beetle to several classic car rallies up here in Scotland. I had mixed reactions to it; some spectators loved it, and would stop by to reminisce about their own ownership experiences with a Beetle.For me that was a real highlight to my day.

Others would walk by, ignoring it.

However things became much more obvious when my car began to win it's class at these shows, the organisers were faced with other disgruntled participants saying things like "that's not a real car", "how could you let that thing win". It never deterred me however, I kept taking it along. For me it was a day out in good company, a chance to show the car, and moreover to show what I've always believed, the Beetle, and other older VW's have a rightful place in the overall classic car scene.
Without my support, and I'm sure the support of others on this website who show their cars at non-VW meetings, the British classic car scene wouldn't be nearly so varied, and some of these events might not still be ongoing.

(I have to add that I did laugh up my sleeve when my 'humble' little car beat more prestigious marques at what were then very serious events!).

Pretentious, moi?

Robb
Guest

14 years ago

to be honest, for one reason and another i did more classic car shows last year, then vw shows......

i won best of show at 2 and runner up at another.......the judges were crawling all over it like a load of ants. So havent encountered any negative comments. :?

RoRoVw
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

Old Blue wrote:

You must go to some very strange car shows if that's the reaction you're getting!
I've shown my beetles at general classic car shows and never encountered the views and comments that you've received. Without exception the people who come up to chat have fond memories of beetles right from the immediate post war days, through the 50's and 60's and beyond. Nearly everyone seems to have had relatives or neighbours with one. I often see what I think of as 'modern' cars displayed at classic car shows, ie Austin Allegros, Marinas, Mercedes 190 etc etc. I think that a 50's or 60's beetle is far more a 'classic' than those cars and so far more deserving of a place in those shows.

ianmac
Guest

14 years ago

I'd say generally people are interested, driving a early VW probably turns more heads than an MG / Morris whatever. In fact it becomes tiring sometimes answering endless questions from passing memebers of the public, i'd say on the few ocassions I drove my mothers MG no-one would even look twice.

Mike Peckham
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

Generic Classic car shows are great, I have taken my VWs to many and if I'm honest, propbably enjoy them more than VW shows. Have shown my beetles several times in line ups with British Cars and never had a negative comment. The ubiquity of the beetle means that there are always people at shows who have memories of them that they want to share.

I think all beetles are interesting, all the more so if they have a known history. I personally don't think that Tony Levys 53 Zwitter with it largely apocryphal story is as facinating as cars that have a more "domestic" story to tell. But that's just me. :wink:

Mike :thumbup:

July 1957 UK supplied RHD Oval. 1972 World Champion Beetle. 1978 UK supplied RHD 1303LS Cabriolet. 1973 UK supplied RHD 1303s.

69project
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

i took my 51 to its only show appearance at the cranleigh lions classic in surrey somewhere...as i sat next to it the comments were hilarious,what an odd rear window/where has the paint gone? and the best one from a guy in a tweed jacket "he wants how much for that german thing!"

Car less.....

pre67vw
Administration

14 years ago

and the best one from a guy in a tweed jacket "he wants how much for that german thing!"

69project wrote:

Yeah sorry... That was me.

:rofl:

Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW

AW
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#10

I had never had any problems at the shows i went to:d

Andy W

beefykeefy
Guest

14 years ago

#11

Mike Peckham wrote:

Personally find that there are more people interested in my stock 67 at generic classic shows than at a great deal of the VW only shows, excluding Stamford Hall and the likes...

Never had any problems or negativity; car in general seems to receive universal like factor.

Ivan
Regular

14 years ago

#12

69project wrote:

That would have been a few miles from my house in... Cranleigh.

rudolf hucker
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#13

The Beetle, was until recently, an everyday sight on our roads and the fact that the basic shape did not change greatly means that most people still view them as a reasonably modern car.
I must admit that my 72 Beetle does not get much attention but I had to fight adoring fans off yesterday while I was having a nice cup of tea in my split camper!.

Rudy

lifeintheslowlane
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#14

...I had to fight adoring fans off yesterday while I was having a nice cup of tea in my split camper!.

rudolf hucker wrote:

Adoring fans?:roll: They only like your camper because they think you can smuggle them over the border to Greece.

John.

rudolf hucker
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#15

I was in Milford on Sea!! A long way from Greece! I don't suppose that this sort of thing happens to Charming Queer owners? I guess that anyone would have to be passing your garage to start a conversation about your machine.(cant do smiley things):wink:

FYI

In Albania the Karmann Ghia is refered to as a charming queer. The 1303 is known as a 13...... oh dear!! Single cab pick ups are scabs.....Oh how we laughed?

My english is getting more better?....yes?

rudolf hucker
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#16

Oooh er..................just realised.....I CAN do smiley things!!

lifeintheslowlane
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#17

In Albania the Karmann Ghia is refered to as a charming queer.

rudolf hucker wrote:

I know things of beauty are alien to you and your fellow countrymen...wasn't it you who showed me a picture of your national pin-up Olga Chuffitch...she had tufts of hair growing from a wart on her chin!!

My english is getting more better?....yes?

rudolf hucker wrote:

Your english is getting more better?....NO.

John.

AW
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#18

We need to see a photo of Olga Chuffitich :thumbup:

Andy w

lifeintheslowlane
pre67vw Junkie

14 years ago

#19

We need to see a photo of Olga Chuffitich :thumbup:

Andy w

AW wrote:

Her early career was a shot putter...before the sex-change:

John.

Old Blue
pre67vw Junkie Topic Starter

14 years ago

#20

Those halcyon VW days!

Looking through my late father's boxes of bits I found some interesting insights from those early days of old Beetle enthusiasm in the UK.

He went to the very first VW Actions way back in the 1970s in his trusty 'Old Blue'.

Of interest is the list he'd kept of the split-windows seen there, one for each consecutive year;

1946 - LAL 23, D.Smith
1947 - JLT 420, Colbourne's Garages
1948 - 1948 VW, Jim Murray
1949 - TJJ 62, Rod Sleigh
1950 - 10 BXK, Tony Levy
1951 - SLH 16, D.Smith
1952 - MRT 308, J. Miller

Of all those, it seems that the only two still here in England are Colbourne's '47 and Tony Levy's '50 'Rattletrap', both of which did so much to bring interest to the now established hobby that we enjoy today.

1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!

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