VW TRIVIA

- By Herschel D. -

1. When Hitler went looking for someone to build Germany’s "people’s car", he at first picked a man named Joseph Ganz, who had already done work on such a car. He even called his car a Volkswagen and is now credited for having done some of the groundwork that influenced the actual VW’s development. However, Mr. Ganz was Jewish. So when Hitler discovered that, Ganz was out! Ganz escaped Germany soon after that too! So Hitler picked Ferdinand Porsche instead, who had already developed the 1932 Zundapp "Volksauto" and the 1934 NSU Volksauto.

2. "Ghia" is the name of the Italian design studio where the Karmann Ghia body design was created, apparentl7y influenced by a contemporary Chrysler design also created there

3. In Europe, the VW Type II Microbus is knows as a "Samba", which I think means "Little One."

4. In Europe, a "limousine" is the name of an ordinary sedan, so VW’s 2-door sedan was called that in the early days.

5. U.S. Carmakers began converting from 6 volts to 12 volts in the late ‘50s and European cars in the ‘60s. The reason was not because the 6 volts didn’t work well. I asked someone who had worked at a VW dealership in the mid-69s if he could remember the new ’67 model’s headlights looking brighter than still new ’66 models. He said no. When there has been no deterioration, 6 volt lights do provide light, but the lower volts having less "push" do succumb to dirt and oxidation a lot faster ans severely than do 12 volts; answer was WD-40 and/or renewed wiring or convert to 12 volt. Anyway, the reason the auto industry converted to higher voltage was not the deterioration. It was the fact that with all the newer battery-challenging accessories being added to cars, such as AC, more voltage was needed to handle the greater load. Thus 12 volts! The industry is soon to do so again! Because all the on-board computers are stressing the 12 volt systems. Next to come: 24 volts!

6. When the New Beetle Concept One was designed at VW’s California design studio, they had a 1946 Beetle there as inspiration.

TOP

1. In the US, horsepower is measured by S.A.E. standards, which stands for Society of Automotive Engineers. In Europe the standard is D.I.N. What does that stand for? I find hardly anyone that knows this, not even native Germans; do you? I’d like to hear from you even though I already know what D.I.N means.

2. In German, what car part is a "scheibenwischer?"

3. When was the first prototype for the WWII Kubewagen made?

4. Name a brand name of car radio made for the earliest Beetles!

5. Is the New Beetle’s wheelbase longer or shorter than the old?

6. When did VW go from screw connectors to slip- ons in the VW wiring?