65 years of VW in SA

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31 August marks 65 years since the first Beetle rolled off the SA assembly line in Uitenhage.

[Tony Z]

Whoo hoo!!!
Just to think, I went to the 50 year celebrations in PE - I am getting old

[Jdt1976]

31 August marks 65 years since the first Beetle rolled off the SA assembly line in Uitenhage.

Or was it? Who would really know and I don't think it really matters but it is interesting to read it if you didn't do before.

Thanks to Wernher Hartzenberg, copied the link from Aircooled Wonders and to John Lemon that wrote the article.

http://www.aircooledwonders.com/feature ... not-first/

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LOL. Yes, there's evidence that the first Beetle that rolled off the SA assembly line wasn't actually assembled on the line. But it did roll off the line today 65 years ago.

[Pine]

65 Years of Beetle Mania in SA

Sixty five years ago, on 31 August 1951 the first South African assembled Volkswagen (Type 1) left the production line at the SAMAD (South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors) factory in Uitenhage, which would become the much-loved Beetle.
In the meantime businessman Baron Von Oertzen, who became known as the ‘father of Volkswagen South Africa’, was offered
the Volkswagen distributing franchise forSouth Africa. He was able to secure his first import permits in return for brokering the export of South African wine. One good deal led to another and in July 1951, the Baron was present at the historic agreement signed between Volkswagenwerk in Germany and SAMAD Ltd to assemble and distribute Volkswagens in Uitenhage.
Volkswagenwerk in Wolfsburg sent two fully assembled Beetles to Uitenhage as training tools for local workers. The Beetle’s
instant popularity in South Africa was not surprising as it had already begun to take the world by storm. An impressive 290 cars were sold by the end of that year and Beetle mania.

The success of the Beetle was in its simplicity, offering owners an easy to maintain, economical family car. In 1951 you could buy a brand new Beetle for just R1 050! By 1958 the beloved Beetle became the best-selling car in South Africa, and held this position for the 65next six consecutive years.

[Pine]

Whoo hoo!!!
Just to think, I went to the 50 year celebrations in PE - I am getting old

Ditto! Was there too with the brown Variant. I think that was the year Ashley rolled his son's Ghia near Middelburg?

Do you have any pics of the event?

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Just for clarity, this day does not commemorate VWSA's birthday, but the anniversary of local Beetle production. VWSA was only founded in 1966; before that VWs were locally assembled by SAMAD (SA Motor Assemblers and Distributors), which also assembled other makes, most notably Studebakers and Austins, as noted in the article Pine reposted above.

[Tony Z]

Whoo hoo!!!
Just to think, I went to the 50 year celebrations in PE - I am getting old

Ditto! Was there too with the brown Variant. I think that was the year Ashley rolled his son's Ghia near Middelburg?

Do you have any pics of the event?

Yip, it was that year alright. 4 of us drove up in Janna's bus.
I might have pics on undeveloped film somewhere or deep in an unpacked box, but nothing digital

[Pine]

Have to add that it was a very well organised show, organised by the Uitenhage Rotary Club with absolutely NO involvement by VWSA

[Pine]

Each employee received a 50 year anniversary watch from VWSA in 2001. In 2009 I bought one on BidorBuy, which I gave to Werner Alker for his museum. This is what it looked like:

[Jdt1976]

[quote="Pine"]Each employee received a 50 year anniversary watch from VWSA in 2001.

Lol, today they got an email: