Aircooled VW South Africa

Cool vintage Kruger National Park post card

And even back then the Beetle had a long queue of cars behind it!

More importantly, check the roof rack and those uber cool and super rare ribbed bumpers with the tiny over riders...

Personally, whats even cooler than the rear split windows, is the smaller split window beetle windscreen. How cool does that look??

Muds

Through some serious wheeling, dealing and negotiations I finally managed to get the original post card I showed at the beginning of the thread!

The back of the postcard says in 'Lion parade, Kruger National Park' and the pic was taken by E. Eliovson. It was printed by Frameworthy Publications, PO Box 6244 Johannesburg, and all info is repeated in Afrikaans.

This is a hi-res scan I just did, click on image to enlarge. It appears that the lines above the front bumper is some kind of reflection in the camera lens, which covers the (round?) horn grills. The angle of the front of the bumper is also not right, it looks bent, like someone went 'Check this move, I'm gonna pick this Bug up by its bumper!' It seems like the Beetle also has no (door hinge mounted?) side mirror, although there is a funny round reflection above the hinge of the driver's door. To determine a date this pic was taken would be a bit difficult, but I think the best clues are the two license disks in the top center of the windscreen. They are either 65 & 66 or 55 & 56. My bet is that the pic was probably taken in 1956, as there are no cars from the 60's in the background! Please help me to

- Identify the year of the Beetle, is it original? Eg. does a Splitty have a Wolfsburg crest on the hood?
- Identify the roofrack? Original VW or generic?
- Identify the cars in the background (make, model, year)?

Pine wrote:- Identify the year of the Beetle, is it original? Eg. does a Splitty have a Wolfsburg crest on the hood?

It looks all original. Anywhere between 1949 and October 1952. If it's a Uitenhage Beetle (likely) then it's from between August 31 1951 and October 1952.

Thanks, Fig - so that is the period of manufacture of the Splity Beetle in SA? Shorter than I thought... Did SA Splitties have crotch coolers?

Just got an e-mail from my Dad, he is pretty sure the green car in the center of the pic is a '55 Chev (my grandfather had one)

Pine wrote:Thanks, Fig - so that is the period of manufacture of the Splity Beetle in SA?

No, splits were made until 1953 IIRC. The ribbed bumpers ended in October 52. 51/52 Beetles had crotch coolers, including SA-built Beetles.

I smaak the Tswane number plate...

Those ad-on bumper overriders that Pine mentioned-

My 57 oval had the exact ones when i found it in 84.

Those overriders were standard on euro-spec bumpers from 10/52 to 8/67. I don't think they're interchangeable with the ribbed bumper overriders.

No, Fig, man!! I just blew coffee through my nose and my desk is a mess. You could've warned us of the content of the picture. Is that you in 84?

Someone needs more of that coffee he just spilt......

Ron&Gill wrote:No, Fig, man!! I just blew coffee through my nose and my desk is a mess. You could've warned us of the content of the picture. Is that you in 84?

The pic was posted by Dawie; I'm much better looking than that! You definitely need more caffeine Ron.

My bad... Actually, I see it now. Dawie uitgeknip... That shirt is so... so... so eighties...

I need to go home... I'm not paying attention anymore. 9 weeks at 84 hours per week.

Pine wrote:................... the two license disks in the top center of the windscreen. They are either 65 & 66 or 55 & 56. My bet is that the pic was probably taken in 1956, as there are no cars from the 60's in the background! Please help me to
- Identify the year of the Beetle, is it original? Eg. does a Splitty have a Wolfsburg crest on the hood?
- Identify the roofrack? Original VW or generic?
- Identify the cars in the background (make, model, year)?

Hi Pine,
In the "good old days" you had a licence disk and a 3rd party disk, Both had a year on them, but as the licence was dated the time of registration, and the 3rd party was in March, if I remember correct.
So the time of the pic. can be determined if you can read both disks
I think the beetle is a 1952, as the wiper was increased in 53, all else looks 53
The majority of cars behind are chev's.
I Think