Aircooled VW South Africa

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

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.

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

Pine wrote:

Tony Z wrote: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?