Volkswagen Beetle 1303S 'Baja' 1974 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Beetle 1303S 'Baja' 1974

A Baja Bug is an original Volkswagen Beetle modified to operate off-road, usually open desert, sand dunes and beaches. They originated in Southern California during the decade of free love where anything goes, the music was experimental and the cars often personalised. The Baja revolution in the late 1960s as an inexpensive answer to the successful Volkswagen-based dune buggies of the mid-1960s. Basic modifications were simple, the rear treatment leaves the engine exposed to aid cooling and a tubular steel cage (front and rear bumper) is fitted to the body and floor pan for protection of engine and occupants. The rugged torsion bar front and rear suspension standard on the Beetle, allows it to withstand the rigors of offroading and the rear ride height was easily raised slightly and stiffened to make clearance for larger heavy-duty off-road tires and wheels. The suspension was often extended to allow greater ground clearance and a more comfortable ride. But mostly, they were cool.

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

A 16" Syncro Transporter is a rare vehicle. VW only produced around 300 examples in total (and this covers all body styles, panel van, mini bus, camper, Caravelle luxury bus, pick-up and double cab).
They never offered this model officially in Right Hand Drive! The only way you could have ordered one was if you had the right contacts within VW able to arrange a special commission.
The Transporter Syncro was equipped with the brilliant four-wheel drive system jointly created by VW

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

and the Austrian company renowned for its developments in the four-wheel drive arena, Steyr-Daimler-Puch. Proven vehicles, such as the small Haflinger, the 4x4 or 6x6 Pinzgauer and the Mercedes G-Wagen made VW sure of the fact SDP would be the best partner for their 4x4 Transporter project, which would become known as the Syncro.

What's a Syncro?

VW's Syncro system is based on the Ferguson Formula. It was very simple for the driver to use, as it did not require any additional levers to select between on and off-road requirements.

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

The Ferguson Formula relies on a Viscous Coupling Limited Slip Diffential as opposed to centrally mounted differential. On the VW Syncro the VC is mounted at the front in a differential assembly unique to Syncros. The VC housing contains two types of disc in a silicone fluid. An input shaft linked by a propshaft to the rear-mounted gearbox drives the VC.
The Syncro system is not technically a full-time 4x4, but is All-Wheel-Drive, as the VC comes into play to reduce loss of drive by distributing

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

power to the wheel that needs it. The Syncro basically adapts to the conditions and if it is slippery or muddy it automatically increases traction. If the rear wheels start to struggle for grip and spin the VC locks-up and puts more power to the front wheels.
The VW T25 Syncro was launch towards the end of 1985 and was soon to become a highly respected as a very competent off-road. However good it was the production process assured it was a costly purchase and this limited sales.
To produce a T25 Syncro VW had to make the body at its Hanover plant and then transport it 600 miles to SDP in Graz, Austria to have the mechanicals fitted. The vehicles were then delivered back to Hanover.

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

The total production figure of the Transporter Syncro was 43,468, of which just 2108 were Right Hand Drive. From this total, just 6849 were Crew Cabs. Now this is where things get very interesting, as VW also offered a more focused uprated version of the Syncro, the M625 or Syncro 16".
This was a superior version with uprated suspension, brakes (from a VW LT), longer trailing arms, longer steering arms, repositioned rear shock absorber mounts and 2 inches

Volkswagen Transporter Double-Cab 4x4 Synchro 1992

more ground clearance. It came with 16 inch instead of the normal 14 inch wheels. They also had a rear differential lock as standard and a strengthened body.
In total 2138 Syncro 16" vehicles were produced, of which around 300 were Crew Cabs.

Volkswagen Type 2 '21 Window' Deluxe Microbus 1967 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Type 2 '21 Window' Deluxe Microbus 1967

With more than 21 million sold worldwide, the Volkswagen Type 1 (or “Beetle” as it was nicknamed soon after its debut in 1939) would become the best-selling car of all time. Under the direction of the German government to build a “people’s car,” Dr. Ferdinand Porsche set about building prototypes in Stuttgart in the mid-1930s. Production started under British occupation in Germany before the end of 1945, with worldwide exports beginning in the early 1950s. Volkswagen, like other manufacturers, would continue to refine their car and develop variations of the original, but they would also share components throughout their models in order to increase production efficiency and profitability.

Volkswagen Type 2 '21 Window' Deluxe Microbus 1967

One of those variants, the Type 2 Transporter, first arrived on the American continent in 1949. Competition was non-existent, as there was nothing like it on the market at that time. As it used standard Beetle components, it was at once familiar and easy to maintain, and its parts were readily available. It quickly became popular as an efficient way to move people. The Transporter was dubbed the “Microbus,” and it would further evolve into other uses, including a pickup truck and cargo/delivery van. Its combination of efficiency and practicality deemed it an instant hit with the “flower power” generation of the ’60s, and its boxy design made it the perfect canvas for peace signs, pop-art flowers, and psychedelic paint schemes.

Volkswagen Type 2 '21 Window' Deluxe Microbus 1967

The Deluxe Microbus presented here was built in Wolfsburg, Germany, on December 8, 1966, and left the factory soon thereafter on December 8. It is finished in its original colors of Cumulus White (L680) over Sea Blue (L360) with the uncommon Aero Papyrus interior and optioned with desirable walkthrough cabin, six opening side windows, sealed beam headlights, and seatbelts. Delivered new to Boston, Massachusetts, the bus found its way to South Carolina in the 1970s and arrived in Florida in 1980, where it was then stored by its owner for nearly a decade. In 1996, the highly original VW was treated to sympathetic restoration, with its doglegs, rocker panels, and battery box replaced and the original pan bead-blasted. The cosmetics were preserved as far as possible, though the lower Sea Blue paint was refinished. Seat covers were renewed, but all other panels remained untouched.

Volkswagen Type 2 '21 Window' Deluxe Microbus 1967

The consignor, an experienced Microbus collector, acquired this bus more recently. He maintained the originality of the vehicle as far as possible, preserving the original gauges and floor mats, and he reports the original Sapphire radio remains in working order. The bus was closely inspected mechanically, and the engine was rebuilt and upgraded to a 47–brake horsepower, single-port, 1,585–cubic centimeter unit, which was the largest displacement option in 1967. New Coker tires were fitted along with a new sunroof, and the paint was refinished as necessary.

Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle 'Split-Window' Standard Sedan 1952 - World Of Classic Cars

Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle 'Split-Window' Standard Sedan 1952

The rare Beetle presented here is the Standard model, which was sold strictly in the European market and never exported to the United States. This model, as its name indicates, differs from the Deluxe in that all of its metal trim, plated on the U.S. models, is instead finished in body color. In addition, per factory specifications, the 1952 Type 1 Standard Sedan had no VW emblems or center hood strip, as well as no bright trim on the doors, quarter panels, hubcaps, or running boards. Even the outside door handles were painted body color! The 1952 models are also distinguished by their rare bumper guards, which are seen only on this year’s Beetles. Even the horn differs on this Standard model; it is carried on the driver’s side front bumper bracket and is the very unusual Robert Bosch unit.

Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle 'Split-Window' Standard Sedan 1952

Verifying this car’s identity as a rare 1952 model is a copy of the Florida title, which carries this chassis number; also note the small bump in the roof, centered above the windshield, intended to carry a Hirschmann antenna. This “bump” is seen only on Beetles produced prior to October 1952. Similarly, the car carries a genuine VW “Pope’s nose” license-plate light and round taillights, which were also discontinued in October, as well as the proper early-style ribbed semaphore turn signals. Also present are an auxiliary additional brake light and a matching reverse light mounted near the passenger-side round taillight (the taillights changed to “heart lights” in October 1952).

Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle 'Split-Window' Standard Sedan 1952

The car has been refinished in its original, beautiful color, Jupiter Grey, with refinished German 16-inch steel wheels with matching factory hubcaps, shod in brand-new correct European Excelsior cross-ply tires. Other special features include the well-preserved steel German license plates of this era and the U.S. Air Force badge by the driver’s side taillight.
Even the engine of this superior Beetle is correct and has undergone only its first rebuild, performed by Import Parts of Medford, Oregon.

Volkswagen Type 2 '23-Window' Super Deluxe Microbus with Eriba Puck 1963 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Type 2 '23-Window' Super Deluxe Microbus with Eriba Puck 1963

The Volkswagen Transporter debuted at the 1949 Geneva Auto Show, and by the time production ended in Brazil in December 2013, more than nine million had been built. Among the most desirable of these long-lived vehicles is the first-generation “split-window” Transporter, so-named for its two-piece windshield, which was produced from 1950 until 1967 and first sold in the United States in 1952.
The Microbus presented here is the most desirable 23-window passenger Microbus and, according to its “M” plate, is finished in its original two-tone combination of Turquoise and Blue White. It is equipped with a split windshield, eight side windows, three rear windows, and eight small skylight windows indicative of the model, as well as a full-length sliding sunroof. A rare “walk-through” model, it is also fitted with the desirable opening “safari” windshields, an $800 aftermarket item, as well as six pop-out side windows. However, its most remarkable accessory is the matching 1967 Eriba Puck camping trailer, believed to be one of five known survivors of a model designed specifically to mate with a Microbus; it contains a two-burner propane stove, a sink, a dining table, a pop-up roof, and twin beds. Incredibly, the camper weighs only 700 pounds.

Volkswagen Type 2 '23-Window' Super Deluxe Microbus with Eriba Puck 1963

Built in Wolfsburg, Germany, on March 13, 1963, according to its Certificate of Authenticity, the bus was subsequently sold new in San Francisco. Some years later, the bus was purchased by a private girls’ school in Kansas City as it offered comfortable seating for nine passengers. In the 1990s, the bus and trailer found their way to San Francisco with Microbus enthusiast David Yost, who reportedly performed a bare-metal restoration during his 12-year ownership, including spending an estimated $11,000 on the camper alone, renewing its paint, top, stove, refrigerator, and sink. The caravan was then sold in the mid-2000s to Ryan Gardner of St. George, Utah.

Volkswagen Type 2 '23-Window' Super Deluxe Microbus with Eriba Puck 1963

Today, the Microbus is owned by another well-known Microbus enthusiast who has owned six such examples and is intimately familiar with their nuanced details. The VW and its trailer were mechanically and cosmetically restored once more in his ownership, including a renewed interior with matching luggage. A rebuilt 50–brake horsepower, 1,585–cubic centimeter engine was also fitted to the bus by a marque expert in Denver. The owner notes that the Microbus won People’s Choice at its first show this past September “by a landslide.”

Volkswagen Beetle 1968 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Beetle 1968

Volkswagen Beetle 1968

Volkswagen Beetle 1968

Volkswagen 21 Window Samba Bus 1964 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen 21 Window Samba Bus 1964

Volkswagen 21 Window Samba Bus 1964

Volkswagen 21 Window Samba Bus 1964

Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet 2003 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet 2003

The classic Volkswagen Beetle is probably one of the most recognised cars in the world; however, in 1994, Volkswagen produced a design to bring the Beetle into the modern era. A retro themed concept was first shown at the North American Auto Show in 1994 and a further developed car appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995. The concept was so well received that Volkswagen developed the car for production and released the car in 1997 based on the Volkswagen Golf platform.

Volkswagen Beetle 1978 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Beetle 1978

In 1948, Wilhelm Karmann bought a standard Beetle and converted it into a four-seater convertible. After successfully presenting it at VW in Wolfsburg, Karmann began production of the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet in 1949. After a number of stylistic and technical alterations made to it, the last of 331,847 cabriolets came off the conveyor belt on 10th January 1980, bringing with it the end of an era. In 1971, alongside continued production of the standard Beetle, a variant which featured Macpherson strut front suspension and a re-designed front end was introduced which was officially known and marketed in Europe as the 'VW 1302' from 1971 to 1972, and 'VW 1303' from 1973 onwards.

Volkswagen Camper T2 1971 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Camper T2 1971

Known officially as the Volkswagen Type 2 and depending on body type, either as a Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, this VW was also known informally as the Bus in the US and Camper in the UK. Introduced in 1950 as Volkswagen's second car model, it was derived from their first, the Beetle, which was designated the Type 1. This second-generation Type 2 lost its distinctive split front windscreen and was slightly larger and considerably heavier than its predecessor. Its common nickname is 'Bay-window' or Bay for short.  The new model also did away with the swing axle rear suspension and transfer boxes previously used to raise ride height. Instead, half-shafts were fitted with constant velocity joints. The updated Bus transaxle is usually sought after by off-road racers using air-cooled Volkswagen components. Brazil contained the last factory in the world that produced the T2. Production in Brazil ceased on 31st December 2013 due to the introduction of more stringent safety regulations, thus marking the end of an era with the rear-engine Volkswagens which first originated in 1935.

Volkswagen Split Screen Camper 1966 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Split Screen Camper 1966

Known officially as the Volkswagen Type 2 and, depending on body type, either as a Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, this VW was also known informally as the Bus in the US and Camper in the UK. Introduced in 1950 as Volkswagen's second car model, it was derived from their first, the Beetle, that was designated the Type 1.

Volkswagen Beetle Convertible 1978 - World Of Classic Cars -

Volkswagen Beetle Convertible 1978

The Volkswagen Beetle needs little introduction, occupying as it does, a significant position in the minds and hearts of a mobile global audience from as far back as 1938 with over 21 million manufactured. It certainly was, as it was aptly named 'The People's Car',and becamethe longest-running and most manufactured car of a single design platform anywhere in the world.

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