If
you are interested in Kübels, Schwimms or other war-time
VWs,
I can recommend the following discussion groups on Facebook:
"KdF VW
Kübelwagen Typ82 & Schwimmwagen Typ166", "KdF Original
Teile",
"VW
Schwimmwagen and VW Kübelwagen" et "World War
Wheels Wehrmacht"
In the Bibliography, the Humber Car Report
You
will find here a short presentation of
the Kübelwagen, some pictures of my (and a few other's)
Kübelwagens, the story of my Kübelwagen,
some useful adresses for spare parts and
other things, some Kübelwagen FAQs,
various links pointing to other
Kübelwagen-related or military-vehicles-related sites,
various texts and tables dealing with the
multiplicity of designations and nomenclatures of vehicles in the
German Army, a list of the "Typen" or "Types"
that were designed by Dr Porsche, a family-tree showing the ancestry
of the "Beetle" and a bibliography
of Kübel and VW related books. Also a very interesting page on
the various paint colours used by the
German Army during the last war.
Another page will give you a procedure for painlessly adjusting the cable-operated brakes of the Kübelwagen and other early cable-breaked Volkswagens, and information on towing a trailer with a Kübelwagen.
If you are interested, you can joint the WW-II VWs discussion list.
Anything more you would like to find here, contact me by EMail.
Short Presentation of the Kübelwagen
The
Typ 82 Kübelwagen (litterally "Bucket
car") was the German Army equivalent of the Jeep; it was
developped by Dr. Ing. Ferdinand Porsche, as a derivative of the
Beetle; to simplify design and production, it shared the beetle's
chassis/floorpan, engine, gearbox, front suspension and many
other smaller components.
Only the four-door open body was different, and was produced by the Berlin firm of Ambi-Budd as the KdF factory did not have the capacity to produce it in sufficient numbers.
About
55.000 Kübelwagens were produced during (and immediately after)
the 1939-1945 War; other production figures
are available.
Other military VWs include, in the 1939-1945 period, the much rarer (and sought-after) Typ 166 Schwimmwagen, the two sedan bodied Typ 92 (4x2) and Typ 98 (4x4); more recently, the Typ 181 (known in the US of A as "the Thing") was developped in the late sixties and produced both for the Bundeswehr and the Israel Armed forces.
Quite
a number of Kübelwagens and Schwimmwagens have survived the war
and its aftermath, and those in Europe or the US are usually in the
loving hands of collectors, who spare no efforts to restore them to
their former glory; some others are still used as everyday transports
in remote parts, in the Greek islands, or in Eastern European
countries; these have usually been modified and modernised by their
owners, and have less appeal for the collector.
I am often asked the value of a Kübel or Schwimm; all I can say is that in February 1998 my Kübel was in excellent condition, restored, with various accessories (oil-can, shovel, side screens, etc) and I sold it for about 20.000 US$; a Schwimmwagen, which is much rarer, would sell for three or four Kübelwagens.
KUBELE R.Olgiati 23/09/2021