Hi all


Just been watching an old cine film of my christening, 37 years ago!, and in it is my dads beetle. He always said it was a 1949 split that had had the rear window updated to an oval window. I will try and take a picture of the cine film later.

I'm guessing that there is no chance of me finding it as it was sold for £15 in 1976 and I have no idea what the reg number was. Although when my dad passed away we did find an old bit of paper with VW 8019 ML or maybe 801 GML ? Although I could just be clutching at straws.

So my real question is, How many RHD '49's are there left?


thanks in advance

Danny

Hi Danny,

Welcome to the forum.

There were no RHD 1949 Beetles built, but with the symmetrical dashboard of the Split Beetles, they were easy enough to convert to RHD using an oval pedal cluster and oval drop arm. It would be great if you can get a pic or two!

Those number plates don't ring a bell with me and I usually remember useless information like that about Splits!

Cheers,
Rich.

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Hi Rich, been lurking for years :)

I love reading some of the stuff on here, and as I've got older ( read grown up ) I've come to appreciate a good standard early bug :)


how odd about the '49 thing :s


Both my Dad and Grandad who have now passed away where both adamant that it was a '49.

However they may have been wrong. Grandad was a lifelong motor trader and had thousands and thousands of cars in his life time, maybe he confused it with another one he'd had.

Dad always moaned that it had rubbish head lights and that he had to open the bonnet to see how much petrol he had in it lol

He also use to brag about how it could beat anything off of the traffic lights lol

He wasn't a car guy, it was just an old german car when his dad have it to him.

It is however really important to me, its the car I came out of hospital in when I was born.

All I have is a ten second clip of it on an old cinefilm and its only a side on view :(

I'm guessing it's either long been scrapped or got turned into a buggy like so many did.

Right just managed by the wonders of the Iphone :lol: to get a pic off the old cinefilm




Although it looks green in this pic Mum who I'm sat with now said it was black

Good work Danny!

But like you said, it is almost impossible to tell from that picture what it actually is. It looks like an early RHD Deluxe oval, but who knows!?

Are you going to Lavenham tomorrow?

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of course I'm going to lavenham :)

it's only just up the road, im just eating brekkie before we leave :)

Hi Danny - Thought I might be able to narrow down the age/model possibilities about your baptismal limo ! I have assumed that the number plate alternatives are correct.
All ' ML ' series registrations were allocated within the old County of Middlesex prior to the formation of the Greater London Council in 1965. The two-letter SUFFIX number 8019 ML was issued between September 1961 and March 1963 - "Bigger Window" era. However, the three letter SUFFIX number 801 GML was issued to vehicles in Middlesex registration offices between DECEMBER 1955 and MARCH ( April the very latest ?) 1956 which confirms earlier opinion that 'your' car was an oval.
Who knows : 'your' car could well have been trundled off the line with mine, made 17th January 1956 and registered 3rd April, chassis 1080151, but now registered 1956 VW !
Glad you enjoyed Lavenham : I envy your ability to still make decisions like hosting relatives from abroad or indulging in your passions/pleasures !! Hope this helps - John

I thought my dads old bug MRT308 was one of the first RHD bugs,am i right in thinking there were 3 rhd bugs that year to come to the uk in 52?

Ahh Mr Spong :)


Your knowledge amazes me.


Fancy a cuppa one day next week, I have another RHD oval in that needs your beady eyes casting over it.....


I have no idea now about the car now 😞 but the 801 GML oval sounds good 🙂 lol

Erm John

one question


Where's the thread telling the guys on here about your car and its interesting story ? 😉

no right hooker split bugs came here only oval. they were made in SAfrica

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WRONG :thumbdn:

Weren't they made in Ireland as well?

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Yeah but no right hooker imports 2 uk had split windows.

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WRONG :thumbdn:




https://forums.pre67vw.com/yaf_postst17390_MRT-308--the-first-VW-built-for-the-UK.aspx 

Thas a private import if u read the thred:p

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Where do you say they have to be VW imports.
Three cars,all split windows,all imports.
They were produced in Germany after a special order,so Volkswagen were aware of their destination.They didn't ship here themselves.So someone saw a market.
Doesn't stop them being RHD or Imported.

Or for you does the history of the Volkswagen in the UK only start in 1953,when VW realised importing here was a viable exercise.

None saw a market at vw they were personal use imports chek out the web thas what i do.Offical imports were made for new dealer sales which begun'53.Private imports dont count sum even came here in '40s:p

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When did production start in Ireland and South Africa?

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Theyd b for own country anyways.

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