Yep! Prototype my arse!:wink: :lol:

I think that until we can get a good look around Rattletrap at a show some day, we will never know! Even if it is not officially the original, there is still a good story behind it in my opinion!:wink: :d

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I think that until we can get a good look around Rattletrap at a show some day, we will never know! Even if it is not officially the original, there is still a good story behind it in my opinion!

I agree. Its certainly become a legend in vintage VW circles. I remember it appearing on Blue Peter and later on the BBC London News programme :wink:

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YES,BUT WHY.
No financial reward,people around the scene know the business,so NO kudos.(as they did in the 70's)
What possible gain was made.

Fame? Guiness book of records entry? Who knows. He was an odd guy.

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No point JD, if you know the truth, it's pointless.
Very strange.

He probably just liked being the centre of attention. From reading the article posted on here it's obvious that he was used to being 'economical with the truth'. For instance - he pushed Rattletrap by himself for 10 miles along the hard shoulder of the M1. I don't think so!!

I guess you can tell a story so often,even when it's not true, you start to believe it yourself.
I don't like talking ill of someone who is not able to defend themselves thru' one reason or another.
So on this subject i will say no more.

You're right, I feel uncomfortable about it myself but I formed my opinions about Rattletrap and Mr Levy long before he died, and those opinions haven't changed. He certainly created a legend in Rattletrap but I reckon it took at least three cars to do it. :wink:

Mike 😎

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Cool though! and looks like a real bargain compared to the ads for the 70 & 71 beside it

Someone has done very well. :shock:

Whether If you think it's a Rattletrap, Deathtrap or Claptrap, there's no denying the car is a legend, and would look better in your drive than any 60s and later VW. It was stripped and rebuilt by Haselock, (bet that wasn't cheap) so we know it's free of most if not all rot. It's probably far from original by now. But a nice looking VW with a retrimmed interior. The DeLuxe aluminum trim around the split window really highlights it, (shame you have to have a DeLuxe Zwitter to get this the best of all Beetle rear windows).

On top of that unlike most old cars, the more miles you put on it the better, and if anything gets damaged so what, just replace the replaced part again. Shove whatever engine you want in it – the original's long gone – and clock up those miles:!:

A great daily driver with a long UK history and a nice UK registration number. I expect there's a mountain of history with it too, and it will always be a puller at shows, and only two previous owners 😎

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Amazingly enough, it looks as though Rattletrap was repaired after its big smash with a truck, and not rebodied as some think :shock:

The pics of the 're-borne car' if studied show what must be a replacement later style small window door, August 1955 - 1964, (small latch and no inside ribbing) on what was the badly damaged side, but still the pre August 1955 ribbed door on the undamaged (driver's) side. Also, you can see where the headlining has been cut back toward the rear to allow the roof to be straightened/welded:!:

Given that Tony Levy had the wreck hauled all the way back to England from Mexico, and that the car had such a huge amount of skilled repair work I would say there is something in the record mileage claim:wink:  RTrapRep1.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.  RTrapRep2.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.  RTrapRep3.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.  RTrapRep4.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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Vw motoring did document some of the work but i cant find the issue.Another shell or at least part shell was used from memory.The mileage claims are disputed because he claimed he had records from 51 ,but the car was not made for at least another year:!:

It would seem that all the passenger (right hand side) panels and the bonnet were replaced as far as the body goes. I vaguely remember the VWM articles on this. I imagine from looking at the crash images, that the roof was straightened out. Makes for a very interesting car though. Possible that the chassis (1950) is earlier than the body (1952/53) all the same :?

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Even if Rattletraps mileage claim was correct, Albert Kleins Bug did a couple of hundred thousand more miles and they were as well if not better documented. Tony tried to claim that Kleins mileage was not so well documented and then when he found that it was, he claimed that the miles Klein had covered in his Beetle hadn't been as purposeful as Rattletraps so didn't count!:?

However you look at it, Rattletrap is a very interesting car and certainly a big player in the history of the beetle - but the highest mileage VW it aint. :wink:

Mike

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Does anybody know Rattletrap's present mileage:?:

Shame it's spent the last decade going nowhere. Is Albert Klein's car still running around :?:

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Got some half answers John.

The last mileage for records was taken from Alberts car on the 25.01.93.
No entries since then so would appear to now be off the road.
The milage then was 1,442,044.As it is recognised as the record holder,then Rattletraps milage must be less.Vague but all i could find out.

That's interesting. It's a shame if both these old war horses are off the road though:(

Presumably Rattletrap is the oldest of the two. In contrast my '49 hasn't even managed 18,000 miles 😎

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Alberts car was/is a '63.

Makes Rattletrap the most desirable though George I think. Being a split it looks more the part of a mega-mile car than a regular rectangular rear window.:wink:

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You know John,although i wouldn't purchase the car,i think £4.5K is more than a fair price for Rattletrap.
The price of splits:roll: that's not bad for a reproduction:wink:

The price of splits that's not bad for a reproduction

Not sure about the reproduction comment George :? Its fair to say that even Rattletrap is more original than many of the heavily restored KdFs and earlier VWs restored from basket cases and wrecks :!:

The legendary aspect and colourful history of Rattletrap alone make it a good buy at that price – and unlike other splits – it's good to use this car as much as possible – more miles. The registration is worth a bit too I would think:shock:

Its sold :twisted:

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