As some of you may know, I much prefer Standards to DeLuxes. Sorry to those of you with shiny immaculate DeLuxe models :?

I hope these pictures of my scruffy Standard Oval will convey to some of you why I like the Standard model so much.

Come on those of you with Standard Ovals – Add pictures of your jewell :!:

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Sorry - no pictures to share - I was just idly wondering if there were any Standard Karmann Cabrios built? For the Polizei or Army?

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i have had 2 Oval Standards...

first this solid 54:

Currently for sale here 
great original plate, 73 BLK

then this rhd 56:


:wink:

(while i'm here, i need an Oval (53-55) beetle armrest - can anyone help me?)

regards
RS

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Hey, RockStock – when did you own this (my?) car :!: :!: :!:

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i sold it to you, JM!

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Yes you did Chris :!:

Why did you buy another if cables and crash boxes aren't your thing :?:

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JM

i think you're thinking th 54 ad is by me - i dont own the 54 now - i sold it in around 91/92
i then bought the 56 a few years later

i have a soft spot for the Standards, but they are tough going to drive

it would be shame if the 54 had its pan swapped out
it was a very solid car - i can't remember any welding being required
it came from a VERY large posh country house in Borehamwood - the guy said they film period dramas there
i offered the old guy £1k, and left him to ponder it. he hadnt a clue about the beetle. it was advertised as an 'Antique Beetle' in Exchange & Mart
before i got home, he'd rung my house, & said to my dad i could have it for £1500!
my dad agreed to the crafty old fox, leaving me to fork out the extra cash! it was too much for the car at the time, but i thought it was about as old as still existed (it was about 1989). under a flakey old blue repaint, it had German logos on the doors. it was a very original car

best regards
C

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A Beetle is a Beetle as far as I'm concerned, however, I really think that a standard looks a little industrial. It's as though they went along the production line with the deluxe's and got pushed off before they were finished? A bit like the runt of the litter. I mean, why did they paint the bumpers the same colour as the bodywork? And, why fit a gearbox that crunched in every gear? Why were they all painted in such drab and dreary colours?

It's nice that someone loves them though. :twisted:

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Not sure if this is a serious post or not... :?

The original idea of the Beetle was to be as cheap as possible, this followed through to the post war 'standard' Beetles which were very utilitarian in their design. Painted bumpers were because they're cheaper than chrome, no trim pieces (what function do they serve?). The deciding factor of each part was cost and if it didn't need it then it didn't get it. VW realised that in order to sell to the US, they would have to bling their cars up a bit. Americans were used to huge fins, big grilles, loads of chrome, whitewalls etc - kind of the opposite to a standard bug. So the deluxe was born.

Runt of the litter? nah - the purist in functional design!

I love deluxe's too though :wink:

Saying a Beetle is a Beetle is just plain wrong though, its like saying a bottle of wine is a bottle of wine without respecting the difference between a house red and a Chateauneuf du Pape or a '96 Chateau Lafite Rothschild. :lol:

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🙂 heres mine.  12424.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Can you take this remark seriously :?:

That's exactly what a person with no interest in Beetles would say if you mention them. I like all Beetles though (except the retro Golf based thing), I just find Standards much more interesting, being the proper People's Car and all. They are also the more elusive, by far most Split and Oval 'finds' seem to be DeLuxes.

The DeLuxe body trim does have a use though, it makes a great water and rust trap, plus openings for rain to seep inside the panels when the retaining clips rot and the rubber gromets crack:!:

Lovely green standard Chris:wink:

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Thanks.the car is not a show car but every were i take it .it ends up in a line up.so this is the one.how meny 54rag top standarders are in the uk.

NEW PHOTO 😃  12438.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

Such a nice car Chris 😎

A '54 model, the best of both, not only a Standard, but a pre August '55 with the ribbed doors that also have the heavy latches and striker plates that the Splits do. These sturdier doors sound so solid with the heavy clunk as the latch engages. A sunroof too, how greedy :!:

Any inside and rear views :?:

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Hey, this door thing I mentioned above, is just more proof that as each year of Beetle production passed, VW shaved just a little more build quality away. Though they would say that it was to improve the product, I think it was more to make the car cheaper to build. When I compare my all original 1949 model export with my original 1972 1300 it is so apparent :!:

Yes the '72 is very useable, even in 21st Century traffic, which shows how good it is compared to so-called classics like Morris Minors and Austin 1100s(wash my mouth out), but as sheer quality and art the '49 is the finest, although, maybe the posh sofa rolls on the back seat are just too much :!:

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the back end. sorry nothing of the inside just yet.  12512.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

What a nice picture, good to see your out and about in it Chris!

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Hey Chris,

what a small world this circuit is! I bought 73 BLK off you!

Last time I saw you you had an oval deluxe cab... 56 from memory. How's that going?

When I bought the car off you you mentioned something about the logos on the doors... and I thought I had written it down somewhere as to what they were. You got any more info on them/ can refresh my memory as researching it all is proving to be somewhat of a pain!

Cheers,

John

Hey Chris,

what a small world this circuit is! I bought 73 BLK off you!

Last time I saw you you had an oval deluxe cab... 56 from memory. How's that going?

When I bought the car off you you mentioned something about the logos on the doors... and I thought I had written it down somewhere as to what they were. You got any more info on them/ can refresh my memory as researching it all is proving to be somewhat of a pain!

Cheers,

John

:oops: sorry you got the rong chris.