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Rich Oakley
14 years ago

So here's a good question - What was the date/chassis number of the first official Beetle ordered for and delivered to the UK market? I gather it's a 53 Oval, just wondering if there was ever a UK RHD Zwitter?

How nice would that be?! :wink:

55Kab wrote:



MRT 308 was the first one officially ordered and delivered to the UK.

I found a RHD Zwitter in Littlehampton some years ago. It was allegedly a UK car from new and the owner insisited it was a '49. It was owned by a gypsy type family who had it stored half under cover, half exposed. The exposed side was not a pretty sight. I didn't buy it due to its poor condition, but took some photos (including the id plate) which I consequently lost.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
Standard split
14 years ago



MRT 308 was the first one officially ordered and delivered to the UK.

Rich Oakley wrote:



Another of my old cars. It was here from new and RHD too (proper dash split though, not Zwitter). VW GB wouldn't accept it officially though as it beat their first batch (all Ovals) to it:wink:
Rattletrap – the Volkswagen Beetle that has covered an incredible mileage equivalent to over 35 times around the planet :omg:
Running nifty since 1950… the King of Volkswagens:beer: Why not make friends with this famous little VW – he's on facebook! :d
http://forums.pre67vw.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=16378 
55Kab
14 years ago

Another of my old cars. It was here from new and RHD too (proper dash split though, not Zwitter). VW GB wouldn't accept it officially though as it beat their first batch (all Ovals) to it:wink:

Standard split wrote:



I may be wrong on this but MRT 308 isn't counted because as you say above, as I understand it, VW GB didn't order it (private order?) so in official VW dealer network terms it wasn't the first RHD car. That then begs the question what was and further more who owns the oldest UK RHD dealer VW in Britain?

This stuff is fascinating as it's historical to the UK VW movement.

Standard split
14 years ago



I may be wrong on this but MRT 308 isn't counted because as you say above, as I understand it, VW GB didn't order it (private order?) so in official VW dealer network terms it wasn't the first RHD car. That then begs the question what was and further more who owns the oldest UK RHD dealer VW in Britain?

This stuff is fascinating as it's historical to the UK VW movement.

55Kab wrote:



Like I said earlier, the 1953 Standard Oval reg LOW 514 (my old car) is I think the earliest known to exist of the official UK first (945) batch:o
Rattletrap – the Volkswagen Beetle that has covered an incredible mileage equivalent to over 35 times around the planet :omg:
Running nifty since 1950… the King of Volkswagens:beer: Why not make friends with this famous little VW – he's on facebook! :d
http://forums.pre67vw.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=16378 
samghia
14 years ago
My 53 was built on the 8th of July 1953 and left the factory 13th July 1953 no idea how long it took to its destination which was VW Motors London.

Reading the book Small Wonder it states early July was the first offical order of cars 200no for delivery to UK wonder if mine was one of them,anyone know if their are any records of chassis numbers from that time delivered to VW Motors???

Cheers
53 Oval
63 Ghia
64 Deluxe
71 Fastback
95 Golf Karmann Cabrio
55Kab
14 years ago

My 53 was built on the 8th of July 1953 and left the factory 13th July 1953 no idea how long it took to its destination which was VW Motors London.

Reading the book Small Wonder it states early July was the first offical order of cars 200no for delivery to UK wonder if mine was one of them,anyone know if their are any records of chassis numbers from that time delivered to VW Motors???

samghia wrote:



I would think your car was one of the 200.

Always thought John Maxwell's Oval was the earliest known UK dealer ordered RHD car that still exists but as my records tell me his car was built on 11th July you beat him by 3 days! The chassis number of that car is 1-0506862 (posted it as it's already in the public domain elsewhere) so all we need to know now is whether LOW 514 has a chassis number earlier than yours?

Julian?

Richard
14 years ago

Dave Mitchell and I are going today.

1958ghia wrote:


What was the Zwitter like? :!:
Standard split
14 years ago



I would think your car was one of the 200.

Always thought John Maxwell's Oval was the earliest known UK dealer ordered RHD car that still exists but as my records tell me his car was built on 11th July you beat him by 3 days! The chassis number of that car is 1-0506862 (posted it as it's already in the public domain elsewhere) so all we need to know now is whether LOW 514 has a chassis number earlier than yours?

Julian?

55Kab wrote:



There's a thread on LOW 514 somewhere elsewhere on this forum, as someone here now owns this car – this car is very unusual as most UK orders were for DeLuxes, and this is a Standard.:wink:
Rattletrap – the Volkswagen Beetle that has covered an incredible mileage equivalent to over 35 times around the planet :omg:
Running nifty since 1950… the King of Volkswagens:beer: Why not make friends with this famous little VW – he's on facebook! :d
http://forums.pre67vw.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=16378 
VW Stan
14 years ago



I would think your car was one of the 200.

Always thought John Maxwell's Oval was the earliest known UK dealer ordered RHD car that still exists but as my records tell me his car was built on 11th July you beat him by 3 days! The chassis number of that car is 1-0506862 (posted it as it's already in the public domain elsewhere) so all we need to know now is whether LOW 514 has a chassis number earlier than yours?

Julian?

55Kab wrote:


From Julian's thread on LOW 514...

"My RHD '53 STD was built on about 20th Sept 1953 and registered on 1/11/53"



It's hard to say what my girlfriend does for a living...

...She sells sea shells on the sea shore!
VW Stan
14 years ago


What was the Zwitter like? :!:

Richard wrote:



The ad's been removed so I guess they/someone bought it!

:d



It's hard to say what my girlfriend does for a living...

...She sells sea shells on the sea shore!
1958ghia
14 years ago
Yep it sold this morning and not to me. I hesitated yesterday even though I had the cash in my pocket due to wife saying no (I do have 2 bus projects and a lowlight) and Dave decided no too. I phoned Martyn just now and he had taken an offer. Anyone know a good lawyer? I am divorcing my wife.
1958ghia
14 years ago
BTW Martyn wanted it to go to someone who would keep it stock and even phoned me back to persuade me to buy it yesterday. He said he sold it to someone that promised they would so fingers crossed it's gone to a good home.
VW Stan
14 years ago

Yep it sold this morning and not to me. I hesitated yesterday even though I had the cash in my pocket due to wife saying no (I do have 2 bus projects and a lowlight) and Dave decided no too. I phoned Martyn just now and he had taken an offer. Anyone know a good lawyer? I am divorcing my wife.

1958ghia wrote:



I went to see an oval just because it was advertised locally. With two unfinished projects, I had not intentions of adding another VW to my collection. Within five minutes I had agreed to buy it!
Tricia thought I was mad, but I said i'd sell my '68 Cal-look bug and advertised it. She loves the '68 and doesn't want me to sell it so it's staying too. I just need a bigger garage now!


What was the zwitter like, worth the money?

:?

It's hard to say what my girlfriend does for a living...

...She sells sea shells on the sea shore!
55Kab
14 years ago

From Julian's thread on LOW 514...

"My RHD '53 STD was built on about 20th Sept 1953 and registered on 1/11/53"

VW Stan wrote:



Aha...so maybe 1958ghia's is the oldest :!:

1958ghia
14 years ago
Like a fool.

I didn't buy it.

It wasn't perfect but a brilliant resto candidate and well worth doing to a high standard. Dave and I had some doubt yesterday about the chassis number as we couldn't make it out and the seller told me this morning they had managed to read it and it was original. So I'm really not happy I didn't buy. This is a matching numbers rhd zwitter that deserves the 100point resto I wouldn't have been able to get round to.

Was it worth the money? To the right person I think it was worth more.
1958ghia
14 years ago
I'll console myself that at least it wasn't a real split just an oval that VW hadn't updated the window on. One of those easy to drive RHD examples.
Richard
14 years ago
:shock:
Hopefully we'll see it again 😎
vintagebug
14 years ago
I've just caught up with the latest on this thread as I've been out of the office all day today. So it sold this morning, Dan? I don't know who bought it but I hope it remains stock & is treated to the full restoration it deserves. TBH I don't have the time to do it, I've already got a resto job to concentrate on!
I'm still dubious about the chassis number though- neither Dan nor I could see any numbers at all on the tunnel, they must have been very faint! :wink:

Good luck to the new owner.
Dave
"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading"
Sunroof53
14 years ago

My 53 was built on the 8th of July 1953 and left the factory 13th July 1953 no idea how long it took to its destination which was VW Motors London.

Reading the book Small Wonder it states early July was the first offical order of cars 200no for delivery to UK wonder if mine was one of them,anyone know if their are any records of chassis numbers from that time delivered to VW Motors???

Cheers

samghia wrote:




My car was built on the 9th july but delivered on the same day as yours(i think this has been disscussed before) .Both cars interestingly were Atlantic green.The only claim i can make is that my car is the oldest RHD sunroof oval in the UK.
Pricivius
14 years ago
Split for sale 

Are the heart tail lights correct for a January '52?
Dawn
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