Hi all, I owned this car back in the early 90's when it was featured on the cover of VW Motoring. They did a photo shoot on the 53 oval dash split just after we had completed a full restoration and she was looking good.I took her over to Bad Camberg as well as doing most of the UK shows over those few years before letting her go as I had new babies and commitments taking priority.
It would be interesting to hear what has happened to her over the last 20 years and maybe exchange a few pics with the latest owners of then and now?

On another note I have a pair of NOS heart tail lights with all the lenses fittings and rubbers which I have kept as a reminder all these years of my days chasing all of the country looking for new projects and Beetle parts. They are stuck on as shelf in the garage and one day they will either get lost or damaged so if someone wants to make me a good offer then it's time to let them go! I paid a lot for them back then, but if anyone could give me an idea of what they should fetch now I would be grateful?

My email address is [email protected]

Hi Karl,
There are many one time owners of SSU 687 (including me)that are regulars on this forum. No doubt the the full story can be patched together.
SSU 687 is still attending shows with her present owner, who will no doubt be along very soon!

Cheers,
Rob.

And here I am!

I bought SSU in August 2008. He currently lives up in Manchester with my mum in her garage. He gets out and about every now and then, although not as much as I would like, but mum's too scared to drive him! He's a regular at VWNW and has been to Stanford Hall a few times in the last 4 years.

It would be interesting to find out more about his resto...

---

Hi Karl
I'm the guy you bought the car from.
Good news-car still looks great
Bad news- some fool,ripped out the original interior.

Are they the NOS lights i sold you? :rofl: That was nearly thirty years ago.I'll give you back,what you paid me for them:wink:


G.

Hi George! Often think back to those days!
My mum, Steve and I came to see you and ended up buying the 53 deluxe and the 52 standard if I remember correctly?
We bought several early Beetles over a period of about 5 years, some we restored and some we sold odn to help finance the restorations. The 52 standard went to a guy quite local but we lost touch so not sure what happened to that one I think the reg was something like NNP 3 or something like that?
I had loads of parts which gradually I parted company with but I held on to the lights as a momento, not sure if they were the ones we had from you as at one time I had a few sets but they easily could be!

If I remember correctly you bought the black 52 deluxe from my brother Gary? That was the one that I actually did most of the restoration on before running out of money and swapping it with my brother in law Steve for SSU 687. He pretty much finished the restoration and then sold it to my brother Gary who then sold it to you? Someone told me along the way that that one ended up in the U.S in a museum?

What do you have now?

My Mum still speaks of those days as the best of her life trailing all over the country looking for old Beetles!

Thanks for getting in touch, and out of interest what are the lights worth these days?

Cheers
Karl

Indeed good days Karl.
The black '52 sunroof is in California with a collector.
The green zwitter in Manchester,as you've heard.
The green standard sunroof,23 NMP,is in the Midlands with Keith Vipond and fully restored.Sadly,the local guy you sold it to,Neil,passed away.
Not at all sure of the value of the lights.But surely complete NOS units will be worth a lot of money now.I remember paying £300 for a pair all those years ago(maybe the same pair).

Thanks for the info, getting all nostalgic! Maybe I should keep the lights and look for a project to use them on???

I recall going with you when you bought the black '52, George. Scare me & tell me how many years ago that was...

---

I bought SSU in 2005 (I think) from Charles Oldroyd, Chairman of The Historic Volkswagen Club. He had bought it from someone in the south east. I sold it to a guy in north west Wales and Dawn bought it from him.

Yes, 23 NMP, the 1952 standard, has been restored by Keith Vipond and wears the military colour and insignia it would have done when in use in Germany in 1952. Keith bought the car from the widow of Neil Padgett in Sleaford. At that time the car was completely disassembled.

23 NMP will be displayed on the Historic Club's stand at this year's Classic Motor Show at the NEC in November.

Cheers,
Rob.

I remember going to see 23 NMP some years ago as it was for sale (in Skegness as I remember??) The car was stripped right down, and I (foolishly) did not persue it any further.

---

Not too long ago Dave.
'98 if i remember correctly,the year before our epic convoy to Camberg:wink:

Yep, I remember you drove the '52 in our 1999 convoy to Camberg, I think I have a couple of pics somewhere of our lineup at the Channel Tunnel. Your '52, the ex-Keith Lessiter 49 standard (reg 49 STD, where is it now?), Keith's Oval driven by one of his sons, Julian Morley's Coral Red '58 and my old '51 KET 691- that used to belong to you and is now owned by Ian Mac on here!

:smile:

---

Same place as my cabrio,i think Dave.

So... In the history of SSU, known owners are :

? to 1990ish - GKL7
1990ish to 1993ish - Karl
1993ish to ? - Karl's b-in-l Steve
? To ? - ?
? To 2005 - Charles
2005 to 2007 - Robert
2007 to 2008 - Gwyn
2008 to now - Dawn

Can we fill in any more gaps? I'm in Manchester this weekend so I'll see if there are any more clues in the paperwork file...

---

Somewhere in the London area if any help,this is where it lost it's original interior.Owner went to Bernie Newbury for the replacement.Rob or Charles will have details.

Prior to me it had one British owner,i believe the guy i bought it from was called Ron Phillips(long time ago,getting old,poor memory).
He lived in a village in Lincolnshire called Cherry Willingham(strangely Karl who later restored the car,went to school in this village).Ron had the car in his garage for about 20 yrs,stripped,with the intention of restoring it.He told me he had found the car in Germany and hence it ended up in the UK.

Interesting thread this.

I remember coming up to see you Karl when I helped Lawrence Downer pick up a 52, SSU was in your garage at the time just ahead of the sunroof Keith now owns.

Hello

I am now the owner of the car and I live in the Norwich area...does anyone have any photos they could send me or share on here of the car in it's life with previous owners?

Regards

Jim