I was a professional VW mechanic at one of the largest dealerships in Southern California in my youth. 1965 through 1976. A line mechanic and in unit repair. Those were the good ole days for sure. Economotors Volkswagen, Riverside, CA.

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

WOW!!!! You worked at Economotors!!!!!!!!!!!! You witnessed golden era of EMPI, Joe and Darrell Vittone!!!!!!!! 👍🏼

@sriddle3569

Жыл бұрын

Hey David, come work with us down at KIA, West Poiny, Ga!

@kippywylie

Жыл бұрын

My mother purchased an early version of the VW and I think the year wad 1961. I think the floor model was $1,600? She loved that car and even got those cute eyebrow add-ons for the headlights

@lukemartin2476

Жыл бұрын

If you haven’t already you need to check out Volkswagen’s own video on “Annie the Beetle.” The owner Kathleen mentions she purchased her car there. I’m betting you worked on it!

I’m blown away by the automation and the fact there’s a beautiful young lady hand stitching the interior. Amazing!

@hertzair1186

Жыл бұрын

Germans

Great Workmanship I love the VW Beetle no car can ever match the beetle and will live for ever I still own many beetles .

"In a free market, success is rarely an accident" Amen.

My father worked many years for VW in 1960 he went for a trainingship of 2 years in Wolfsburg. In 1963 he was in Portugal, in the CKD plant of Setubal... He retired in Pamplona, Landaben factory.

What is amazing is all the automation. How advanced that stuff was at that time. the mechanical machines spot welding to perfection all the parts of the car on the body.

@AgentOffice

Жыл бұрын

It's almost modern! Crazy

@hertzair1186

Жыл бұрын

Remember….the Germans are engineers

@foamdataservices

4 ай бұрын

I wish they would invent a machine to repair my now rusty Volkswagens as effortlessly…

Thx never seen befor. I was born in this year and i know most of the plaeces. My hometown is Wolfsburg. My dad spend most of his working live to build Tools for production.

This is great. I graduated from school in the early 70's and started working in a VW dealership near me. I spent many years working on and owning VW's. Numerous bugs and 2 of the old split window buses. I have such good memories of those days. Thank you for posting this.

Can't believe all the automation for 1960. My first was a 1965 beetle... my favorite car of all time... except in the winter.

@dre3k78

Жыл бұрын

While ive never owned an old Beetle i was always told they did well in the snow since they were RWD and all the weight was in the rear.

@nonelost1

Жыл бұрын

@@dre3k78 I believe the OP was referring to the heaters, not the engine over the rear wheels traction.

@mattywho8485

Жыл бұрын

@@nonelost1 I knew a guy that owned one in RI (back when there used to be snow there) and he kept a can of window de-icer in the front seat to defrost the INSIDE of the windshield on cold days !

@dre3k78

Жыл бұрын

@@nonelost1 Ah ok that makes sense. If i recall the heat for these vehicles was generated from the exhaust? Yeah id imagine that wouldn't be the most efficient during the winter.

@theoldbigmoose

Жыл бұрын

@@dre3k78 Marshall was spot on. Traction was great till you high centered on a snow drift with the pan. But the heaters were a joke. I always drove with knit cap, gloves, and inside ice scraper and two cans of spray alcohol to defrost the inside of the windshield!

Great documentary here. Narrated by legendary NBC News anchorman Chet Huntley. Those Germans know how to build cars and I have driven a few of them.

Wow, what classic footage - back when Chet Huntley was a household name! Good find. Thanks for posting.

Nice! 36hp engines and swingaxles in production. This footage is probably pre 1961.

The level of automation was amazing.

My brothers and I tore beetles an busses apart in our family’s driveway. For us, the wrenching was half the fun. I ordered parts from Brazil & Mexico and we kept ourselves driving until ~2005.

Back in the day of the ‘70s and ‘80s, I owned 4 early ‘60s VW bugs! One of them was a white ‘62 sunroof bug that I decked out like Herbie. Also, my dad owned a 1960 bug.

Aaahhh the great classic Beetle! The best VW ever built!👌🥰👍👉♥️

@nygelmiller5293

Жыл бұрын

To Anibal Babilonisla. Don't you like no 2 and no 3 Beetles, then? At least they are W - I - D - E - R, so I would still be able to fit in (at 70 years old), as opposed to the mk 1 I successfully learnt to drive on, when I was 17, and NARROWER! I can't get the door shut on the mk1 now, it presses on my shoulder, and would cause my arm to go to sleep - so I wouldn't be able to steer! How on earth it got to be the world's biggest selling car with the disadvantage of the narrowness cars had in those days, is beyond me! Nice to look at, though!

Great old footage. What a super find!

We took a tour of the Wolfsburg and Hanover plants back in the late 80's. By then it was all water-cooled models being built. It was like a pilgrimage to me. My first car in 1971 was a 58 Beetle and have had numerous air-cooled and water-cooled since. 2022 Arteon currently.

Volkswagens, the only vehicles I've ever owned ❤️

@michaeltutty1540

Жыл бұрын

When I was a kid there was a neighbour who had a bright orange Beetle from about 67. There was a red Beetle from the 50s rotting in the backyard. I was told the old one was so slow it was dangerous. The last I saw that man was about 2010, and he was still driving a Volkswagen, but now a rather nice City Golf. Brand loyalty lived back then because companies cared about retaining customers.

@sletourneau3

Жыл бұрын

@@michaeltutty1540 up until recently I've only owned mk4 jettas, 3 of them. The first cars I drove off the dealership lots. Then I got a pandemic project in July 2020, a mk4 city golf of my own. Been putting her back together for fun. Then I got a 2014 Tornado red bug this year, because I'm apparently collecting all the volkswagens now. 🤣🤣🤷‍♀️ I've got my eye on the ID Buzz too. There's a '64 baby blue bug down my street being neglected I might ask about too, she deserves a loving home too.

The overall structure of the early VW's was incredibly rigid, my aunt drove one from CA to Mass. for college several times cross country with ZERO mechanical issues...

Its fun seeing your hometown and what it looked like 50 years ago, difference like night and day

Had a black '58 beetle with a mild 1600cc, loved it! These cars on the assembly line are about that era.

@alanwood5857

Жыл бұрын

My Bug was modified and ran a '73 1600 DP engine, thanks.

Thanks 4 📽️👌

That would have to have been a blast to cruise around that test track in a body-less bug!

@tynewlin

Жыл бұрын

Sure would have. Remember to fasten your lap belt! ;D

Can't get enough of old footage like this! Thank you for sharing. Have owned quite a few VW's over the years, currently have a full tube chassis Type 4 powered baja, a Class 12 single seat off road car with a 2110 motor, and my garage queen. Fully restored, every nut and bolt, original floor pans, 25 horse, split case, 1953 Azure Blue oval.

@thomasfx3190

Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome!

Cool, i am 67 and my 1st car was a well used 61 bug in 1973

I had a '72 yellow Baja Bug with a 2180 and dual webers, roll cage, bucket seats, 5 point harness and hurst shifter. I also had a baby blue '66 Bus. Unfortunately someone t-boned me and I rolled going through an intersection. Was really cool seeing all the VW's in the 70's-90's and giving a peace sign. ✌

I enjoyed that. Rare , not now it’s on KZread for the whole world to see 😂

My first car, an old 74 powder blue bug with a sunroof. Down a steep hill windows & sunroof open 94mph, its all she had. Passenger floor rotted out, heat channels rotted, had to scrape the inside of the windshield in the winter. I had fun with it, even used the back seat which was not easy. It would go anywhere & if you couldn't get up the snow covered road going fwd, turn it around and chugs right up in reverse.

I dated a girl that had a new super beetle. We drove it across the US ,NYC to LA and back one summer. When crossing the desert we got her up to 100 mph and I think it may have had a little more to go. Proof God watches out for children and idiots.

@bunning63

Жыл бұрын

Speedo error or a long downhill stretch?

Oh my I could watch this at least 50 times!!….oh wait..I think I have!!!! 😂Thanks Hot VW’s! 🚘

Amazing to see where my 1st car, '64 bug bought in '75, and my current '64 bug came from.

Very good old days

Wow, this is amazing

The most fun to drive car made. My first was a new1969 model, and drove two more after that, plus a Westphalia. It sure would be nice if they would bring back that body design again. Thank you for the memories, and the tour.

@tynewlin

Жыл бұрын

They did, except it's bigger, heavier and really just a Golf underneath. Volkswagen stopped making good cars over 30 years ago.

I have a set of 35mm slides that were given to the VW dealers when they toured the Wolfsburg plant, my grandparents were there in 1959 with the larger rear window bug and all of the slides have a caption on them.

15 years after the end of the war and VW are making cars better than Americans can. Amazing stuff.

Wunderbar ! Thumbs up from Germany.

Being from Flint, Michigan it's hard to believe I've never seen a production line or been in an automotive plant but, it's true. Always had a desire to take a tour of the shops here. Great video, enjoyed it a lot.

@axelurbanski2828

Жыл бұрын

At that time VW had the biggest carfactory under one roof in Europe. When i visit first time a production line, that impress me a lot. It was like a big mechanic ballet... And a hello from Wolfsburg to Flint MI

@jerryspencer5453

Жыл бұрын

@@axelurbanski2828 I had to mention Flint, Michigan in my comment because, it's known as " The Vehicle City" home of General Motors. Not much GM here anymore. They kept Flint alive. Jobs are gone, poverty abounds. Not the city it once was.

@axelurbanski2828

Жыл бұрын

@@jerryspencer5453 yes like the big Motown Detroid. It is sad that so mutch industrial power and knowlege is Death in US motown.

@jerryspencer5453

Жыл бұрын

@@axelurbanski2828 Detroit is "The Motor City". Motown refers to a style of music that was recorded there. Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, The Jackson Five, The Supremes, and many more great sounds came out of Motown Recording Studio.

@dancalmpeaceful3903

Жыл бұрын

At least go see the Rouge tour in Dearborn.......it's pretty awesome I thought. I've seen a Toyota plant tour and Corvette plant tours in Kentucky too....

I hope Jim, one of the agents from Cold War Motors, gets to see this video!

First 3 cars were beetles. '53, '67, and a super beetle. All were used uninsured and throughly enjoyed in the late '60s and '70s. Also had a company car that was the weird station wagon model. A 4 something maybe. Cheers 🇨🇦

@toddvanwinkle7777

Жыл бұрын

James I believe you were driving a 411 or 412 model…they were not as beautiful as the squareback, but definitely weird looking!!😅

@kuntakinte4333

Жыл бұрын

@@toddvanwinkle7777 In Germany the 411 was called "Nasenbär" (coati) A very own beauty in his uglyness 😉

@toddvanwinkle7777

Жыл бұрын

@@kuntakinte4333 Thank you! Definitely not as pretty as the Squareback!!

Great video, at 4:05 the narrator explains how precisely the valves are engineered, except they're not valves, but link pins for the steering knuckle.

Got out of the US Navy November 1970. There was an abandoned 1300 cc VW in the garage of a hippie commune I lived in so I purchased it for $135. Purchased my first metric socket set and pull the motor to replace a failed clutch plate. All I had was the VW stock sizzer jack and a pile of bricks but I was able to lift the chassis off the engine. I remember at one crutial point balancing the engine on my knees for a second to slide it onto the bricks. All came back together and I drove it for many years. Prior to this I had minimal mechanical skills and my manual taught me everything. It was just before the "Idiots Manual" came out.... which I did not like after getting that manual because it had too much prose, too much poetry. One day stranded in the roadside I threw it into a ditch in frustration while trying simply read up on points adjustments. My points I remember setting with a book of matches for the best gap

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story about Volkswagen, and thank you for your service.

While in college in the late 70s, I bought a girlfriend’s VW that didn’t run for $200 because she was out of money. That was the first time I really paid much attention to the cars. It was a funky 1965 with four different colors of fenders and some pretty ratty upholstery. I pull the engine and did a full rebuild. My gosh parts were just dirt cheap! Anyway, stab the engine after installing a fresh clutch and new boots on the axles. Oh, and of course, fresh heat exchangers that were built out of the thinnest of metals. Anyway, I buzzed about in that car. And had to do very limited repairs on it, until I sold it to a mechanic friend of mine who chopped the top and turned it into a hard top convertible. He put in a full new interior, and a larger Displacement engine, I don’t remember now what size him creased it by. But anyway, it was a fun car that I drove for years and years, and then watched Tom load onto a trailer when he moved to California. BTW, he hasn’t done the body yet, so it still had four different colors of fenders a red, blue, black and a white one on a grey body. And man, o man did that hard top convertible looks slick!

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your cool story about VW. This is why we love VWs! Almost everyone has an unique story with VW!! 😄

Durante muitos anos, colecionei esta revista, que guardo até hoje...

Outstanding!! Thanks for sharing!

One thing I do know is I'm still around and kicking at 70 and still looking pretty good,, but most of those rust buckets are all dead and buried . May they rest in peace 😎

You've convinced me...I'll take 3 please!

Wow that's awesome 👍 thanks for the tour.... Great to see how it was done very cool...

"To pay the working man his fair share!"

Awesome! The only thing missing is the galvanizing station for the body steel! Nooooo........!

@foamdataservices

4 ай бұрын

In those days they had really good paint. I had a 54 with all the factory paint still on the floor pan and interior under the carpets, my 71 bus has all the original paint in the wheel tubs still, under some underseal. I have polished original factory paint that was totally flat and it’s come up great! The steel used was also of a very high quality and thicker than modern vehicles.

Very nice footage. Thanks for sharing.

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

That test driver isn't even wearing a helmet. Crazy times!

The rolling completed car at 16:42 appears to be a 61 model with no choke knob to the right of the ashtray as it became automatic in 61.

That was excellent to watch. Thanks for posting that up.

Simplemente genial 👍👍👍

Wow is that me before me?

Ein Wolfsburger hier

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Amazing VW city!!! WOB!!!♥️

Excellent! Thanks for posting this, impressive precision. From 12:12-12:27, the logo portends the future, as well, three vavs in the logo (v=6,v=6,v=6), a coded reference to a continuing future "666" industry.

My parents were acquainted with the Pon family. (Ben Pon).

11:46. Randy at Carcheology needs to track this thing down and buy it....😁😁

love it, thanks for sharing.

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great old footage and history of VW. He conspicuously avoided talk of the original designer, Ferdinand Porsche or the guy who had the original concept...a guy with the first name Adolf. 😉

good one 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

They use to make the old vw beetle in Dublin ballsbridge

The original Beetle was a great and timeless car. Nowadays it's ridiculous that I cannot purchase a Passat Station Wagon because VW decided to not import it anymore.

very nice :)

And now Volkswagen Group is the largest car corporation in the world….and it all started with the lowly Beetle.

The car that made VW. All time best seller. Of same body shape.

And now it’s all done in Mexico….’with that said I love my Jetta!

Wow it's almost like modern robots

My Aunt had one of the first Bugs in Philly. She bought it at what was then Moore Motors Rolls/Jag/Triumph on Broad Street. Moore got 1 free for each 3 Jags he bought. She paid $800.00 cash, as it was never in the showroom. Britain's "dirty German secret" they told her. By 1960 Moore Motors was selling 300 Bugs, and 16 Buses, a week. Each had a 90 day warranty on them.

Pctures amazing

ID Buzz on it's way to USA soon. 🇺🇸 It has a more special meaning here than any other market. Will be interesting to see if it can make the current SUV craze seem tired & passe. I hope.

imagine that - a company actually employing folks in their own country. Golly, what a strange time it was!

Shame VW New Zealand never remained so committed when it came to quality when they were still assembling cars here. They definitely had a policy of can't see don't paint it.

いいな 一台欲しい。

Took British Leyland till the late 70s 80s. use those machines great Britain very back wards still is

The best of the best build by two great Adolf H and Ferdinand Porche

I worked at the Hannover factory in 1970 for about a year. My job was putting on headlamps And later threading the wiring from the back to the front. It was terrible. Shift work I think 8 hours 1400 to 2200 and 6 to 1400 . The only thing was it payed well for the day. About 800 DM per month I had to get up at 0400 every morning to drive from Celle An American guy shared the car with us always said when seeing the VW sign lit up. There is the fucking blue boy . It was the worst time of my life Most of the workers were from Turkey, and Italy and Greece. I was the only English person in our department. I had sleep problems for years after An real nightmares. Anyway in true German fashion they managed to trick the world ( that cost many ) in the diesel emissions. I hope they have a bad ending. Just to add I am a qualified mechanic, they refused to give me a better position, as they did not recognise my qualifications from England. ( The truth is they needed more people doing unskilled jobs earning less money.

The advanced production line reminds me of Tesla in the present.

9:00 ゴーカートみたいで楽しそうだんなぁ〜。

Noice!😎

Not the best vehicle but a well built vehicle, with parts backup throughout the world at a affordable price , which vw doesn't follow now

@dre3k78

Жыл бұрын

Indeed. German cars are not what they used to be....same for American cars.

Major change in transporting cars since this was recorded. No more open rail cars since vandalism by spray painting began.

38448 👑

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Do you know what is "221" mean? Old area code of telephone?

@Uwe_BS

Жыл бұрын

​@@hotvwsmagazine Old area code was 3180, phone prefix Wolfsburg is 05361. As the lady says: "Wolfsburg 221 - this is Volkswagen... i'll connect you", i assume 221 might have been the Volkswagen switchboard number at that time. Today you dial a single 9 instead, followed by the volkswagen-internal number you want to call.

Good old Germany.

The town and factory should be called Fallersleben not Wolfsburg, it's a British invention. When the British occupiers took over thay ordered that the town name must change from 'Stadt der KDF Wagen' (town of the Strength Through Joy Car), saw there was a derelict castle nearby called Wolfsburg and called the town and factory after that . They forgot that 'Wolf' was the nickname of you-know-who.

A automação já era bem desenvolvida pare a época.

Both 36hp and the 40hp a visible, the last of the 36hp cars

Have been to the plant in Hannover the inpressive brickwork building is still there after 10million transporter Van's the plant produces now the IDbus and fast chargers.

Where's the Jetta

Other countries that built the beetle were still hands on manual labour

かわいい

he kinda sounds like dan aykroyd

@hotvwsmagazine

Жыл бұрын

Narrated by NBC News anchorman Chet Huntley.

Germany imported many Turkish workers from Turkiye due to worker shortages after World War 2. Many of the workers you see here at Volkswagen are Turkish. Many of these imported Turkish workers later settled in Germany with their families. That's why today you see a sizeable Turkish population in Germany.

The things go great with out a body on them lmao

@wizzard5442

8 ай бұрын

And quicker too with less weight.

14:20😢

Vee Dub's rule 🐞

I bought a mk2 golf in 2003 it was a 1990 model built in West Germany it was like a tank no rust even at 13 years old not like the later vw cars quality has declined in corrosion proof bodywork.