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Omelette Surprise - VW 1200 Export in (historical) test

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Created on September 1, 1960

Reading time 17min

Written by:

Heinz Kranz

Photos:

Automobil-Illustrierte

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Automobil-Illustrierte

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Volkswagen 1200 Export (1961) – auch ideal für den Urlaub am See

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VW Typ 11 (1948) - aerodynamisch ausgestaltete Karosserie

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VW Käfer (1961) - assymetrisches Abblendlicht gab es ab August 1960

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - der Testwagen von 1961

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - der Testwagen von 1961 war immerhin mit Rolldach ausgerüstet

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - Testwagen noch mit kleinen Rückleuchten

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VW 1200 De Luxe (1961) - der Testwagen in Bern vor damals moderner Architektur

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VW 1200 Export (1961) - Das Exportmodell mit Weisswandreifen und Rolldach am Hafen

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VW Cabriolet (1961) - "vier bis fünf Sitze" schrieb die Werbeabteilung

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VW 1200 (1961) - Werbeillustration zeigt den Käfer mit Blinkern

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Volkswagen 1200 (1961) – Durchsichtszeichnung, Seite, links

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VW 1200 (1961) - Durchsicht durch den Käfer - ab 1961 hatte der VW 34 PS und ein vollsynchronisiertes Getriebe

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Volkswagen 1200 Export (1961) – Schnitt durch den neuen 34-PS-Motor für 1961

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Volkswagen 1200 Export (1961) – Vergrösserter Kofferraum unter der Fronthaube

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Volkswagen 1100 Export (1955) – Der Platz fürs Gepäck ist spärlich

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Volkswagen 1200 Export (1961) – Karikatur zur Wolfsburger Modellkonstanz

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Summary

Although it remained virtually unchanged on the outside, VW continued to develop the Beetle under its high-quality, thick bodywork. For the 1961 model year, the successful model was given a new engine with more displacement and more power with lower fuel consumption. The tester of the "Automobil Illustrierte" magazine was completely enthusiastic about the new 1200cc boxer. This article reproduces the wording of a test report from 1961 and shows the revised VW in historical photos.

This article contains the following chapters

The best car for the money
New engine
Automatic starter carburetor
But what thousands have dreamed of
The egg has remained
Driven and technically approved
PS
PSPS
Technical data and test results

Estimated reading time: 17min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Before I delve analytically into the latest surprise from Wolfsburg, allow me to briefly recapitulate how Professor Porsche's Wolfsburg egg actually came into being. In contrast to philosophical arguments about the priority of egg and hen, it is perfectly clear that a very powerful man at the time expressed the wish for a Volkswagen in 1934, even though there was a whole range of nice and cheap cars available at the time. Wishes expressed by dictators are orders, so the then Reichsverband der Automobilindustrie (Reich Association of the Automotive Industry) hastened to comply with this wish, set up a technical commission and entrusted Professor Porsche with the design work. The RDA was then, like the VDA today, the German automotive industry, which laid or had to lay a cuckoo's egg in its nest at its own expense, which was to bring it great competition once again. - However, the RDA was surpassed in this respect by the British, who in 1945 could have eliminated at the stroke of a pen what was later to be their greatest competition on the world markets.

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