From the beginnings of tuning or even styling and refining
04/12/2019
The seventies to nineties were probably the most important decades for the car tuning industry. Not only did many large companies emerge at that time that focused on this sector of the economy, but also countless special cars, some of which were far removed from the standard version and are still revered today. Examples include the BB creations and the Gemballa Porsche.
However, the process of "tweaking" or "improving" vehicles began much earlier, as series manufacturers were naturally unable to fulfil every wish of car buyers and the desire for individualization increased as production volumes grew. Soon after founding the company 60 years ago, Carlo Abarth began producing styling kits to make small Fiat models faster. Burkard Bovensiepen, for example, breathed more power into BMW models.
These were just two examples. The VWBeetle , which is currently being exhibited by Autostadt at the Techno Classica in Essen, was probably created even earlier.
The VW 1200, built in 1953, was extensively refined, was probably fitted with one of the first front spoilers in history and received an extensive interior refresh, including a center console and modified panels.
The front spoiler in particular was certainly ahead of its time, while the integrated roof rack was certainly a practical accessory.
The Autostadt will be exhibiting other tuning cars from the Group in Essen until Sunday (April 14, 2019). Incidentally, the term "tuning" itself only came into use much later; in German, this word actually means "fine-tuning", but it was and is used much more broadly and today encompasses all areas of refinement and styling.
