On the road like the postman in the VW Type 147 'Fridolin'
Thanks to Volkswagen Classic, we recently had the opportunity to take a test drive in the VW 'Fridolin'. The Type 147 was developed in the 1960s on behalf of the German Federal Post Office and assembled at Westfalia using various components from other VW models. The German Federal Post Office and the Swiss Post Office (PTT) bought a large proportion of the 6139 vehicles produced between 1964 and 1974, whose special features were the sliding side doors.
The originally defined requirements called for a loading space of at least two cubic meters, which had to be accessible from the interior, the aforementioned sliding doors and a payload of 400 kg.
Volkswagen succeeded in meeting these requirements with the 'Fridolin' without any problems. The suspension, engine and gearbox were taken from the VW 1200 and married to the chassis of the Karmann-Ghia. Other parts came from the VW Transporter, partially adapted.
When you sit down in the 'Fridolin', the proximity to the Beetle is immediately apparent. The upright pedals, gearshift and central speedometer are immediately reminiscent of the Volkswagen from Wolfsburg. However, the speedometer, which reaches up to 160 km/h, is somewhat surprising.
The 34 hp were just enough for a top speed of 100 km/h. However, the just over 1200 examples for the PTT had the more powerful 1.3-liter engine with 44 hp and disc brakes at the front, but the PTT 'Fridolin' still struggled on inclines.
The aerodynamics of the Post vehicle, which offered a generous feeling of space, were probably not ideal due to its large cross-sectional area. But the car was never intended to be a highway sweeper. On country roads and especially in urban areas, the yellow-grey Post-Volkswagen is fast enough and reasonably easy to drive.
It feels a bit like a minivan, only the sliding doors are rather unusual. In some cases, the rear-view mirrors were mounted on the A-pillar so that you could drive with the doors open. This saved the postal worker time when he had to empty a letterbox or deliver a parcel.
It is somewhat surprising, however, that the steering wheel is fitted on the left, as the Swiss Post, for example, had right-hand drive VW Beetles to make it safer to get out at the side of the road.
We would like to thank Volkswagen Classic for the opportunity to take a test drive.
