When repairing was still cheap
02/11/2024
Anyone who takes a modern car to the garage is often amazed at how expensive an initially seemingly minor repair can become when the bill arrives. Many parts have to be replaced and the hourly rates are a sign of great self-confidence.
A look into the past (around 60 years ago) brings tears to your eyes. Back then, Volkswagen explained that replacing a fender on a Beetle was a cheap job: ten screws, that's all, and the fender itself cost DM 43.25 primed (rear only DM 28.90). Today, you don't even get a proper dinner for that, after all the DM 28.90 was once exchanged for EUR 14.80.
Or the engine? You could remove and install it for a whole DM 7.50 in wages. Admittedly, the replacement engine was a bit more expensive. But most parts were interchangeable from one model year to the next, at least according to Volkswagen.
And this was also different: "Our dealers have every VW part in stock". For example, it would have been possible to keep the engine but replace the rest of the car. Nobody did this, of course, because after all, you could buy a brand new Beetle for DM 4200 (EUR 2150).
P.S. The entire original advertisement can of course be found in the Zwischengas picture archive.
