The water-shy VW Schwimmwagen
"An American engineer tests the Volkswagen" - the headline in the December 1956 issue of Popular Mechanics suggests seriousness. Then you turn the page and see the picture above. Should we have told the Americans that they hadn't been building Schwimmwagens in Wolfsburg for twelve years? They should actually know that, after all, they made sure of it themselves.
What may seem silly at first glance, however, has a very serious background. In the USA, where only ladder frames were known at the time, there was a persistent rumor that the spherical German compact car could float like a boat because its platform frame was pressed from a single piece. To ensure that not every novice driver who was keen to experiment drove the family second car into the nearest lake themselves, it had to be officially tested.
Of course, far more practical criteria were also tested, such as fuel consumption, trunk volume and clarity. The results of a USA-wide survey were even printed, in which the satisfaction of Americans with the VW's reliability, driving performance, customer service, manufacturing quality and the like was determined. The only thing that wasn't asked was how well it floats.
So, was the VW the secret Amphicar? Well, yes. Let's put it this way: The VW can swim about as well as people can survive under water: quite well - but not for very long.
