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VW Fact #900: Volkswagen Canada paid the Canadian government more than $66 million in sales taxes between 1952 and 1962.
VW Fact #901: In 1962, Volkswagen Canada purchased an Elliott 5500 Addressing Machine to speed up bulk mailing. It clicked off addresses at the rate of 6,000 per hour.
VW Fact #902: As of 1962, there were an estimated 650 VW dealerships in the USA.
VW Fact #903: As of 1957, there were 350 dealerships in the USA.
VW Fact #904: The 40-horsepower engine in the 1962 Volkswagens is 33 percent more powerful than the engines used in the 1946 models.
VW Fact #905: On March 9, 1962, Riviera Motors of Portland, OR became distributor for the combined states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington following its purchase of the Seattle Volkswagen distributor franchise.
VW Fact #906: The VW steering wheel was changed from three spokes to two spokes in June of 1949.
VW Fact #907: In January, 1962, Volkswagens accounted for 60 percent of all imported car registrations in the USA.
VW Fact #908: In February, 1962, VW Dealers sold 14,205 cars.
VW Fact #909: Brundage Motors, distributor for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina received 12 cars during its first year of business in 1953.
VW Fact #910: Brundage Motors, distributor for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina received its 50,000th car for distribution during 1962.
VW Fact #912: In Australia, The Beetle was assembled in a former railway workshop in Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, from German made CKD kits from 1954 to 1959. From 1959 it was fully Australian-manufactured, with local content reaching 85% by 1967. Assembly of German CKD kits resumed in 1968 and continued until the last Australian Beetle was assembled in July 1967.
VW Fact #913: Australian-made VW's were exported to New Zealand, Fiji, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Philippines, Western Samoa and other South Pacific islands. A factory in Auckland (New Zealand) also assembled Australian-made CKD kits in the early 1960's. 1,000 kits being shipped to New Zealand in 1963 and over 2,000 kits in 1964.
VW Fact #914: The first and second generation Transporters were also locally assembled in Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, as were the Type 3 Squareback, Notchback and Fastback models. After 1974 Volkswagen Australia also locally assembled the Passat, and from 1976 the Golf.
VW Fact #916: The Australian Volkswagen factory was the first VW factory, outside of Wolfsburg, to possess a master body jig. In the 1960's VW's Melbourne plant had the best quality control centre in Australia. The master body jig was sent to Brazil in 1969; Brazilian Beetles used the Australian "small window" body shell until their production ended in 1993.
VW Fact #917: VW's Australian popularity was built on its outstanding successes in the Round Australia Reliability trials of the day. Volkswagens won the 1955 Redex Trial, the 1956 Mobilgas Trial, the 1957 Ampol and 1957 Mobilgas Trials and the 1958 Mobilgas Trial against much larger and more powerful cars. VW's often filled the minor placings as well. In the 1957 Mobilgas Trial, Volkswagen finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. VW's dominance was the reason these trials were discontinued.
VW Fact #918: In 1958-59-60-61, Volkswagen was the third-best selling make in Australia, beating BMC and Chrysler, and behind only Holden and Ford. In 1960, the Beetle was Australia's second-best selling individual car model of any kind, behind only the Holden.
VW Fact #919: From debut in 1954 until 1962, VW only sold the 'Deluxe' Beetle in Australia, which was the equivalent to the German 'Export' model. In August 1962 VW Australia introduced the 'Standard' Beetle to sell at a cheaper price alongside the Deluxe. Australians called it the 'Austerity' model. In 1967 it was renamed the 'Custom' Beetle, and was discontinued in 1968.
VW Fact #920: An Australian-built 1962 1/2 Ruby-red 1200 Deluxe Beetle became the first production car to visit Antarctica, when Ray McMahon of ANARE shipped 'Antarctica 1' to Australia's Mawson scientific base in 1963. The VW was there for a year and survived an Antarctic winter, starting and running in temperatures as low as -50 deg. Celcius. On its return to Australia it was entered in the 1964 BP Rally. Driven by Ray Christie, 'Antarctica 1' won the event outright. Unfortunately this car was scrapped in the late 1960's.
VW Fact #921: A second VW 'Antarctica 2', replaced 'Antarctica 1' at Mawson in 1964. This second car, a 1964 model painted International Orange, spent 5 years in Antarctica. On its return, it spent a number of years in the early 1970's as a racecar in the Firestone Rallycross series at Catalina near Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, West of Sydney, driven by Chris Heyer and Ed Mulligan. This car survived until the early 1980's but was also sadly scrapped.
VW Fact #922: 1964 was VW's best-ever sales year in Australia (so far), with 31,419 sales, comprised of 22,293 VW 1200's, 3,443 VW 1500's, 28 Karmann Ghias and 5,655 Transporters.
VW Fact #923: The only Australian-designed Volkswagen was the 1968 Country Buggy. It was not a sales success, as only 1,956 were made, but the survivors are very collectable today. The Country Buggy provided some inspiration for the later German-designed Type 181 'Thing'.
VW Fact #925: The 1966 fully-imported VW1600TS Fastback, with 65-bhp (SAE), was capable of 140km/h and is the fastest air-cooled Volkswagen officially sold in Australia.
VW Fact #926: Australia is the only country in the world where the Type 3 was sold as the 'VW Type 3'. Initially the European 'VW 1500' nametag was used, while the USA used the Squareback and Fastback names. In 1970 the facelifted range was renamed to the 'VW Type 3', and the Australian-made 'Type 3' badges fitted to the front mudguards are unique in the world.
VW Fact #927: Due to local production, a full range and out hot and dry climate, more VW Type 3 models survive in Australia than any country in the world.
VW Fact #928: In 1964 there were 290 Volkswagen dealers in Australia, including 29 in Sydney. Today there are nine Sydney VW dealers, none of which were around in the air-cooled era. The oldest VW dealer is Chatswood Classic Cars, which began in 1989.
VW Fact #929: Volkswagen sold more Kombis in Australia in 1975 (8,974) than Toyota sold Hiaces in 2007.
VW Fact #930: The Australian-made 'Sopru' Kombi Campmobile is the largest-selling campervan in Australia of all makers. Over 12,000 were sold between 1969 and 1979.
VW Fact #931: In Australia, The Beetle was not sold as the Beetle throughout most of its life. Initially it was called the VW 1200, which became the VW 1300 in 1966 and the VW 1500 in 1968. In 1971 there was the 1600 Superbug S and the 1300 Bug, and in 1974 the 1600 Superbug L. The 1976 model, the last one, WAS finally officially sold as the Beetle by Volkswagen Australia.
VW Fact #932: 1987 was Volkswagens worst-ever sales year in Australia. Only 48 Transporters were sold.
VW Fact #933: During the 1970's, the Wolfsburg plant could produce a new Beetle every 8 seconds. Today, a Golf or Jetta comes off the line every 12 seconds
VW Fact #934: VW Beetles were made of two different thicknesses of sheet steel. The body shell and mudguards were stamped in 0.88mm sheet steel, while the bonnets and doors were slightly thinner at 0.75mm
VW Fact #936: At the end of 1962, 1,800 distributors, dealers, and wives gathered in New York City for the first VW national organization meeting and dedication of VWoA's new headquarters.
VW Fact #937: In 1962, Ford Motor Company decided not to bring its Cardinal model "Taunus" to the American market, leaving VW in a stronger competitive position for 1963.
VW Fact #938: Winners of the "Quality Dealer Program" were based on the dealer's civic activities, high standard of business ethics, successful sales and business management, service facilities, personnel policies, and ethical advertising.
VW Fact #939: The 1962 dockworkers strike which tied up Atlantic and Gulf Coast shipping left 10 vessels with 6525 VWs anchored off coast. 12 vessels with a total of 8695 cars were successfully unloaded between noon December 21st and the strike deadline at 5pm December 23rd.
VW Fact #940: The redline disappeared from the VW speedometer in 1961.
VW Fact #941: The VW synchromesh transmission was built in Kassel, Germany.
VW Fact #944: In early 1963, Midwestern VW in Columbus Ohio moved its used car operation to a larger, corner property lot with a two-bay reconditioning shop and display space for 75 automobiles.
VW Fact #945: Fred Kling (of Kling Motors in Canton Ohio) became a dealer in 1956 after owning a VW for two years. He sold his first cars working out of a converted hardware store.
VW Fact #947: Capitol Car Distributors marked the arrival of its 50,000th VW through the Port of Baltimore in 1962. It was delivered through Forty-West Motors to Miss Margaret Chapman, a school teacher.
VW Fact #948: In 1962, Inter-Continental Motors of San Antonio TX marked the arrival of its 50,000th VW through the Port of Houston. It was transported on the Norwegian ship "Ferder".
VW Fact #949: In December 1961, Jim McGlone Motors of Croton-on-Hudson NY, rented nine reconditioned panelvans to the local post office for holiday mail deliveries.
VW Fact #950: After testing a walk-thru panelvan from Jim McGlone Motors on a rough delivery route in 1962, the New York grocery chain Gristede's converted their entire 120 vehicle fleet to Volkswagens. Selling points included ease of loading from the driver's seat and exterior locking to discourage thieves.
VW Fact #952: In 1962, Truman Motors of El Cajon California, sponsored a 250-mile economy run. The winner, Ed Van Fleet, averaged 58.6 mpg in his Beetle.
VW Fact #953: In the early 1960s, VWoA used 4 specific direct mailing pieces to target small businesses such as dry cleaners and laundries (who bought 10% of all panel models), plumbing and heating repair, TV/radio repair, druggists, grocers, and liquor dealers.
VW Fact #954: In the early 1960s, VWoA used 3 specific direct mailing pieces to target farmers. One showed all the trucks, one told the parts story, and the third highlighted truck economy.
VW Fact #955: In the early 1960s, VWoA used 4 specific direct mailing pieces to target the nearly 3 million non-fleet small business owners who operated up to four trucks.
VW Fact #957: In 1963, VWoA authorized the design of Little League scoreboards for dealers to donate to their local teams. Each scoreboard had a VW-blue background with white lettering, VW logo, and space for a dealer imprint. Boards cost $195 + $8.50 for dealer imprint.
VW Fact #958: Some 1963 headliners had black dots instead of perforated holes on the side edging and first forward panel to prevent padding from showing through.
VW Fact #960: Total VW export during 1962 was 681,319 vehicles, 57.5% of the company's production.
VW Fact #961: In 1962, the 685 authorized VW U.S. dealers sold one of every two vehicles imported into the US
VW Fact #962: By the end of 1962, one of every two passenger cars produced in West Germany was a Volkswagen.
VW Fact #963: VW produced about 5,000 vehicles daily in 1962: 3,300 passenger cars, 700 trucks and Buses, and 1,000 type 3s.
VW Fact #966: In 1963, VW dealers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut marketed the Standard Westphalia Camper to the "weekend outdoorsman" fisherman and hunter. Two employees demonstrated how to remove the conversion equipment in just 2 minutes, 11 seconds, transforming it to the bare 221 model.
VW Fact #967: In the early 1960s, VW salesmen used Industry Profiles, written by the editors of leading trade magazines, to survey each industry that used light trucks, including what the business owners looked for and needed in a truck and any issues they faced.
VW Fact #969: The Wolfsburg plant took a five day advanced vacation in February 1963 to give ships waiting at U.S. ports time to unload after the backup caused by the dockworkers strike. The five days were debited against the factory's standard 3 week vacation.
VW Fact #970: Debuting in 1963, the programmed Product Knowledge manual taught salesman product knowledge as it related to owner benefits. Information about VW Transporters was broken down into frames of information, which were then put into sequence for rapid learning.
VW Fact #971: Nearly 10,000 attendees of the 1962 Louisiana State Fair registered for the give-away TV set from the VW exhibit. Stubs were forwarded to appropriate local VW dealers where busy salesmen started phoning all those new prospects.
VW Fact #972: Over 2500 tired Christmas shoppers took advantage of free rides on one of four Buses provided by Foreig
VW Fact #975: In 1962 it took about 10 hours to move a ship carrying 1000 Volkswagens into berth, unload it, and move it out again.
VW Fact #977: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #1 was "Has the service department left the car immaculate: has the pre-delivery inspection been thoroughly completed?"
VW Fact #978: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #2 was "Point out the lights on the dashboard; what their colors mean. The colors of the dash lights in a VW have a different significance from the ones on domestic autos."
VW Fact #979: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #3 was "Show how to adjust the seats and seat-backs."
VW Fact #980: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #4 was "Demonstrate the operation of the non-repeat ignition switch."
VW Fact #981: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #5 was "Show how the VW is shifted into reverse. (And into first, second, third, and fourth.)"
VW Fact #982: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #6 was "Demonstrate how the sunroof opens and closes; the convertible top."
VW Fact #983: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #7 was "Lower the rear seat back and show how to get at the luggage space."
VW Fact #984: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #8 was "Locate the battery and fuse box."
VW Fact #985: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #9 was "Raise the hood and point out windshield washer and brake fluid reservoirs."
VW Fact #987: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #11 was "Acquaint the customer with the owner's manual and how an understanding of its contents will bring greater driving pleasure and economy."
VW Fact #988: In 1963, New Car Delivery Checklist item #12 was "Follow-up a week or so after delivery and ask how he likes his VW."
VW Fact #990: Gibbes Machinery Company, a VW dealer in Columbia, South Carolina, had a postage meter identification slug which carried the message "2 names you can trust, Gibbes--Volkswagen".
VW Fact #991: In May 1959, Schumacher Auto Sales of Yonkers, New York sold three panelvans to Riverdale Meat Company. In December 1961 the company traded the VWs for two Corvans. By September 1962 they returned their business to Schumacher, praising the VW for its superiority.
VW Fact #992: VWoA's customer relations magazine "Small World" debuted in Spring 1962 and circulation grew to 343,146 within 1 year.
VW Fact #995: In the early 1960's, VW dealers used the "instant sign kit" to promote their dealership on the side of panelvans. The kit, made up of 12 color, pressure sensitive, adhesive backed stickers, one for each VW model, was available for $13.35 each.
VW Fact #996: On February 1st, 1963, VW introduced upholstery cleaner to it's factory approved line of parts and accessories. The cleaner was recommended for both cloth and vinyl fabrics.
VW Fact #997: VW dealers were encouraged to increase the sale of car-care items by creating kits made up of windshield washer fluid, car polish, upholstery cleaner, and a touch up stick. They often included a large sponge to make the kit even more attractive.
VW Fact #1000: Prototypes of the new 1500 transporters were road tested over a grueling 9000 mile trail from New York to Mexico and back. The test included a week long 24 hour a day, stop-and-go, city traffic test in New York City.
VW Fact #1001: When marketing the new 1500 transporter, salesmen used exterior decals to identify demonstrator vehicles. They included dotted lines around the big double doors, lettering over the rear wheel well highlighting "24-mile-per-gallon" and the high ground clearance, and lettering on the engine compartment's beefier 1500 cc.
VW Fact #1002: When marketing the new 1500 transporter, salesmen used interior decals to identify demonstrator vehicles. Ten VW salespoints were presented, including the 1,800 pound load capacity, 170 cubic feet of cargo space, and the unitized steel body.
VW Fact #1003: The Thing, introduced to American dealerships in Spring 1973, was assembled at the VW factory in Puebla, Mexico.
VW Fact #1004: The Thing, powered by a Super Beetle engine, had removable doors, a fold down windshield, and detachable convertible top and side curtains.
VW Fact #1005: The rear axle ratio on the Thing was higher than the Beetle's, enabling it to keep going when the going got tough.
VW Fact #1007: Initially, the Thing was available in three colors: white, yellow, and red. All had black leatherette interiors and black tops.
VW Fact #1008: The Thing was first shown publicly at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany in 1969.
VW Fact #1011: In 1973, two Norwegian ships chartered by Volkswagen, the "Norse Variant" and the "Anita", sunk on the return trip to Germany. 60 lives were lost, one man was rescued.
VW Fact #1014: In 1973, Cars Incorporated of Jacksonville, North Carolina, donated a Bus to the nearby fire department, Township Six. The VW Bus carried a resuscitator, fire axes, shovels, grass fire flappers, and fire extinguishers.
VW Fact #1015: In 1973, the Nigerian VW importer donated two GT's to the Lagos city council. The GT's, built on Type 2 pick-up bodies, were used as garbage trucks.
VW Fact #1016: In 1973, an avid Ohio fisherman turned his 1951 Bug into an ice shanty. He removed the back end, cut holes in the floorboard, added a metal smokestack, and carried planks for crossing cracks in the lake ice.
VW Fact #1018: Cape Volkswagen in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, suffered flash flood damage in the summer of 1973. They lost 26 new cars and 80 used cars, suffered $100,000 in damages, and had four inches of water in the showroom.
VW Fact #1019: In 1973, a 1958 Beetle, nicknamed "Yellow Submarine" crossed the 32 miles of sea from Ireland to Britain in seven hours, 15 minutes. The Bug was equipped with a propeller, extra fuel tanks, and special sealing.
VW Fact #1020: In 1973, a 97-year-old man from Liverpool, Ohio, settled in Hot Springs, Arkansas in his newly purchased VW Campmobile. Unable to drive himself anymore, the retired railroad engineer planned to hire a chauffeur.
VW Fact #1021: It took 13 years to build the first million VWs in Brazil, but only three years for the second million.
VW Fact #1022: In 1957 VW do Brasil had 796 employees, by 1973 the work force was more than 30,000.
VW Fact #1024: At the 1963 New York automobile show, the Volkswagen exhibit had a Beetle Sedan elevated at the rear so that the windshield was vertical with a small hole drilled through the windshield. About 10 feet in front was a candle burning in a holder. When the door was closed a puff of air through the hole would snuff out the candle. If a vent wing or window was open, this did not occur. This showed the VWs "air tightness" and the fact that the doors did close easier if you opened the vent wing.
VW Fact #1025: 1969 was the first year that US Volkswagen dealer sales failed to increase. This was due to an East and Gulf Coast dock strike that prevented the flow of new VWs to 3/4 of US dealerships for three months.
VW Fact #1026: Although the Karmann Ghia was VWs lowest-volume car, it outranked most imported cars sold in the US during 1970.
VW Fact #1027: St. Lucie Motors Inc. in Fort Pierce, Florida, featured a piano and guitar in the waiting room for use by customers having their VWs serviced.
VW Fact #1028: In 1970, two 411s proved their durability by completing Belgium's four day, four night "Marathon de la Route". Fewer than 40% of entrants lasted through the gruelling 96 hour event.
VW Fact #1030: Between 1965 and 1966, the total United States Volkswagen sales increased 18%.
VW Fact #1032: In 1966, the Executive Vice-President of Volkswagen Atlantic had the F.B.I. investigate the employee who contributed "Edsel Echo" to the contest to name the organization's new dealer magazine.
VW Fact #1033: In 1960, Volkswagen Atlantic purchased for its new headquarters site a former marble quarry which had been turned into a sanitary landfill.
VW Fact #1034: Between 1967 and 1968, the total United States Volkswagen sales increased 22%.
VW Fact #1036: In early 1970, Volkswagen Atlantic completed a new $5 million headquarters on 31 acres in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
VW Fact #1037: In 1970, Volkswagen introduced the "Glitterbug" program where buyers could customize their Beetles from a palette of 24 metallic hued body colors, 6 trim tape pattern in 4 different colors, and 4 roof colors. Over 9,000 different combinations were possible.
VW Fact #1038: On November 1st, 1970, Volkswagen added Audi and Porsche to its product line through a network of separate franchised dealers.
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