VW Bug with Nazi emblem on inside panel of doors

VaBusa

VaBusa

oRg Gal
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I wish I had pics, though I'm not certain I'd even post them here...this one's been hard to verify as something in existence, but my oldest son, Sam, was fueling up his Stingray months ago locally and up rolls a black VW Bug, and he notices it because he's a car guy and it was super clean...

He ended up talking to the guy that owns it and the guy admitted it's been in his family for decades, that he only brings it out every now and again to keep it running. It was a brief exchange. The guy goes to get in the car and Sam sees the inside panel of the door has a Nazi logo. I have not been able to verify the existence of a car like this tied to Hitler during WWII. I did find that in those first years, the Kommandeurswagen was being built, but I cannot find a single legit interior photo of anything close to what my son saw.

We've been curious since, was this a legit original first production during the war, used by the German military, or is this some local guy that just subscribes to the beliefs of the Nazi regime and he added it?? Such a shocking thing to see in such a remote town...
 
Isn't it ironic how Hitler commissioned F Porsche to design and build "the People's Car" and how it became the iconic 'Bug' that it is today?
People worldwide have benefited from things he did, and then also the extreme opposite from his acts of brutality and genocide
But the use of the Swastika was tainted and is another ironic situation.
The swastika is an ancient symbol that was in use in many different cultures for at least 5,000 years before Adolf Hitler made it the centerpiece of the Nazi flag, and changed people's perception of what it represents, forever.
The swastika was long used as a symbol of well-being in ancient societies, including those in India, China, Africa, native America, and Europe.
I like to look at the whole history, the 'back story' if you like, to get an overview of the game.
What Hitler did with it was a very short few years in comparison to the the millennia that it has been around.
In saying that, I also understand the hatred and the anger that it causes people, and why it was banned because of this reason.
Just my thoughts, I'm a "big picture" guy.
On a side note . . . I have had many VW Beetles thru the 70's and 80's... I also have had 3 VW Kombi's and a couple of Type 2's. I loved those quirky little cars, I started my mechanical career on the VW, something about them that I loved.
Who could afford to buy one nowdays? The prices are ridiculous lol
 
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If it's original, that would sure add value to the car as a collectors item. If it's a very convincing fake, that would have the same effect, unfortunately. ...or someone might have an odd sense of humor. If the present owner were a Nazi, I don't think he'd hesitate to place the emblem on the outside of the car where everyone could see it.
 
Mythos said:
If it's original, that would sure add value to the car as a collectors item. If it's a very convincing fake, that would have the same effect, unfortunately. ...or someone might have an odd sense of humor. If the present owner were a Nazi, I don't think he'd hesitate to place the emblem on the outside of the car where everyone could see it.
Click to expand...
Agreed - wish I'd seen it myself, and my son admitted had he known what was on the inner panel, he would have asked to sit in it just to really get a good look. I'm on the lookout for this very old black VW myself now. I have questions! And it's not something I'd ever want to own personally, but I'd love confirmation that it's really "a thing" and what that would be worth...
 
In this case, I'd say it was more something the person put on themselves as the original 1938 cars are very rare according to the forum I checked out.

I remember seeing one years ago and it looked quite a bit different than the "typical" VW bug we know, especially the back end....if you see it, you will instantly know it.

Beetle.jpg


back end.jpg
 
Kiwi Rider said:
The swastika is an ancient symbol that was in use in many different cultures for at least 5,000 years before Adolf Hitler made it the centerpiece of the Nazi flag, and changed people's perception of what it represents, forever.
Click to expand...
It's sad like that Metallica song....sad but true.
 
VaBusa said:
The guy goes to get in the car and Sam sees the inside panel of the door has a Nazi logo. I have not been able to verify the existence of a car like this tied to Hitler during WWII.
Click to expand...
People get it tattooed on them why not put it in a car? Maybe Sam saw the real reason he doesn't take the car out much.
 
Kiwi Rider said:
On a side note . . . I have had many VW Beetles thru the 70's and 80's... I also have had 3 VW Kombi's and a couple of Type 2's. I loved those quirky little cars, I started my mechanical career on the VW, something about them that I loved.
Who could afford to buy one nowdays? The prices are ridiculous lol
Click to expand...
The VW Bug was the very first car I learned to drive around age 10...I think my Dad's was a '71-'72 Beetle. I used to want a yellow convertible, like that was my dream car as a teen. I don't like any of the new ones at all - the originals are the only ones that ever appealed to me for whatever reason.
 
VaBusa said:
The VW Bug was the very first car I learned to drive around age 10...I think my Dad's was a '71-'72 Beetle. I used to want a yellow convertible, like that was my dream car as a teen. I don't like any of the new ones at all - the originals are the only ones that ever appealed to me for whatever reason.
Click to expand...
The same for me. My dad had a '72 that was traded for a '74 with a/c. He threw me the keys and told me to back it up in the driveway. I was 12.
 
BigBSBusa said:
The same for me. My dad had a '72 that was traded for a '74 with a/c. He threw me the keys and told me to back it up in the driveway. I was 12.
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Awesome!! I often wonder what happened to that car. If I found it, I'd try to get it back - lots of great memories and an 8-track player!
 
VaBusa said:
Awesome!! I often wonder what happened to that car. If I found it, I'd try to get it back - lots of great memories and an 8-track player!
Click to expand...
Yep. I have thought of buying and restoring one many times. Spent lots of time working through salvage yards as a kid looking for parts. Thought it was so cool.
 
We had a family friend who was a Volks Wagon guru and used to do all kinds of crazy things to them...he basically took a Porsche and stuck a Bug body on it and breathed heavily on the engine....it was a real blast...

This guy had at least 20 Bugs and a few Things that he did work on....he also made a lot of dune buggies.....

My dad had a "60s bug and it was ironic looking back as he was so anti-WW2 German because he blamed them for the death of his dad but here he was driving around a car designed by the nazi party....
 
VaBusa said:
I wish I had pics, though I'm not certain I'd even post them here...this one's been hard to verify as something in existence, but my oldest son, Sam, was fueling up his Stingray months ago locally and up rolls a black VW Bug, and he notices it because he's a car guy and it was super clean...

He ended up talking to the guy that owns it and the guy admitted it's been in his family for decades, that he only brings it out every now and again to keep it running. It was a brief exchange. The guy goes to get in the car and Sam sees the inside panel of the door has a Nazi logo. I have not been able to verify the existence of a car like this tied to Hitler during WWII. I did find that in those first years, the Kommandeurswagen was being built, but I cannot find a single legit interior photo of anything close to what my son saw.

We've been curious since, was this a legit original first production during the war, used by the German military, or is this some local guy that just subscribes to the beliefs of the Nazi regime and he added it?? Such a shocking thing to see in such a remote town...
Click to expand...
I played with Bugs for awhile. My 1st one was my mom's. That was a 60 something. My brother wrapped it around a tree.

So my dad tore it apart to repair it. In that time you gotta remember the whole car was only worth about $1800.

So they didn't spend a lot on parts inventory.

In the process of rebuilding it, my dad made friends with a local to us VW guy. Well he was an all sorts of cars guy, but he was smart enough to accumulate VWs back before they had much value. He also had some early Porsches. They were essentially VWs.

He had some late 40s early 50s VWs. Some were just abandoned after an engine died. Or bought for nothing after a wreck. Etc. Nobody really wanted them very much. He had acres of them!

He also started accumulating spare parts. Germany had warehouses full of them. The U.S. dealers hadn't really accepted the VWs yet so they didn't buy up spares.

So he'd buy brand new small stuff because it was cheap to buy in quantity. He restored some of the rare early stuff for his personal interest.

I remember that there were Swastikas on parts. Engine parts. Interior parts. Trim pieces.

So I totally believe there were some original parts installed on cars of the early vintage that were totally correct and OEM.
 
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