Hi guys
Does anybody know exactly how many 1976 Beetles were produced in Australia?
Thanks
Regards
Greg
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Number of 1976 Beetles produced?
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
Phil can probably tell you exactly but its around 1200
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Thanks Joel,
Who's Phil?
Who's Phil?
HappyDaze Superannuated
2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·
😎Lateral wrote:Thanks Joel,
Who's Phil?
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Smiley face Greg?
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
Phil Matthews, aka Phil74camper on here, he wrote the Australian vw history book.
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
I wasn't too far off, 1159 76 beetles made, last one built on the 15th of July.
That would be the Martini Olive one Hamiltons owned.
I've got a unique cars somewhere with a story about it.
sold for 30k in 1993 with 80kms on the clock.
That would be the Martini Olive one Hamiltons owned.
I've got a unique cars somewhere with a story about it.
sold for 30k in 1993 with 80kms on the clock.
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Thanks Joel
I hear about the Hamiltons car.....
I hear about the Hamiltons car.....
landfall Officially Full-On Dubber
290 posts · joined Jun 2014 ·
Ours was built 5/76
Ken
Ken
BRUTUS Officially Full-On Dubber
255 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
We have had two. Bertie (below) built 5/76, stock standard, almost no-one wanted him...
And brutus built 6/76, modified, so far unwanted, may be going to crusher. Both were first reg. in Oct. 1976 (and neither has been out of reg., yet).
1976 -- So rare (relatively), but so "unknown" - so not really appreciated.
I think this article (bottom) was about the Martini Olive one mentioned above (can't remember which Mag. it was in; have the whole article if anyone would like a copy of it)..
PS. (Joel) I thought none were built after 30th June 1976...?
And brutus built 6/76, modified, so far unwanted, may be going to crusher. Both were first reg. in Oct. 1976 (and neither has been out of reg., yet).
1976 -- So rare (relatively), but so "unknown" - so not really appreciated.
I think this article (bottom) was about the Martini Olive one mentioned above (can't remember which Mag. it was in; have the whole article if anyone would like a copy of it)..
PS. (Joel) I thought none were built after 30th June 1976...?
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ACE 30 & 40 oils: specifically engineered for your Air Cooled VW
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
Euro_67 Wolfsburg Wizard
690 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·
Having owned a '76 myself, I think it a shame there aren't more being preserved, and they aren't more coveted like ovals.
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Thanks Brutus
Are you serious about "Brutus"?
Don't send it to the crusher, I'll take it off your hands...
Are you serious about "Brutus"?
Don't send it to the crusher, I'll take it off your hands...
hellbugged 48's and straight cuts
5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·
Greg! Just leave Brutus where it is , the price is dropping down close to where I will no longer be able to resist
😁😏
😁😏
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
No probs Daimo!😂
landfall Officially Full-On Dubber
290 posts · joined Jun 2014 ·
I'd love a copy of that article, please.
Ken
Ken
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Me too
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
Yep that is the car, the article I've got is from an early 90s unique cars when Hamiltons bought it but I forgot about the VW australia article on it, I reckon I would have that mag somewhere.BRUTUS wrote:I think this article (bottom) was about the Martini Olive one mentioned above (can't remember which Mag. it was in; have the whole article if anyone would like a copy of it)..
PS. (Joel) I thought none were built after 30th June 1976.
Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber
349 posts · joined Apr 2012 ·
Sounds like Brutus will live for another day.
Good Stuff,.. great to hear👍
Good Stuff,.. great to hear👍
cam070 Custom Title Time!
1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 ·
I'm a big fan of the 76. My first was inherited from my mother who owned it since new. It now resides in VW heaven after T-boning a Mitsubishi Colt that backed out of a driveway in front of me. My second is still in a million bits waiting for some more attention.
BRUTUS Officially Full-On Dubber
255 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
Article. Unfortunately was not used to scanner at the time, copied each page separately, so if you'd really like a good (set of) copy(s), please send your e-mail address to me. Can try to PM, but would be limited to one page at a time (7 pages in all).
ACE 30 & 40 oils: specifically engineered for your Air Cooled VW
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
BRUTUS Officially Full-On Dubber
255 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
More of Article...? No?, Cannot seem to attach any more pages for some reason. They show up as being here when edited -- but I can't see them later. If you can see them in THIS post, please let me know!
Please send e-mail address (by e-mail) for set of copies as pdf of all pages.
We have reserved brutus for Greg or Daimo.
Yes, everyone needs at least two of this model. One as a stocker for daily driving (or show if you must), and one for competition... And maybe another as a spare.
Please send e-mail address (by e-mail) for set of copies as pdf of all pages.
We have reserved brutus for Greg or Daimo.
Yes, everyone needs at least two of this model. One as a stocker for daily driving (or show if you must), and one for competition... And maybe another as a spare.
ACE 30 & 40 oils: specifically engineered for your Air Cooled VW
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
delivered (free del.) throughout Yarra Valley / Ranges, & Gippsland areas. Also ACE 20, 50 & 90.
FOR SALE: ACE 30, 40 etc. Oil formulations & Trade-names.
Undis Casual Dubber
38 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·
There used to be an olive one exactly as the one in pictutes above, at the bottom of a gulley at Mitchells Pass in the Blue Mountains, NSW back in the late eighties. Such a shame!
Lateral Wolfsburg Wizard
480 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·
Breaks my heart hearing stuff like that...
Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds
2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
Motor Producers Ltd's Australian assembly records for 1976 no longer exist. The factory was already owned by Nissan, who bought the Clayton works the year before, so the 1600 Beetle (and the Passat, Golf and Kombi) were all assembled under Nissan control.
However the FCAI collected sales data for all makes, which we have summarised (Volkswagen only) at the VW history pages at http://www.clubvw.org.au/history006
1975 - 462 VW 1300s, 1,930 VW 1600s, 4,113 Passats and 8,974 Transporters sold in Australia.
1976 - 1,159 VW 1600s, 4,429 Golfs, 3,945 Passats and 6,198 Transporters sold in Australia.
1977 - 130 VW 1600s, 2,831 Golfs, 1,150 Passats and 2,393 Transporters sold in Australia.
Unfortunately there is no way to tell now how many of the 'VW 1600s' sold in 1975, and 1976, were Superbugs and how many were the '76 model - there was no exact 'cut-off' point. The Superbug was discontinued in late 1975 but who knows whether there were any left-overs sold from dealerships in early 1976? Also, you can see that there were 130 leftover 1976 models sold in 1977. They were unwanted by the public then, and unsold 1976 Beetles sat for months at Clayton and in dealership yards. Even though assembly ended in July 1976, as Joel has said, it took at least another 9 or 10 months to sell them all.
See if you can find a copy of MODEN MOTOR magazine May 1977 on Ebay - there is a tribute to the last Australian Beetle sold (almost a year after it was built!)
However the FCAI collected sales data for all makes, which we have summarised (Volkswagen only) at the VW history pages at http://www.clubvw.org.au/history006
1975 - 462 VW 1300s, 1,930 VW 1600s, 4,113 Passats and 8,974 Transporters sold in Australia.
1976 - 1,159 VW 1600s, 4,429 Golfs, 3,945 Passats and 6,198 Transporters sold in Australia.
1977 - 130 VW 1600s, 2,831 Golfs, 1,150 Passats and 2,393 Transporters sold in Australia.
Unfortunately there is no way to tell now how many of the 'VW 1600s' sold in 1975, and 1976, were Superbugs and how many were the '76 model - there was no exact 'cut-off' point. The Superbug was discontinued in late 1975 but who knows whether there were any left-overs sold from dealerships in early 1976? Also, you can see that there were 130 leftover 1976 models sold in 1977. They were unwanted by the public then, and unsold 1976 Beetles sat for months at Clayton and in dealership yards. Even though assembly ended in July 1976, as Joel has said, it took at least another 9 or 10 months to sell them all.
See if you can find a copy of MODEN MOTOR magazine May 1977 on Ebay - there is a tribute to the last Australian Beetle sold (almost a year after it was built!)
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helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
So what was the car made of? It looks like a 1302S with 1303L rear guards, and 1300 standard front panels and the dash I am not sure of at all. How close was this to what the Mexican beetle was?
modnrod Fahrvergnugen
978 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·
Cool pics! I had a quick double-take though, the "manual" says a ground clearance of 6"...........obviously that's to the shock mount tube, coz there is no way that pan is 6"off the deck! 😂
Goes to show how much my '73 has sagged from stock.
There must be something wrong with me though, coz the awful baby-poo colours of the 70s, like Honey Brown and this Martini Olive, are starting to grow on me.......
Goes to show how much my '73 has sagged from stock.
There must be something wrong with me though, coz the awful baby-poo colours of the 70s, like Honey Brown and this Martini Olive, are starting to grow on me.......
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
They were a throw together parts bin end of production deal.helbus wrote:So what was the car made of? It looks like a 1302S with 1303L rear guards, and 1300 standard front panels and the dash I am not sure of at all. How close was this to what the Mexican beetle was?
The bodies were just the pov spec 1300 Beetle and the engine and gearbox were left over Lbug with the 1500 discbrake front end
Euro_67 Wolfsburg Wizard
690 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·
Wasn't the 1300 a swing axle? so why the move to IRS for the last year of the body? seems like a fair bit of work to use up the remaining IRS transmissions, or did they fit the torsion bar frame head to the Super floorpan?Joel wrote:They were a throw together parts bin end of production deal.helbus wrote:So what was the car made of? It looks like a 1302S with 1303L rear guards, and 1300 standard front panels and the dash I am not sure of at all. How close was this to what the Mexican beetle was?
The bodies were just the pov spec 1300 Beetle and the engine and gearbox were left over Lbug with the 1500 discbrake front end
Does anyone know how they were promoting the '76 against the Supers at the time or was it a pricing exercise?
Wayne.
helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body
7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·
The 1300 pov spec was it still swing axle before that?
Cool car with 1300 front panels, 1500 beam and IRS rear. Chuck on some 1302S rear guards and tail lights that is what I would do.
Cool car with 1300 front panels, 1500 beam and IRS rear. Chuck on some 1302S rear guards and tail lights that is what I would do.
Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang
9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·
Yep the 1300s were swingaxle, they probably had an excess of IRS gearboxes and rear ends, its not hard to weld the IRS boxes into the floorpans when they are assembling them but like you say it could have also been beam frame heads fitted to Lbug pans.Euro_67 wrote:Wasn't the 1300 a swing axle? so why the move to IRS for the last year of the body? seems like a fair bit of work to use up the remaining IRS transmissions, or did they fit the torsion bar frame head to the Super floorpan?
Does anyone know how they were promoting the '76 against the Supers at the time or was it a pricing exercise?
Wayne.
THe Superbugs had stopped production a year before hand but Beetle sales had well and truely slumped by then and as Phil was saying they were getting a huge back log of unsold Beetles as everyone was buying Golfs instead.
Mine was built in August 74 and didnt sell new till mid Jan 75 and it only slowed worse from there.
the 76 bugs stopped production in July and were still unsold well into the following year.