I need some info on factory beetle convertibles

Hey guys as stated i need some info on factory beetle convertibles.
Mainly how many were produced and if they were classed as a production vehicle.
As I believe they were manufactured by Karmann.
Cheers
Michael

You will find plenty of information on Karmann Cabriolets on www.thesamba.com 😉

Stock59 wrote:Hey guys as stated i need some info on factory beetle convertibles.
Mainly how many were produced and if they were classed as a production vehicle.
As I believe they were manufactured by Karmann.
Cheers
Michael

YES they were authorised by VW to make 4 seater cabriolets.
and Karmann made them using some VW parts and chassis..

I'll have to look up some books for info..

I don;'t think any were sold in Australia ...
only Karmann Ghia coupes and not a lot of those either.

cheers

Lee Noonan

68AutoBug wrote:I don;'t think any were sold in Australia ...

They imported a batch of about 50 in around 1962 for sale in Melbourne in winter. They didn't sell very well.

Thanks for the info.
I'm looking into it to see if a beetle cabriolet silhouette Offroad race car will be legal in one of our classes to compete in the Australian Offroad championship.
The class is currently dominated by front engined space frame Offroad trophy trucks from the United States.
One of the class requirements is the vehicle has to be based on a production vehicle. I need to determine what the term "production" vehicle means in the eyes of the CAMS rule book.
Cheers
Michael

I have a australian delivered 69 beetle convertable, they are definetly a production vehicle with thousands built.

vwo60 wrote:I have a australian delivered 69 beetle convertable, they are definetly a production vehicle with thousands built.

x2

I think the Oz rules are somehow flawed with the Cabriolet bit. Mobray's car was a convertible baja and I believe was only allowed into Class 1. I was looking at the class rules last night ..... I reckon you knock off the Chapmans with a Performance 2WD, a VW Beetle with a full body, like a US Class 11, but with proper off road suspension.

LNC Industries (actually Larke, Neave and Carter in those days) and their subsidiary Lanock Motors displayed a Cabriolet for VW's NSW launch at the Royal Easter Show in 1954. I'm not aware that they sold any more after that.

Apparently there was a Beetle Cabriolet on display at the Melbourne Motor Show in 1961, probably one of the first of the batch of 50 Phill mentioned. Wheels Magazine tested a Beetle Cabriolet in 1963, so they may have imported a few more in dribs and drabs. They would have been available on the European Deleivery Scheme - for Australians wanting to buy a new VW while on holidays in Europe and shipping it home; you applied through a VW dealership. But not very many, and the FCAI's sales data from those times doesn't ever list Cabriolets as a separate model so we can't know how many.

In Germany Volkswagen made the mechanicals and Karmann made the bodies. Between 1949 and 1980 the total production was 330,251. So yes, they were certainly a 'production' model! They were a Volkswagen Type 151 (LHD) or 152 (RHD), when the normal Beetle sedan was a Type 111 or 112. In fact the Beetle Cabrio is the third-largest selling cabriolet of all time, after the Mazda MX5 (~900,000) and the Golf Cabriolet (~680,000).

Wheels magazine also tested the cabriolet in the August 1961 edition priced at 1294 pounds.

Modern motor magazine also tested it in there August 1961 edition.

Cheers Jason

A good place to check for everything cab is www.Typ15.com the convertible register. Production figures for each year etc.

Stock59 wrote:Thanks for the info.
I'm looking into it to see if a beetle cabriolet silhouette Offroad race car will be legal in one of our classes to compete in the Australian Offroad championship.
The class is currently dominated by front engined space frame Offroad trophy trucks from the United States.
One of the class requirements is the vehicle has to be based on a production vehicle. I need to determine what the term "production" vehicle means in the eyes of the CAMS rule book.
Cheers
Michael

Yes no problems on production car....
just not many sold in Australia... VERY pricey little devils..
so a production car class it is...



LEE

Thanks again for the info. I think I have all I need to move forward on this.
And Matt a lot has changed in the sport since they made Bob Mowbray run his car in class 1.
Class 4 has been opened up to extreme 2wd which basically means anything goes as long as it resembles a production 2wd vehicle and as long as the engine and transmission are in the same location as the production vehicle it resembles then u comply. At the moment the class is dominated by trophy trucks with front engines and live axles but that might just change soon. 😉