| [ Total Views: 1182 | Total Replies: 23 | Thread Id: 2333 ] |
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 58camper
A.k.a.: Bill Moore
Wolfsburg Wizard
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| posted on December 12th, 2002 at 09:00 PM |
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Country Buggy Prototype Evaluation
This is a photo of one of the three original CB prototypes in the outback during evaluation in 1967.
Check out the front of the car,an interesting nose.
Countrybuggybill
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geodon
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| posted on December 13th, 2002 at 05:29 AM |
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Stunning resemblance!
It looks more like a kubel than the end result!
What a pity they went down the more primitive road. I wonder how it might have sold with 4 doors etc!
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The_Bronze.
A.k.a.: Bronze
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| posted on December 13th, 2002 at 12:23 PM |
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Yeah, I think I like the older one better too as the finished shape dosen't move me as much as the curves of the buggies and Bajas.
[size=4]Bronze.[/size]
Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.
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Spook
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| posted on December 13th, 2002 at 06:37 PM |
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Personally, I prefer that front to what we finished up with. 
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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The_Bronze.
A.k.a.: Bronze
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| posted on December 14th, 2002 at 12:22 AM |
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Well you would wouldn't ya Spook. Always gotta be the rebel eh!
What colour should the Dog-O-War become mate?
Orange is not an option.
[size=4]Bronze.[/size]
Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.
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Spook
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| posted on December 14th, 2002 at 04:34 AM |
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Your asking the wrong bloke.
To me, paint on a baja is a luxury. If the sand don't take it off, low branches will.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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11CAB
Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber
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| posted on December 14th, 2002 at 01:22 PM |
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Anybody notice that they are evaluating an offroad vehicle and there is a standard beetle right up there with it?!
:vader
VW......the ultimate offroad vehicle!
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab
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Spook
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| posted on December 14th, 2002 at 05:28 PM |
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SSSHHHHH.........You aren't meant to notice minor details.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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58camper
A.k.a.: Bill Moore
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| posted on December 15th, 2002 at 09:03 AM |
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Country Buggy Evaluation
Simon,
A lot of talking with the guy who was the Evaluation Manager for CB development and he finally let me take three photos to be copied. I had to leave
an orignal KDF Stamp Booklet with him as a "deposit".
I have a couple more to be posted shortly.
Bill.
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The_Bronze.
A.k.a.: Bronze
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| posted on December 15th, 2002 at 11:18 AM |
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From a geographers point of view these are excellent pics as they have so much cultural and identity attached to them. It is unlikely you will ever
see such an image again and this is the value. It's difficult to describe to people but I'm sure you are following me.
Never again will we see such an event no matter how often we would like to recreate it.
[size=4]Bronze.[/size]
Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, NSW.
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jenz58
Scirocco Rare
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| posted on December 15th, 2002 at 11:39 AM |
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I like the angles on it, very geometric:thumb
The slope on the front hood might not be practical as far as carry space but I like it next to the very square guards:kiss
Great pics!! |
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Mad Manx
A.k.a.: Travin C.
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| posted on December 15th, 2002 at 07:40 PM |
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That first pic with the front of the car
looked a lot like an empi buggy made in
the states.???? Maybe they got hold of
shots like this in the 60s and copied it?
- '71 Kombi (Died 24/11/05  ) - '65 manx (smick)
-'63 beetle (bent) -'73 Singlecab (new to the stable) |
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58camper
A.k.a.: Bill Moore
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| posted on December 15th, 2002 at 08:03 PM |
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There were three prototypes handbuilt at Clayton and the 3 of them were evaluated in testing across the country. One of them made the around Aust trip
3 times.
These three prototypes all had foam filled side sill panels. Yes, this is factual to assist with fording the creeks and rivers.
Even the prototype box trailer built for the evaluation trials had foam filled side panels.
For the two cars photographed together one was running a 1300CC and the other a 1500CC. The productions cars had the 1300 cc only with a 1200cc
option. The 1500cc was never available in a Buggy.
Two of these prototypes were flown to Wolfsburg for HO evaluation sometime in 1966 but they never returned. They are cartainly not at the Museum these
days.
VWA hired a Qantas 707 specially for this flight at a huge cost as HO were insistent the cars be air feighted.
The one remaining Buggy in Australia was used at the pre launch publicity and was on display at the Mebourne Motor Show in March 1967. I understand it
now belongs to Garry Collis in Melbourne.
Here is another evalution photo
Regards,
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on December 16th, 2002 at 05:25 PM |
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I get the impression that VW Germany considered the Country Buggy an embarrassment. They are the first to admit that the body had a number of design
faults, and production in Australia was soon ended (VW Australasia was more than 50% German-owned). Last I heard, the normal Country Buggy in the
Wolfsburg Museum was not on display.
I would imagine the Germans probably disposed of the two prototypes. When they introduced the 181 a few years later, they certainly didn't use
any Country Buggy design elements (although the experience was probably valuable).
I would also imagine that chartering a Qantas V-jet to fly the cars over would have cost mega-bucks. As far as I know a 707's cargo bay is too
small for motor cars; even the access doors would have been too small. They could have used the passenger compartment but Qantas never flew cargo
707s; only passenger variants with human-sized doors. How did they get the cars on board? or did they use a cargo 707 from another airline?
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Phil74Camper
Son of Jim - Creator of Good
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| posted on December 17th, 2002 at 09:48 AM |
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I agree with you Simon, I have heard that story mentioned before. VW Australia had hugely expanded the Clayton manufacturing plant in 1963-64, adding
a new hall and a non-ferrous foundry in order to make alloy castings. Local content reached 95% by 1966, but local sales plummeted after the high of
1964. By 1967 the factory was operating at only a fraction of its capacity.
VWA had built the factory to be capable of making 50,000 cars and trucks a year but in 1967 VW only sold 10,000 vehicles, and it was largly idle.
Anything to use the production capacity (like the Country Buggy) would have been welcome.
Of course it didn't work, and in 1968 VWA wrote off the manufacturing capacity and went back to assembling CKD kits. They also started assembling
cars and trucks for other makers to bring in revenue - the most significant was Nissan, who later bought the whole plant in 1975.
I would bet money that the current VW Australia company would have no knowledge of the Country Buggy story whatsoever.
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Stealth
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| posted on December 17th, 2002 at 10:38 AM |
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No country Buggies at the VW Museum or the VW Autostadt in September when we were there.
Prototype type 2's, 3's, 4's and other oddities...but no CB's
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Spook
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| posted on December 17th, 2002 at 03:41 PM |
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That VW Australia don't know about it is no surprise.
The country buggy would have been VW's first market failure & is not to be officially mentioned again..
Still, I got mine, so I'm happy.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on December 19th, 2002 at 01:24 PM |
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That's great news Simon. I hope whoever is writing this local history will come to us for help and material if need be. Or even let us preview
the result before it's published. I hereby volunteer.
I'm glad VWA are now taking an interest in local VW history. Just last month their website still said that Australians have been buying
Volkswagens for 65 years! Now corrected (49 years)
They have also showed great interest in continuing to support the VW Nationals, and will be participating to a much greater extent next year too. For
that we also thank them.
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58camper
A.k.a.: Bill Moore
Wolfsburg Wizard
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| posted on December 26th, 2002 at 06:59 AM |
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Simon,
Both you and Phil are on the money with regard to the demise of the Country Buggy.
With regard to VGA's generosity you are right in part. It would be nice to think VGA is funding everything you mentioned but that is not the
case. VGA is assisting with the shipment of two cars to Europe and with provision of the right contacts at Wolfsburg.
The vehicle restoration costs are being funded by the principals with help from involved sponsors.
There is still some details to be worked out with regard to the Museum. It would be great to have two real Australian VW at the Museum for all to
see.Watch this space for details.
I expect there will be some significant local media releases in the first two weeks in January where more details will be made available.
Hope you have a great Xmas
Regards,
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