Factory Pictures
The Birthplace of Cool: VW Factory Views
Production
pic of the day. Wolfsburg August 23, 1973.
1303
Super Beetle body shells on the paint line at Wolfsburg January 1973.
VW
1303 production line between December 1972 and February of 1973.
Equally
important to the press shop or the assembly lines, is the sewing department,
or "Näherei" in German. These workers are sewing seat upholstery
for the various Volkswagen Super Beetle models.
A
nice color photography of 1303s from 1973 or 74. Notice that the dark green
car has white turn signal lenses, which was only supplied to select markets,
like Italy.
Dr.
Rudolf Leiding with a 1303L Beetle on the ground floor of the 13-storie
administration building at Volkswagenwerk Wolfsburg.
Impressive
showers of sparks fly from the front ends of Super Beetle bodies on the
welding line transfer belt at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, or possibly
Emden in the mid-1970s.
Two
GSRs on the assembly line. One being lowered onto its chassis and another
already mounted to its chassis January 22, 1973.
New
1971 model year Volkswagens ready to be transported by train. The 1302 Super
Beetle on the lower deck already has a German oval Zoll (Customs) plate
for export.
Official
VW publicity photo of the GSR special edition taken at the end of 1972.
This is a pre-production prototype and features a black side stripe which
was not included on the series version.
Unloading
new Volkswagens at the main distribution centre of the Pon dealer network
in Leusden, close to Amersfoort Netherlands in 1971.
Completed
Volkswagens ready for onward shipment at Emden in 1971.
The
15 millionth Beetle, produced on February 15th 1972, in storage at the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington DC - one of many historic vehicles in their collection.
Hubcaps
for the 1971 Super Beetle are stacked.
A
nice selection of pre-painted 1302 fenders in Sapphire Blue (L50D) and Clementine
(L2 D) ready for installation.
Wolfsburg,
August 1970. Rear lamps with various coloured mountings ready for fitting
on the first 1302 Super Beetles.
The
start of 1302 Super Beetle production at Wolfsburg. With its new front suspension
and improved luggage capacity, a new era for the Beetle had begun.
The
car appears to be a 1303 GSR special edition (Yellow Black Racer) as it
has a ventilation grille on the front valance (option M550) for owners to
fit an oil cooler.
The
body of a 1973 special limited edition 1303 Komfort-Käfer, painted
in Ravenna Green L65K, is lowered onto its chassis and running gear for
the Hochzeit at Volkswagenwerk Wolfsburg. Ravenna was a Karmann-only colour
but was also used on some special limited edition sedan models made at the
Wolfsburg plant. 1,000 examples of this 1303 edition were available in Ravenna
Green and Blood Orange L21E.
An
anniversary from yesterday... The 2 millionth Beetle to be built at the
Emden factory, a US-specification 1303 Super Beetle, rolled from the assembly
line on October 24, 1973.
Images courtesy of Volkswagen Factory Pictures
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