1960 Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) Split Screen 11 Window Kombi

Details

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a beautifully restored 1960 Australian built, factory right hand drive Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) split screen 11 window Kombi.

Anoraks will note that the 1960 model Kombi is quite desirable. It is identifiable by its unique tail lights and semaphores. The chassis number confirms this Kombi as a February 1960 build.

Not much is known about the early history of this Kombi, but what we do know is that it started its life as a panel van. It is understood to have lived on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland before being acquired some 10 years ago by the Kombi Shop for stock. The Kombi Shop is Australia’s largest independent classic Volkswagen VW Kombi specialist and they are based in Doonan on the Sunshine Coast.

The current owner of the car has recently retired and he wanted to restore a Kombi. He approached the Kombi Shop and purchased this Kombi and engaged them to complete a nut and bolt concours level restoration to the highest standard. Early on, the decision was made to restore this panel van as an 11 window Kombi.

During the first stage of the project the Kombi was stripped, sandblasted and primed. This included a rotisserie underbody preparation. The necessary panel work, which included installing new windows, was done before the whole Kombi was painted in a white over grey colour scheme. There is a photographic record of the restoration and it shows that the work done on this Kombi was extensive. The metal work was surprisingly rust free but there was lots of panel damage and poor repairs that had to be rectified. At the completion of the body work, all cavities were injected with wax to prevent any future rust from occurring. All new rubbers, seals, door handles, catches etc were installed.

The second stage of this project was all about the interior. The owner chose a cream colour with sandstone piping for the front bench seat and the rear rock and roll bed/seat. The door panels were done in the same sandstone colour to match the piping on the seats. A standard white headlining was installed. For the rear flooring the owner chose a sandstone, timber look, lino vinyl to match the door cards and the piping in the seats. The front cabin and the inside of the rear cabin above the engine have been finished in dark grey carpet. The owner also chose to add a few modern upgrades. A RetroSound radio was installed with two 4 inch speakers in the front kick panels and two 6 inch speakers underneath the rear seat. Two USB ports were installed in the cabin and two in the rear section. A 12 volt split charge system with a leisure battery (two 12 volt batteries) was also installed together with a 240 volt hook up system.

The third stage of this project was all about the mechanicals and the electrics. A new 1916cc Volkswagen T1 engine was sourced and installed in the Kombi. This engine is fitted with twin EMPI carburettors and it is estimated to produce in excess of 80 hp, which would be about double what the original engine had. A new exhaust system and starter motor were installed. The gearbox and steering box were reconditioned. The suspension was upgraded, which included the installation of an IRS rear suspension kit. The braking system was also upgraded. At the front, the original drum brakes were replaced with new disc brakes and a brake booster. All new brake lines were fitted. The wiring harness was completely replaced.

To complete the project an alarm system and a fire suppression system were fitted.

As you can see in the photos the end result is impressive. This Kombi looks amazing and certainly attracts plenty of attention wherever you go. We certainly got a lot of positive feedback when we were out doing our photo shoot! And it’s not just the looks . . . this Kombi drives every bit as good as it looks. The new engine certainly provides enough power to make this Kombi a very usable classic car and a nice cruiser. It easily keeps up with modern traffic. Because of the driving position, where you basically sit on top of the front wheels, it takes a short amount of time to get used to it, but once you do, this Kombi is really easy to drive. Not surprisingly, it drives like a brand ‘new’ car. We love the responsiveness of the controls and it responds instantaneously to the slightest movement of the accelerator pedal. The gearbox is precise and easy to use. The steering on this Kombi is very direct and it also provides a very good turning circle. The brake conversion is another big plus. When needed, they pull this Kombi up quickly and in a straight line.

This Kombi has done around 100 km since the restoration was completed. The current owner has enjoyed the journey of the restoration and he is just not comfortable driving around in such an expensive car. Therefore, he has made the difficult decision to sell it to ensure this fabulous Kombi gets used and enjoyed.

Therefore, we are delighted to offer this unique opportunity for someone to acquire this desirable and very useable Volkswagen Type 2 (T1) split screen 11 window Kombi.

All the hard work has been done. This Kombi is offered for sale below replacement cost for a vehicle restored to this standard. You would also have to wait around 2 years to have a similar restored.

Highlights:

• Australian built, factory right hand drive Volkswagen Type 2 (T1).
• Fresh restoration by the Kombi Shop on the Sunshine Coast to a very high standard.
• Presents immaculately in the most STUNNING colour combination of white over grey.
• Ready to be used and enjoyed.

Price: $ 159,950

Background

In the early 1930s cars were a luxury. Most Germans could afford nothing more elaborate than a motorcycle. Only one German out of 50 owned a car. Seeking a potential new market, some car makers began independent “people’s car” projects, such as the Mercedes 170H, Adler Autobahn, Steyr 55, and Hanomag 1.3L.

The trend was not new. Béla Barényi, an Austro-Hungarian engineer is credited with having conceived the first basic design in the mid-1920s. In Germany, Hanomag produced the 2/10PS “Kommisbrot” a small, cheap, rear-engined car from 1925 – 1928 and Czechoslovakia produced the popular Tatra 7. Ferdinand Porsche had been trying for years to get a manufacturer interested in a small car suitable for a family. He built a car named the “Volksauto” from the ground up in 1933, using many popular ideas and several of his own. Key features of the car were an air-cooled rear engine, torsion bar suspension, and a “beetle” shape with the front hood rounded for better aerodynamics (necessary as it had a small engine).

In 1934 Adolf Hitler became involved. He ordered the production of a basic vehicle that needed to be able to transport 2 adults and 3 children at 100km/h. He wanted all Germans to have access to a car. The “people’s car” would be available at 990 Reichsmark. A special savings plan was introduced. A person could save 5 Reichsmark a week to realise their dream of owning their own car. Over 300,000 people participated in this savings plan, however, the whole project was financially unsound. No private industry was able to meet the requirements and produce a car that could be sold for 990 Reichsmark.

On the 28th May 1937 the “Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens GmbH“ (Company for the Preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd) was formally established by the German Labour Front and in 1938 the first prototypes of the “KdF-Wagen” (Kraft durch Freude) started to appear. On 16th September 1938 the company was renamed Volkswagenwerk GmbH and the company built its main plant in KdF-Stadt which later became Wolfsburg.

The outbreak of the Second World War and integration into the arms industry prevented mass production of the Volkswagen “people’s car”. Instead, military vehicles and other armaments were produced using forced labour.

In April 1945, KdF-Stadt and its heavily bombed factory were captured by the Americans, and subsequently handed over to the British, within whose occupation zone the town and factory fell. The factories were placed under the control of Saddleworth born British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst, by then a civilian Military Governor with the occupying forces.

One of the factory’s wartime “KdF-Wagen” cars had been taken to the factory for repairs and abandoned there. Hirst had it repainted green and demonstrated it to British Army headquarters. Short of light transport, in September 1945, the British Army was persuaded to place a vital order for 20,000 cars. The rest as they say is history. The Volkswagen or VW Beetle was born.

In 1946 Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon visited the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg with the intention to purchase Beetles for import into the Netherlands. During this visit he saw an improvised vehicle based on the Beetle chassis being used to transport materials around the factory, a ‘Plattenwagen’. That made him think and he came up with a sketch of what became the Type 2 Volkswagen. That sketch, dated 23 April 1947, can today be found in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Volkswagen liked the idea, however; the Volkswagen factory was at capacity producing Beetles. Eventually, the Type 2 was approved for production on 19th May 1949 and the first example rolled off the production line on 12th November 1949. The rest as they say is history. The Volkswagen Bus, otherwise known as Microbus, Transporter, Samba or Kombi depending on the body style and market, became very popular all around the world and is still produced today.