VW Kafer 1951/52
Otomobil tarihinin en kült araçlarından biri olan Beetle'nin basarı öyküsü VW Type 1 ile basladı. Alman otomobil üreticisi Volkswagen'in 1938'den 2003'e kadar ürettigi ekonomik otomobil modelidir. Toplamda 21.529.464 adet üretilen VW Beetle dünya’da en çok satan araba modelidir. Bunların 15.444.858 adeti Almanya’da, 3.350.000 adeti de Brezilya yollarında kullanılmıstır. Merkezi bir dikmesi olmayan modern oval arka cam, VW Kafer 1951/1952 modelinin tipik bir özelligidir. Aracın ana hatlarının tasarımı Hitler'in istegi üzerine “Ferdinand Porsche” tarafından yapılmıstır ancak Ferdinand Porsche'nin özgün tasarımı, üretime geçmis halinden daha basittir. Onun üretim haline kavusturan detaylarını ise “Adolf Hitler” tasarlamıstır. 1131-1584 CC'lik 4 zamanlı otto motoru 40HP güç üretmektedir. 1974 yılına kadar Almanya'da üretilmis, daha sonra üretim Meksika ve Brezilya'da 2003 yılının sonuna kadar devam etmistir. Türkiye'de halk diliyle "vosvos" veya "kaplumbaga" olarak da tanınıyordu.
VW Beetle is the world famous iconic car ever built, which was a formative life companion for generations. Today, the cult vehicle is popular even among people who never drove the Beetle themselves. Between years 1938-2003 there was 21.529.464 pieces built, 15.444.858 pieces in Germany of which 330.251 was Cabriolet, 3.350.000 pieces in Brazil.
During this period, myriad changes were made throughout the vehicle beginning with the availability of hydraulic brakes and a folding fabric sunroof in 1950. The rear window of the VW Beetle evolved from a divided or "split" oval, to a singular oval. The change occurred between October 1952 and March 1953. Beetles built during this time were known as a "Zwitter" as they used the split-window bodyshell with oval-model chrome trim, vent windows and dashboard.
1953 models received a redesigned instrument panel. The one-piece "Pope's Nose" combination license plate/brake light was replaced by a smaller flat-bottomed license plate light. The brake light function was transferred to new heart-shaped lamps located in the top of the taillight housings.
In 1954, Volkswagen added 2 mm to the cylinder bore, increasing the displacement from 1,131cc to 1,192cc. This coincided with upgrades to various key components including a redesign of the crankshaft. This increased power from 30HP to 36HP and improved the engine's free revving abilities without compromising torque at lower engine speeds. At the same time, compression ratios were progressively raised as, little by little, the octane ratings of available fuel was raised in major markets during the 1950s and 1960s.