Description
Car: Christian Grundmann, Images: Axel Struwe, Words: Clauspeter Becker, ISBN: 9783768838504, 143 pages
It was unrecognizable at first glance: Stripped of its characteristic split window and painted a drab red, the VW 38 lay in a deep slumber for decades in Lithuania. When the discovery of this prototype, designed and built by Ferdinand Porsche, was posted on an Internet forum, the international vintage Beetle fraternity went wild. For the experienced VW restorers Traugott and Christian Grundmann there was no question:This forefather of the VW Beetle had to become the centerpiece of their incredible vintage VW collection in Hessisch Oldendorf. The VW 38's condition may have been shocking, but it was not beyond hope. Supported by a brilliant team of welders, upholsterers, painters, mechanics and VW enthusiasts from around the world, they managed to completely resurrect the pre-production prototype. Today, the main character in one of the most important chapters of German automotive history is the jewel in the crown of the Grundmann collection.
Synopsis
It is a little miracle on four wheels, discovered on a field in Eastern Europe by two of the world's leading collectors of Volkswagens:The 38 split window Beetle is one of just three surviving prototypes dating from 1938. News of the find immediately electrifies the Beetle community.
Today, the first split window Beetle is owned by VW restorers Traugott and Christian Grundmann. With incredible attention to detail and a brilliant support team, they lovingly breathe life back into the vintage automobile. When father and son first set eyes on it, the car was quietly rotting away in a field in the Lithuanian town of Vilnius. Now the vehicle with the chassis number 3806 is as black and shiny as it was more than 70 years ago. It is the pride and joy of the Grundmann collection.
With his camera, photographer and VW fanatic Axel Struwe accompanied the project from day one.
His photos impressively document the rebirth of a legend. Renowned motoring journalist Clauspeter Becker also set out to trace the story of the first split window Beetle. His texts not only tell the story of this hand-built prototype designed by Ferdinand Porsche, but also describe the extraordinary challenges faced during the restoration.
Traugott Grundmann and his son Christian have a little piece of paradise in the Weser Hills. they have created their very own automobile museum to house one of the best privately-owned Volkswagen collections in the world. More than 50 of the rarest vintage VWs on the planet, including many one-offs and special models, are displayed in all their splendor in Hessisch Oldendorf - most of them were restored to their former glory in the Grundmann's workshop. This is the story of their most challenging but rewarding restoration to date, one of the three surviving cars from the 44 original VW 38 prototypes.
Axel Struwe is both a full-time professional photographer and a fellow vintage Volkswagen enthusiast.The German is also a long-standing friend of the Grundmanns, and so was one of the first to hear of the VW 38's discovery. With his practical VW knowledge and his expertise behind the camera, he was the obvious choice to document this unique restoration from start to finish.
Clauspeter Becker was three years old when the first split window Beetles were introduced to the public and he can vividly remember sitting on the back seat of a VW 38 as a young lad in Berlin. As one of Germany's most revered motoring journalists and book writers, he received the prestigious Johny-Rozendaal-Uhr award in 2010. Fittingly, at the end of the restoration project, he took the wheel of the VW 38 himself. Clauspeter Becker had come full circle.
