60 Years VW Beetle

I did not expect that much so I did not even clean my car. We left rather late on Friday. Then we had some problems to find accomodation. So we missed the major part of the presentation of the vehicles in the center of Zell am See on Friday. When we arrived, nobody could really tell us, what was going on. So I talked to a woman who looked rather important. What I did not know was, that the woman was Frau Wiersch, wife of the boss of the Auto-museum in Wolfsburg. She asked me, what car we have, so I told her about my 63. Then she gave an invitation, two posters, some other paperstuff and a big metal plate with the technical data from the 63 Volkswagen. She asked me to come back tomorrow morning to drive up the Großglockner and display my car there.

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the presented cars. Most cars were from theVW-Museum in Wolfsburg. there were a Cabrio und a sedan from 1938, the goldie, No. 1000000, a four-wheel-driven Kommandeurswagen of the German Wehrmacht, a Kübelwagen Type 82, a Schwimmwagen Type 166, a very nice mail-delivery car Typ 147 (Fridolin) of the german Bundespost, a Beetle from the movie Herbie and an original german Police-car. there were also very many cars owned by private persons. The most beautyful were a Dannenauer u. Stauss, a Rometsch, Willy Lottermans four-doors Beetletaxi and very many vintage vehicles of all the years .

In the next morning we were almost the first arriving in the Center of Zell am See, but it did not take long until one VW after the other arrived. At 9.00 , Dr. Wiersch held his speach, an every single car was presented individually by him, while it drove over the ramp. What happended then, was a chaos. Somehow everybody was driving elsewere. Just when you thought, you were connected to the convoi, it passed you. Luckily I found the beetle from 1938, so I followed him . The meetingpoint was the paystation of the Großglockner. We were waiting there for almost half an hour. I took my time to take pictures and film. The employees were even that friendly, so I could sit in some of the cars for a picture. I think I liked the 38 sedan the most. But also No 1000000 or Herbie were very comfortable. VW-Chef Piëch drove in a 95 cabrio.

I was right behind the 38. Just one situation was quite thrilling, when the sedan from 38 came backward down the hill again. He almost crashed into my bumpers, but at the very last second I managed to roll backward, too. Luckily nobody was behind me... At the Franzjosefshöhe , the second presentation of the cars took place. All cars were parked and the drivers got music and food for free. If I had not gotten the invitation from Frau Wiersch, I would have had to share the fate with hundreds of other beetle-fans. I would have had to watch everything, because without invitation, no entering.

The ride back to Zell am See was rather unorganized. Most people drove all the way up to the Edelweißspitze. On the late afternoon, the cars were displayed again in Kaprun, but this time, the vehicles from the Museum were missing. Only invited guests were permitted at the celebration in the evening in the castle of Kaprun. A nice buffet was served and you could not only meet VW-Chef Piëch, VW-Museums-chef Dr. Wiersch, Willy Lottermann, but even Ferdinand Porsches children Frau Luise Piëch and Ferry Porsche. Both even signed my invitation.

Sunday was the day of departure. The two oldest beetles were presented in Zell am See one last time. Of course I had to put my car for a picture on the ramp as well. But something was rather strange, and this is the only point I have to criticise. Both cars from 1938 were standing in the center of Zell am See without even being watched. Children were running around the cars and playing, A woman who did not notice the historic value of these cars was scratching with the line of her dog on the fender of the sedan, If the dog would have wettened the tire of the car...

We left later the day with the feeling of having whitnessed a small part of the History of Volkswagen

Marco Hammerand

very nice layout

Yes! The signature of Ferry Porsche and Luise Piech are real!

I took the chance to have a seat in the prototype.

For this picture, i posed inside the original Film-Herbie

I even got the chance to sit in this worldfamous car

Left: Hr. Wiersch (Chef VW-Museum), front: Ferry Porsche, Luise Piech and Ferdinand Piech (back then: VW manager). In the background: Thats me.