Kübelwagen/Schwimmwagen: A Visual History of the German Army's Multi-Purpose Vehicle (Visual History Series)

Product Information

Further developments, which stretched to larger 16in wheels to improve ground clearance and new axles with gear-reduction hubs, were subsequently employed on the production Type 82 Kübelwagen that entered volume manufacture in February 1940.

History [ edit ] A Feldgendarmerie (military police) Kübelwagen on the Eastern Front in 1943 1951 Volkswagen Kübelwagen We took a brief spin in the rig, fittingly near the U.S. War College in Carlisle, PA, with a de-commissioned Howitzer aimed our way. As noted in the initial testing of captured Type 82, the ride and seating of this replica version is indeed comfortable, although more so, thanks to Intermeccanica’s modernization of the design. While the acceleration is moderate at best, the handling is smooth and predictable, and right in keeping with all-terrain intentions of the original design. Originally called the Kübelsitzwagen, the name was shortened to Kübelwagen as the Type 82 went into full production at VW factories in February 1940, with only modest modifications being made throughout the war until Germany was defeated in 1945. The biggest change came in 1943 when a new dashboard was introduced and the engine was upgraded from 985cc to 1,131cc by fitting one designed for the Shwimmwagen. After the war it was left there and the car does have some historical papers showing it was registered in

Development: VW Type 62

I don’t speak a word of German, other than the clichés, but I often find words in the German language pretty entertaining. See, in the English language, we have the Jeep, and the origin of that word is either a contraction of Ford’s GP vehicle designation, or some untraceable soldiers’ slang. But in the German language, this wouldn’t fly. BAV-485 * MAZ-543 * GAZ 46 * GAZ 67B * GAZ/UAZ-69 * ZIL-131 * GAZ 66 * KrAZ-214 * KrAZ-255 * KrAZ-260 * KZKT-7428 * MAZ-535 * MAZ-537 * MAZ-7310 * Ural 375 * URAL 4320 * ZIL-135 * ZIL-151 * ZIL-157 * ZIL-157/PR-11M * ZIL-6 Intriguingly, an unnamed British officer in the REME described his experiences of driving a Kübelwagen in The Motor in June 1944.

It’s a 1944 model that served in Germany. People commonly think that its tan colour signifies that it saw service in North Africa with the Afrika Korps, but the truth is that the Wehrmacht decided in 1943 that all vehicles should be painted this colour, independent of which front they were deployed on.”The Europa Jeep was the result of a NATO plan to have a vehicle whereby each European NATO makers all combined to build a light-duty patrol vehicle. U.S. War Department, 15 March 1945. Handbook on German Military Forces, TM-E 30-451, Chapter VIII, Section II: Automotive Equipment The propeller was ingenious, as it was simple was flipped down in water, which caused it to engage in an extension from the VW engine out the rear. There was no reversing it, of course; that’s why paddles were standard equipment. Steering was via the front wheels. The Schwimmwagen was given a larger 1100cc engine with 25hp, which soon also became standard on the Kübelwagen too. The more complicated Type 62 Prototypes had four-wheel-drive and different engines, but since performances or capability does not proved better than the Type 82 they never left the prospects stage. In March 1943 however, a bigger 1,131 cc engine was adopted, which was initially developed for the Schwimmwagen (the amphibious equivalent of the Kübelwagen), which produced more torque and power. After VW closed its doors for years following the defeat of the IIIrd Reich, it had delivered 50,435 Kübelwagen vehicles, which proven itself useful, reliable, and durable and were also recycled for some in the world-beating Beetle in postwar years. The example being offered by Bonhams appears to be the beneficiary of a beautiful restoration, and it is equipped with the more powerful 1131-cc (1.1-liter) engine installed in later variants. Opportunities to own a Kubelwagen are uncommon and this one is bound to draw plenty of attention in Florida. 1944 Volkswagen Type 166 “Schwimmwagen”

The bodywork, including doors and mudguards, was fashioned from steel by Ambi-Budd Pressewerke. All told, 50,435 were made until 1945. The development still was on throughout 1939, focusing on the angular body design, equipment and fittings, engine settings and a first preseries. So much so that the first preseries Type 62s were tested operationally in September during the invasion of Poland, revealing some changes to be made and resulting in the production Type 82. EU Titled Liquid Cooled TYP82 Kubelwagen". Intermeccanica. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019 . Retrieved 25 December 2019.

Design

As the body was not a load-bearing part of the structure of the vehicle, it could easily be modified to special purposes, just like the jeep's.

The Kübelwagen's rolling chassis and mechanics were built at what was then the Stadt des KdF-Wagens, ("City of the 'Strength through Joy'-Car") – renamed Wolfsburg after 1945 – and its body was built by U.S.-owned firm Ambi Budd Presswerke in Berlin. [7] The Kübelwagen's role as a light multi-purpose military vehicle made it the German equivalent to the Allied Willys MB "jeep" and the GAZ-67, after previous efforts to mass-produce standardized military four-wheel drives for the Wehrmacht had largely failed. Hitachi Type 73 artillery tractor (1974) * Toyota Type 73 * Isuzu HST * Nissan Patrol * Mitsubishi Type 73 * * The Volkswagen 181 was only supposed to a fill in until the time that the Europa Jeep was ready. From 1968 until 1979, over 50,000 Type 181s were delivered to the NATO forces. Although the Kübelwagen acquitted itself very well, there was a perceived need for a more extreme-conditions vehicle, combining four wheel drive and amphibious capability. The Type 166 Schwimmwagen was a superb accomplishment, making it the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car in history. Besides, TDs were weakly armored & I say could’ve been replaced in production by up-gunned Shermans. The Soviets had the most rational tank evolution IMHO, with competitive yet producible T34s and heavy KVs & ISs, with assault-gun derivatives much better protected than TDs. They couldn’t understand why the Germans had so many different heavy tank models. Some Russian tankers liked their Shermans.This example from Bonhams appears to have been well-preserved and is reportedly in running condition. It presents an opportunity for not only military collectors, but also for motorcycle collectors seeking something especially unique for their collection. 1944 Volkswagen Type 82 “Kubelwagen”