Promoting Excellence in HO Scale Vehicle Modeling

Volkswagen "Desert Bug" - By Ulrich Busse


The base model for Ulrich Busse's is a Wiking Volkswagen "Brezel-Käfer" with wheels from Busch. The interior is from a Wiking VW 1200 and different from the base model, it has a real steering wheel and dashboard. The light on the fender is from Roco. Additionally there are some license plates, fuel tank, and the mirror.

"Brezelkäfer" is the jocular term for the first KdF-Wagen, later VW Beetle type VW 1. The nickname originated during the long construction period the "beetle" an allusion to the two-part small rear window with center bar. The divider of the window was necessary because in the era of origin of Volkswagen's curved glass, which would be adapted to the arched tail, would have been too expensive for a cheap subcompact. The windshields of almost all pre-war cars were flat or divided by a ridge. In March 1953, the "Brezelfenstervereinigung" had been replaced by a one-piece glass. The pane of safety glass was slightly arched and 23% greater than the two small slices. The accessories industry offered through the rear window also for subsequent installation in the older models. Nowadays, such conversions will be dismantled again for nostalgic reasons; there are conversion kits that allow to weld the formerly cut out center bar again.

Posted January 9, 2016