My name is Derkjan, I am Dutch though I have lived in the UK since 1990. My hobbies involve Aircooled VW's and Drag Racing.
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This is a picture from a Dutch magazine dated 1946. Below you can find a translation of the article. Remember this is only one year after German occupation.
GERMANY IS PRODUCING VOLKSCARS AGAIN.... BUT THIS TIME NOT FOR THE NAZIS!
The "German jeep" costs 4000 marks, weighs 690 kg, has a top speed of 90 km
In the midst of the busy traffic of colossal green-grey lorries, fast jeeps and trams carts, who are even more full than in the Netherlands, small beetle like cars can be seen in the German cities. They are dull green, ugly, without any luxury or comfort, and are the volkscar's that Hitler promised to every German (they had to save hard for them). Now they have finally reached production, they are nearly exclusively made for the needs of the occupying allied forces. One could see volkscar's in the war but these were military version. The "peace" type that should have made the German people into the happiest people in the world, is initially produced in the large volkscars factory of Fallerssleben near Hannover. The factory, has under British management, been partly reopened.
The volkswagen - the English call it the "Beetle" - is not pretty, but very functional. The engine is in the back, the spare is in the front. It is nearly a big as the D.K.W., or Opel "Kadett", but it weighs slightly less, 690 kg. (The D.K.W. weighs 720kg) The little car is only built in a 4-seater version, with a fixed roof and two doors. It has a 4 speed gearbox, accelerates quickly and has good roadholding capacities. The four cylinder engine has overhead valves and a capacity of 1130cc. It is of simple construction and is air cooled instead of water cooled. This type of cooling has not been used previously in cars. It has been used for motorcycles (Douglas en 2 cylinder B.M.W.). The volkswagen can carry 360kg, which is much. A fan, driven by the engine, sucks in cooling air. After the air has been heated by the engine, it can be simply redirected to the interior by turning a handle - an effective heating system. De wheel suspension is good: torsion bar springs up front, coil springs at the back.
The car has good roadholding capabilities, but demands (in current form) an experienced driver, who is good at gear changing. This is because the engine has a low torque, and starts hiccupping when it is in the wrong gear. Also the clutch is not very progressive, probably accentuated by the lack of a long front to back drive axle. Concluding, for the experienced drivers, who like a stiff "European car" this is a car that will give a lot of pleasure. For the less experienced driver, who is used to easy "American cars" with automatic or synchromesh gearboxes, the volkscar could be some grief.
Driving the Beetle is sensational. One has to get used to the good view on the road due to the sloping bonnet. One can see the road just in front of the wheels, which enables the driver to maneuver very precisely. The mechanical brakes cope reasonably. Long distance speeds are between 60 and 70km: The car can go faster but this shortens the lifespan of the engine considerably. Under intensive use and unfavorable conditions the engine needs revision after 10 to 15.000 km.
Production currently is 50 cars a day. 38 go the the allies (occupation administrators, officers, medical staff and journalists) and 12 go to the German people. These are split according to a priority system. At this rate it will be a while before Hitler promise of a car for every German will be realized.