This is not a VW bus.

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv) 01/28/2020 at 13:45 • Filed to: None

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This is an East German Transporter. They were built in East Germany on Kubelwagen chassis. Because somebody decided that Volkswagen not selling the bus in East Germany wasn’t going to stop them from owning one. I’m not sure how many were made, but it seems that one of them still exists:

shop-teacher > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 13:52

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WHOA!  

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 13:55

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That’s even sillier than the DDR-trapped Eisenach formerly-BMW factory making pre-war BMWs with red and white EMW badges.

Jim Spanfeller > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/28/2020 at 14:00

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I’ve always wanted one of those EMWs... That’s got to be one of the best knockoff cars ever.

RallyWrench > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 14:02

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Well that’s cool! Looks like a story for Torchinsky to pursue. 

Jim Spanfeller > RallyWrench 01/28/2020 at 14:05

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It does. And his internet sleuthing abilities are probably a lot better than mine, so he could probably find more information than just the tiny amount I did.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 14:08

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Some plusses to having been made more recently and swelling the market of available ones, I’m sure. Hard to know whether it was a better made car with better materials than a pre-war BMW, though. Weird dynamics were in play in both the Third Reich and the DDR.

Jim Spanfeller > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/28/2020 at 14:11

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I would assume that the only difference in quality would be possibly less care in assembly. If the tooling was the same, then I’d assume the parts would be similar quality.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 14:21

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Sure, but there would very definitely be some differences such as the chemistry of the paints used, the quality of the steel, the heat treatment of strength parts, the thickness of platings, etc. Things that could swing on supply chain and externalities. I’m looking at it from a materials science point of view.

Jim Spanfeller > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/28/2020 at 14:58

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Good point.

user314 > Jim Spanfeller 01/28/2020 at 16:20

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It’s just a tribute? 

ranwhenparked > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/28/2020 at 16:22

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They initially called them BMWs, with the normal blue and white badge, until the other BMW complained and started legal action.

Jim Spanfeller > user314 01/28/2020 at 16:36

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Maybe. A t the time, VW buses were just work vehicles, so I think whoever made these things  just  wanted a VW bus for a work vehicle enough that they went to the trouble of building the closest thing to a VW bus they could.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ranwhenparked 01/28/2020 at 16:37

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yep.

I’ve actually been to that factory.

duurtlang > Jim Spanfeller 01/30/2020 at 05:14

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At the time, VW buses were just work vehicles

This has never changed