While stationed in Bremerhaven Germany from 1981 - 84 I remember seeing a few Polizei Kafers but not many. I suspect at that time they were more of a holdover than a regular patrol vehicle.
I don't remember any VW Bug ADAC cars on the autobahn, my memory has them as VW Golfs at that time. My main transportation was a Yamaha motorcycle but drove a 73 VW 1303 for family transportation but the rust monster eventually took it off the road before I left. Black ice was a severe problem and the roads were salted heavily so the rather robust undercoating eventually let the rust eat through. In the early 80's the Bugs were coming off the roads because of the very stringent German TUV vehicle inspections so American GIs would buy them, among other vehicles, because the American inspections were not so strict. I've got a picture of me and my family taking it to East Berlin in 1982 via the Helmstedt corridor traversing the USSR checkpoints while the West German traffic was required to pay to get through the East German guards. The East Germans were driving their Trabants so even a ten year old Bug was a well-apportioned, quality vehicle in comparison. Staying at Tempelhof and taking a bus tour, in uniform as required by the four-powers agreement, to East Berlin gave me a real appreciation for what it was to be an American. I still have that Yamaha but also have three BMW motorcycles, two of which are Airheads, and two VW Bugs. errr... my daughters have VW Bugs, I'm just the caretaker. Nick Stokes Dub~Tunes radio page: http://web.me.com/stokester/ On Oct 19, 2011, at 12:29 AM, Bert Knupp wrote: > Hi, Erin (and everybody), > > You've got to remember that every state, county and town in Germany was > pretty strapped for cash for a good 20 years following the end of WW2. The > Volkswagen was a purchasing agent's dream: Nobody could touch them in > price, and their cheap maintenance and misely fuel needs made them the > all-purpose Basic Transportation. > > If you follow that link in the Yellow Angels posting you'll see dozens of > different versions working as road service units. The 1st German Police > Oldtimer Museum in Marburg has several beautifully restored police VWs (go > to www.polizeioldtimer.de and click on the "Oldtimer" tab at the top for > their photo gallery). At one time (1972) there were over 10,000 VW police > cars in service in Germsany, and they were also widespread in the > Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Austria. A TV documentary series a couple > of years ago was called, "When The Police Still Came by Beetle" (check out > http://www.myvideo.de/watch/6053648/Als_die_Polizei_noch_im_Kaefer_kam and > turn up the volume). Some of the cops they interviewed complained that they > were cramped, underpowered, cold, and grossly inadequate -- but they sure > beat bicycles and motorcycles! They always made the rookie ride in the back > seat: he was called "the ballast"! > > And what did we all learn as teenagers? "You can't outrun a radio!" Even > if it's a Telefunken! > > Gute Fahrt! > > Bert _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
