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KdF
Aug 6, 2010 18:10:39 GMT 1
Post by cees on Aug 6, 2010 18:10:39 GMT 1
Why is every body talking about KDF cars if they mean WW2 Volkswagen cars I never saw a identification plate on a kubel or a Schwimmwagen with KDF it is always Volkswagenwerk G.m.b.H.. KDF means Kraft durch Freude. It was only used for buildings and vessels ?
Cees
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KdF
Aug 7, 2010 21:34:04 GMT 1
Post by loica on Aug 7, 2010 21:34:04 GMT 1
Hello Cees,
the first time I heard of this term "KDF-parts" was from the semi-professional sellers more than fifteen years ago. Thirty years ago it was not common to talk about "KDF-parts".
It's similar with the Einheits-Pkw, the most people are talking about Stoewer and Horch-Kübelwagen, but few know more about this.
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KdF
Aug 16, 2010 15:58:01 GMT 1
Post by fred on Aug 16, 2010 15:58:01 GMT 1
Hi Cees, I am not sure if you are joking about this subject or not, with your deep interest I would have thought you might already know the answer, but ;D . Anyway in case you are serious, the history is a bit like this, at one time the Beetle car, the factory and the nearby town of Fallersleben were all known as Kdf, the Kdf-Wagen, the Kdf-Werke and Kdf-Stadt. This is because the Kdf organisation, a subsection of the DAF (Deutsch Arbeits Front) organisation, was responsible for the organisation and construction of the factory for the new car. The Beetle project was originally known as the Volkswagen from an early date, but this was before anybody had been chosen to manufacture it, most of the leading German motor manufacturers were asked, but all said no, all fearing a state subsidised car at 1000 RM, would undercut their own car sales. By all saying no, they believed the Volkswagen project would be killed off. But Hitler was not to be stopped, so he made a Nazi party organisation, the DAF, responsible for building the new factory and car, and of course DAF chose one of its sub-sections, Kdf, for the project. It was only when this decision had been made that everthing was then called the Kdf-Wagen, -Werke and -Stadt. However once construction and production had started, the name Volkswagen was again introduced, but of course very few Beetles were built, it was mainly Kubel and Schwimmer, all built by Volkswagen. So yes all production vehicles are "Volkswagen". The Kdf-Wagen and Kdf Werke were quickly renamed Volkswagen G.m.b.H (in approximately 1939) but the Kdf-Stadt remained with that name until later in 1945 and after the war was over, when it was called Wolfsberg, although this town was a bit further from the factory than Fallersleben was. Attached is a diagram of the original DAF/Kdf badge that evolved into the WWII Volkswagen badge (This is the Kdf mark often found on VW vehicle parts) and after the war it was again modified and became todays Volkswagen badge. Any corrections to the above will be welcome. Hope you find this interesting and almost accurate , cheers Paul Attachments:
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KdF
Aug 16, 2010 16:50:04 GMT 1
Post by cees on Aug 16, 2010 16:50:04 GMT 1
Thanks Paul, As I see they cahnged it in 1939/1940 to Volkswagen G.m.b.h. (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) it is from that time a Volkswagen company and not a Kdf company anymore. Is this correct Cees
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KdF
Aug 16, 2010 17:22:53 GMT 1
Post by fred on Aug 16, 2010 17:22:53 GMT 1
Hi Cees, Well yes at approx those dates, in a book I have there is a photocopy of an original document, its titled "Volkswagenwerk" with the big DAF/Kdf swastika badge alongside it, at the bottom of the page it says "Stadt des Kdf.-Wagens", and dated "Februar 1939" . So it may well have been changed in 1938 !!
So by very early 1939 the factory is Volkswagen but the nearby town is still the Kdf-Stadt (Fallersleben), and of course would stay with that name into 1945.
Had one of the existing German car companies been interested and built the manufacturing line for the Volkswagen, Kdf would not have been involved at all, and the car could well have been the BMW-VW, the Mercedes-VW or the Adler-VW etc., etc.,
In the early design stages of Hitler's car, Volkswagen was just a project name, there was no manufacturer then for it, Porsche KG was just a design consultancy, who had no means of production,(remember all the pre-production Beetles(Kafer) were Dailmer-Benz constructed), but when Kdf became that manufacturer they of course wanted it called after their own name, Kdf, but this is not what Hitler wanted, so it became VW again.
Note; that both Porche KG and Daimler-Benz were located in Stuttgart.
cheers PAUL
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KdF
Feb 15, 2011 14:47:31 GMT 1
Post by mattholloway on Feb 15, 2011 14:47:31 GMT 1
Very interesting thanks, clears up some confusion I had Matt
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KdF
Feb 26, 2012 17:33:46 GMT 1
Post by kdfvw on Feb 26, 2012 17:33:46 GMT 1
Does any one got a cyclone air filter for VW 166/82,82e or 87? if you got parts for VW166,128, VW87 please kindly e mail me. My e mail kdfvw@yahoo.com I also like any war time beetle picture. Thanks a lot. Victor
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KdF
Mar 1, 2012 22:12:49 GMT 1
Post by loica on Mar 1, 2012 22:12:49 GMT 1
Hey Victor, do you want to spam us? Does any one got a cyclone air filter for VW 166/82,82e or 87? if you got parts for VW166,128, VW87 please kindly e mail me. My e mail kdfvw@yahoo.com I also like any war time beetle picture. Thanks a lot. Victor
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KdF
Apr 16, 2012 19:07:25 GMT 1
Post by rattletrap on Apr 16, 2012 19:07:25 GMT 1
Hello, I'm a new guy to these forums from London, England. Talking here of KdF Wagens, which are the familiar Volkswagen 'Beetle' car built 1938-1944 as well described in previous posts here by fred (Paul), I'm trying to locate such a KdF 'Beetle' to restore, or if lucky one in running order to buy. Does anyone here have or know of one for sale? An early Volkswagen Beetle from 1945 would be welcome also.
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KdF
Apr 19, 2012 10:54:05 GMT 1
Post by Rolf Sigurd Ask on Apr 19, 2012 10:54:05 GMT 1
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KdF
Apr 20, 2012 9:11:14 GMT 1
Post by loica on Apr 20, 2012 9:11:14 GMT 1
So by very early 1939 the factory is Volkswagen but the nearby town is still the Kdf-Stadt (Fallersleben), and of course would stay with that name into 1945. In the early design stages of Hitler's car, Volkswagen was just a project name, there was no manufacturer then for it, Porsche KG was just a design consultancy, who had no means of production,(remember all the pre-production Beetles(Kafer) were Dailmer-Benz constructed), but when Kdf became that manufacturer cheers PAUL Fallersleben and the Stadt des KdF-Wagens are two different cities. Fallersleben still exist seperately and the other was renamed in Wolfsburg like the castle nearby. Daimler-Benz and Reutter made the first cars.
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