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‘The engine is beneath the bed, so when you tuck in
you can smell air-cooled flat-four on your bed linen’
And what better way to go on a long-distance tour than with
a 1974 Jurgens Autovilla 1800 – a Type 2 Transporter-based
motorhome that’s relatively unknown outside of South Africa.
‘They were produced by a South African caravan manufacturer
called Jurgens, which bought Volkswagen Kombi pick-ups and
converted them into these motorhomes. This model is from the
first year they produced these conversions.’
‘I bought this car from a friend of mine in Vereeniging. It wasn’t
in great condition so I decided to strip and restore it. Here and
there I’ve used better materials than they did 45 years ago, but
never where their application is obvious. An example is where
wood hardboard was used. I’ve swapped it for a type of plexi-
glass. The result is that if water should enter, it won’t get damaged.
‘Originally the Autovilla came with the 1.8-litre air-cooled
engine. That engine’s parts are harder to obtain than the 2.0-litre
version, so I’m busy swapping the engines – I plan to fit the
2.0-litre engine with fuel injection. Plus, I’ll have modern software
for the fuel injection system which will allow me to map it myself.
Apart from better performance, having such an engine also
benefits the practical element of the vehicle.
‘Obviously the engine is still mounted in the rear, which means
it’s underneath the bed. So when you tuck in at night, your nostrils
remind you that you are in the company of an air-cooled flat-
four. Even your bed linen has that smell! We call it the Familiar
Air-Cooled Smell, but recently when we went on a road trip, the
clutch started to give problems, so this smell was overwhelmed by
that of the burning clutch!
‘I always try to keep the cars as original as possible when I
restore them or when I need to replace parts. I will often buy
another car just to have access to parts in that car that will fit and
benefit the car I’m restoring. It takes time, but you need to be
precise. To achieve a high level of quality, you need to do it right.’
Volkswagen Thing
Another car in line for sympathetic restoration is a 1969
Volkswagen Thing. It is undoubtedly the closest VW ever got to
manufacturing a vehicle similar to the civilian Jeep. Although, as
the name suggests, the car is anything but attractive, these cars
are unique and much loved by Volkswagen enthusiasts.
‘I found the car less than two hours’ drive from Cape Town in
the coastal town of Hermanus. The previous premises where
some of my cars stood got a lot of attention from the public, so
much so that the landlord’s assistant showed enthusiasts the
collection almost every day. One day I received a phone call from a
gentleman who had visited the collection. He said that a friend of
his had a car in Hermanus that I needed to buy. The rest is history.
‘It is in line to be painted and partially restored. The engine is
a standard Beetle unit, although it has the Kombi’s reduction gear
setup so it pulls stronger at lower speeds, but is also slower. It also
has better ground clearance because of a new suspension layout.’
VW Kombis
No Volkswagen collection would be complete without Kombis,
of which Gerhard has several. He moves two of them – a 1958
Type 2 single-cab and a 1965 Type 2 Westfalia camper – into
centre stage to provide me with the opportunity to admire these
collection highlights from all angles. Gerhard opens the two small
windscreens outward on the single-cab and immediately I realise
that a novelty like this would simply not be allowed today.
‘I found it on a farm just outside the mining town of Kimberley
in the Northern Cape. It was in a terrible state and full of rust. We
had to remove panels, cut the rust out and weld in new pieces of
metal. Needless to say, this Type 2 had to be stripped completely.
‘It helped that at the time of restoration I had another three in
various states of repair in the collection. Gleaning nuggets from
them we were able to learn what to do and how to repair it. In the
back is the four-cylinder 1.2-litre, air-cooled engine.’
I ask how Gerhard knew about the correct design and
dimensions of the rear canopy. ‘That is also original. The frame is
the one it came with, while the wooden parts were manufactured
as part of the restoration, as was the sturdy cover. I found pictures
of these old single-cabs that assisted with the correct design
and patterns for the woodwork and the cover. The wooden slats
mounted in the loading bay help to limit damage to the paintwork.’
A number of projects-in-waiting
are stored in the wider grounds
of Gerhard’s premises
