92
1958 BeetleCabriolet 1200 by Karmann
1958 SingleCabKombi 1200
1959 Kombi 1200
1960 Kombi 1200
1962 Type3 KarmannGhia
196 4 Type3 sqaure back 1600
1965 WestfaliaKombi 1600
196510 -seaterKombi 1500
196 5 ‘Herbie’Beetle 1300
1967 Type3 Fastback 1600 TL
196 7 Type3 Notchback 1600
1967 Type3 Sqaureback 1600
1968 Beetle 1500
196 8 Ambulance Kombi 1500
196 9 411 1700
1969 Thing 1500
196 9 Beetle 1500
1970 WestfaliaKombi 1600
1971 DoormobileKombi 1800
1971 High-roofKombi 1600
1972411 Variant 1700
1972 Beetle 1300
1973 SingleCabKombi 1600
1973 Kombi 1600
1974 WestfaliaKombi 2000
1974 JurgensAutovilla 1800
1975 JurgensAutovilla 1800
1976 SP2 1700
1976 BeetleCabriolet 1600 by Karmann
1976 BeetleFunBug 1600
1978 SPBeetle 1600
1991 VanagonKombi 1900
2009 CitiGolf 1400
COLLECTIONHIGHLIGHTS
NEXT
MONTH
FRENCH
FANCIES
‘Giveme 30 minutesandI’m ready with the trailer
to hit the road in search of the next adventure!’
This is one of the vehicles in the collection
that has travelled across South Africa.
Gerhard has taken it to both the Parys
and the George Motor Show, the former a
380-mile return journey and the latter a more
significant 1000-mile trip.
‘In South Africa we don’t always have
access to all the parts found in Europe and
the US. Even if you do import items, you
can never be sure about their quality. As an
exmaple, we painted these doorcards seven
times before they had a texture as close as
possible to the original items.’
The 1965 VW Type 2 Westfalia gives the
Autovilla a run for its money as the best
camper in the collection. I open the passenger
door and am immediately transported to
simpler times. The cabin is extremely basic,
but at the same time the wood inserts all
along the inside of the doors and along the
footwell add a veneer of luxury to the cabin.
‘In those days Volkswagen didn’t fully build
these campers in-house; they were converted
from Type 2s into full-on campers by Westfalia.
‘I bought this one in the early 2000s. It was
painted a horrible colour and the interior also
needed attention. I didn’t have a choice but to
take it apart completely. I repainted it back to
its original colour, and had all the wood trim
remanufactured. We made the roof racks
ourselves using an original as a template.’
Gerhard even had a tent made to clip onto
the T2. Again, he used a template to make the
new version. ‘The seats were originally also
vinyl, in a similar colour to the wooden door
cards. But with our hot climate here in South
Africa you tend to perspire excessively on
the vinyl, so for practical reasons I chose to
reupholster them in cloth.
‘I had to think really carefully before I
bought the material for the seats or the
curtains, because they needed to complement
each other. Taking the time to match the
fabrics meant the curtains fit in perfectly,
because they have elements of the wood trim
as well as that of the seat fabric.’
The matching curtains and the side
windows with the slats are features of a
bygone era, looking almost quaint by today’s
standards. Yet they fit in with the spirit of
the vehicle perfectly. Just looking at it, the
Westfalia makes me want to drive it from here
straight to the Goodwood Revival.
Speaking of camping, as we wrap-up our
visit Gerhard makes it clear he is always ready
for his next adventure at the drop of a hat,
‘Give me 30 minutes and I’m ready with the
trailer to hit the road!’
The keeper
Now for a tougher decision – if Gerhard could
only keep one of his vehicles, which would
it be? ‘That’s very difficult! I think it would
have to be the SP2. There are only three in
the country, and this car in this low-mileage
condition is irreplaceable. It’s one of the
cars I’ve owned for longest period of time.
Although it is no sports car, it is one of the
sportier cars in the collection and I enjoy and
appreciate everything the car has to offer.’
Gerhard had his Westfalia-built
Type 2 ‘Splittie’ repainted in its
original two-tone colour scheme
