Quiz Archive

About Quiz # 258 1931 Maikäfer, the pre-Volkswagen

Sorry, it's no DKW, no Neander, no Tatra, no Austin Seven, no Dixi, no Opel Laubfrosch and - despite the suggestive shape of the wheels - certainly no Bugatti either.
Still there was a handfull competitors who were right or even more right. First who came in with very correct info was involved with the restoration of the car: Siegfried Otto Hepp. We really like to thank him for the photos he made and send over this week! Unfortunately he is too much involved with the car and due to that not focussed to tell us the most important facts as they probably are too obvious to him.
This car is the most important pre-prototype of the Volkswagen Beetle..! Brainchild of the Jewish born Josef Ganz who built the car with Adler in 1931. Others who were quite right were Jeroen van den Akker, Jim Kruse, Fried Stol, J. ter Linden and Steven Gallichan. In the end we decided the answer by Fried Stol was best: " Allegedly Ferdinand Porsche was responsible for the volkswagen beetle, but according to freelance journalist Paul Schilperoord all the credits should go to Josef Ganz (july 1st Budapest)1898-1967 as father of the volkswagen beetle. After WW1 he became an engineer in Frankfurt. As early as 1923 Josef Ganz enfolded his ideas of a car for the people, small in size light in weight and cheap, in Klein Motor Sport magazine. In 1930 he realised a prototype called the Ardie-Ganz followed in 1931 by the Adler Maikäfer." Congratulations to Fried! Sit down and relax to enjoy a full side view of the Maikäfer. (special thanks to Paul Schilperoord who will present a book about the Maikäfer and Josef Ganz at the Zandvoort Circuit, where also the restored Maikäfer will be present; Paul also provided the original quiz photos)

Friday, 11 September 2009