1946 VW Beetle Factory Pickup With Fifth Wheel Car Hauling Trailer Discovered

Paul Niedermeyer
by Paul Niedermeyer

Do I love the internet. I thought I’d seen every old VW oddity, but doing a google image search for “VW pickup” brings up this gem. I knew that in the early days the VW factory built a number of specialized vehicles to transport bodies and things around the grounds. But this goose neck fifth wheel trailer rig hauling another Beetle takes the cake. Another VW view of the same Volksamino follows:

Keep in mind that the VW engine made 25 hp at the time. But if the gearing is low enough, anything can be moved. And who was in a hurry in 1946?

Paul Niedermeyer
Paul Niedermeyer

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  • Tosh Tosh on Apr 13, 2010

    With diesel versions of the New Beetle going relatively cheaply used, I've imagined turning one into a squareback or trucklet.

  • Bluskymaster Bluskymaster on Aug 29, 2011

    I built an Electric VW Pickup. It was a 1972 vw beetle and It took 2 years. I recently found this site and I am dumbfounded to see my creatation is so close to the 1946 VW Truck. I call mine an e-Trug Voltswagon. 15kw of power 30-40 mile range.

  • Bruce Purchased (in 2024) a 1989 Camero RS. I wasn't looking for one but I picked it up for 1500. I wanted to only pay 800 but the fellow I bought it from had a real nice family and I could tell they loved each other. They needed the money and I had to give it to him. I felt my heart grow like the Grinch. Yes it has the little 2.8. But the write up does not represent this car. It has never been messed with, all original, a real time machine. I was very fond of these 3rd gen Cameros. It was very oxidized but straight, interior was dirty but all there. I just retired and I parked in my shop and looked at it for 5 months. I couldn't decide how to approach it now That I can afford to make of it what ever I want. Resto mod? Engine swap? No reason to expect any finacial return. Finally I started just doing little things. Buffed and polished the paint. Tune up, Fluids. I am still working it and have found a lot of joy in just restoring what I have just the way I found it just fixed and cleaned up. It's just a cool looking cruiser, fun to drive, fun to figure out. It is what it is. I am keeping it and the author of this critical write up completely misses the point. Mabey the point is what I make it. Nothing more and nothing less.
  • George Now that the Spark And Pretty Soon Gone is the Mirage I really wonder how are you going to get A low rental price when getting a loaner car for the week or more? Cars that are big as spark usually cost 5 to 10 dollars a day for use in a week rental agreement.Where as a SUV like a Equinox or a Rogue Midsize SUV would cost about 20 to 30 dollars for the same length of time of lease and since you’re getting more space leasing is going to be very expensive.
  • Mcs Tesla Full Self Driving will be working flawlessly about 10 years after fusion reactors are perfected. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.
  • Akear American consumers have clearly stated they don't want neither rebadged Alfa Romeos or Fiats. The hornet is over stocked for nearly 400 days!
  • FreedMike I do tip my cap to Musk for at least talking about pushing the edge technologically. But I'm betting no on this question, at least for the near-term future. This vehicle requires two technologies - no-driver-control autonomous driving and inductive charging - that aren't nearly mature enough right now, and they can't be willed into maturity by Musk.
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