WHAT’S NEW

EMPI VALVE COVER SET:

Made from investment cast aluminum with cast-in EMPI logo and polished ribs on a black background. The finned design helps reduce upper cylinder head temperature, and there’s enough clearance for most high-lift rocker arms. Boss can be drilled for venting to a breather box. The special C-channel-type gaskets and stud seals ensure positive sealing. Installation on ’67 and earlier Beetles may require trimming of the body for clearance. Complete with all gaskets and hardware. Search part number 00-8852-0 at empius.com

REMOTE OIL FILTER ADAPTERS FROM AVIAID: Lubrication systems pioneer Aviaid has expanded its line of remote oil filter adapters to include CNC-machined billet aluminum units for three popular sizes of OEM and aftermarket spin-on type filters that include 3", 3-5/8" and 4-1/2" diameter canisters. Additionally, Aviaid manufactures special billet aluminum remote pressure regulators with mounts to accommodate 3-5/8" or 4-1/2" diameter filters. They come with a pair of 1/8" NPT ports (female) for use with oil pressure and oil temperature gauges. There are also taps for accessories like valve spring oilers, turbo feeds, etc. The company offers complete drysump systems for virtually any 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12-cylinder engine. For details aviaid.com, call (818) 998-8991, or send an e-mail to

FOLTS BILLET ALUMINUM TYPE 1 IRS SUPER DIFF KIT:

Manufactured by DFT and available through Rancho Performance Transaxles, this exclusive billet-aluminum Type 1 IRS Super Diff provides extraordinary strength and your choice of a wide variety of building options. The kit accommodates all 091 Type 2 internals and bearings. Each kit includes Super Diff and hat with bearings and side covers machined from aircraft-quality billet aluminum, O-rings, shims, spider-gear pins, block, seals, and races. Does not include spiders, side gears, or thrust washers. MSRP is currently $1,495.00 for the complete kit as shown. Available by calling Rancho direct at (714) 680-6737 or in their online store at ranchotransaaxles.com.

Creative Car Craft offers this awesome scooped, early style/shape decklid that will work on any year Beetle and is perfect for street or racing applications. This super-lightweight, pin-on-style decklid has a center scoop to allow more air flow into the engine compartment, so it’s super useful as well as good looking! This decklid is a replica of the one used on Nascar Herbie in the movie Herbie Fully Loaded. It can be ordered in Creative Car Craft’s hand-laid fiberglass or real carbon fiber with grey primer finish. Get yours today at Creative Car Craft: 6245 Woodbury Highway, Manchester, TN 37355. Call (239) 283-8989 or (423) 9390289 or visit creativecarcraft.com.

SMITTY’S SMOOTHIES CUSTOM WHEELS: Looking for something cool to trick out your VW? Wheels are always a good way to go! Smitty’s Smoothies makes these awesome three-piece custom VW wheels! The centers are laser-cut from 1/4 steel plates, and the inner and outer lips are polished aluminum. Looking for even more customizing? Smitty can paint the centers any color you want, and the bolts can be chrome, black, or even different colors. These custom VW wheels will look amazing on your Volkswagen and take approximately six to eight weeks from the time they are ordered to complete. Get your cool new wheels started today: Call Smitty at (423) 457-2472 or visit smittyssmoothies.net

MST SERPENTINE PULLEY SYSTEM: famous for reliability, consistency, and overall quality — while making your engine look amazing! This system delivers a slight horsepower improvement by reducing belt slip and delivering more cooling to your engine than the standard V-belt setup. You’ll love how much quieter your engine runs, too! Available in a variety of anodized colors including black, blue, silver, red, and lime green. Includes crank pulley with CNC- machined timing marks, alternator/generator pulley, idler bracket assembly with bearing, custom stainless steel crank bolt and alternator/ generator nut, 4-rib belt, mounting hardware,

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▲ Hen’s tooth: Only 364 Cabriolets were built for 1949. That was the smallest production run for any post-war Beetle. By 1971, when the Beetle was in peak production, VW could churn out 364 cars in about two and a half hours (assuming around-the-clock production). But in 1949, the company was building only one cabriolet per day, give or take. Chassis numbers for 1949 models were 91 922 to 138 554.

The Deluxe model came with chrome bumpers, hubcaps, door handles, headlight trim rings, and running board trim. The interior material was of higher quality than that of the Standard, and glossy exterior paint was available for the first time, in fourteen colors. (1945 through 1948 Beetles were only available in matte grey, blue, and black.) The company also introduced its Cabriolet in 1949, which Karmann began building in June.

In May 1949, the 50,000th post-war Beetle rolled off the assembly line.

In 1950, New York-based Austrian Max Hoffman, who owned a European car showroom in Manhattan and who had met Nordhoff in 1949, agreed to become America’s east coast VW importer. At first Hoffman’s sales were few and far between — only 157 cars sold in 1950 — but he eventually made the Beetle stick in America. The rest is history.

 Bolster pillows! Upmarket fabric! A two-spoke steering wheel! With their 1949 Deluxe model, VW really pulled out all the stops in an attempt to penetrate the export (and specifically, American) market. It didn’t immediately work.

 To Germans living in a postwar economy and used to the Standard Beetle, the 1949 Deluxe must have seemed unbelievably extravagant. Look at all that chrome! And an eight-day clock? Eat your hearts out, clock winders!