German Kübelwagen Model 82

The Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen is a light military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche. The Volkswagen is a four-wheeled, rubber-tired rear axle drive personnel carrier and reconnaissance car. The engine is an air-cooled, four-cylinder horizontally opposed type. Intake and exhaust valves are located in the cylinder head and are operated by conventional rocker arms and push rods. The Transmission is the selective, sliding-gear type. Four speeds froward and one reserve are available. It was built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the Nazi German military (both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS). Based heavily on the future Volkswagen Beetle,

Kübelwagen is a contraction of Kübelsitzwagen, meaning ‘bucket-seat car’. Before the war, this term became popular in Germany, for light open-topped, cross-country and military field-cars without doors, because these were typically equipped with bucket seats, to help keep occupants on board. Although it has only two driving wheels, it is very comfortable on bad terrain because of its high ground clearance, the distribution of its weight mainly on the driving wheels at the rear, but especially thanks to its self-locking axle and its system of reduction of the transmission ratios which gives it an important torque. A very clever design and it only weight 750 kgs (gross weight 1,150 kg).

The Kübelwagen’s rolling chassis and mechanics were built at what was then the Stadt des KdF-Wagens, renamed “Wolfsburg” after 1945 and its body was built by U.S. owned firm Ambi Budd Presswerke in Berlin. The Kübelwagen’s role as a light, multi-purpose military vehicle made it the German equivalent to the Allied Willys MB / Ford GPW “jeep” and the GAZ-67.

This Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen:
This 1945 Volkswagen Type 82 is built in Stadt des KdF-Wagens in the Volkswagenwerk GmbH Factory in Germany in January 1945. To be used by the German military during World War II. After the war the history is currently unknown, but the car has been restored to running condition with a United Kingdom Road registration. This Kübelwagen has an original body and chassis from January 1945. The Fahrgestell Number is -2-048478 and the body is a late 1944 model number. The -2- prefix on the Fahrgestell number indicates it’s built between 1942-1945. When no prefix is applied this is for 1940-41 and prefix -1-1 is from 1946 (postwar).

The engine of this Volkswagen is postwar built model (prefix -1-) which could mean that after the war it has had seen some civilian use and to keep it on the road the original engine was replaced. Currently no German markings on the vehicle only British marking of the 2nd armored regiment of the 10th Armoured Division. This marking means it was captured by the British forces, during World War 2. This marking is added as a tribute and has no actual historical reference. Has the look of a timeless car, designed and manufactured by a brand whose success will be worldwide, the type 82 is now a rare collector’s item.

Condition
Very nice and complete, this Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen was found in France in an old barn where it seems it was also used by the US forces after capturing. It had some US Press markings on the vehicle. A French owner restored the vehicle to running condition and later was sold to a private collector in the United Kingdom after a longtime it was purchased by Stuart Garner Director of Armourgeddon in Leicester United Kingdom. Mr. Garner serviced and repainted the vehicle and used it to participate several events and eventually sold it in 2020 to the current Dutch owner. It still has its UK road registration and is in running condition.