Hans Klapps VWYearBook 1947

The year of 1947 would turn out to be a pivotal year for Volkswagen. Along the way, the recovering company would send its first civilian exports beyond German borders, future boss Heinz Nordhoff would turn up, and plans would emerge for a boxy delivery van based on Beetle underpinnings. Yes, Camper&Bus readers, the Type 2 was just around the corner…

But before all that, Wolfsburg had to contend with one of the worst European winters ever. It couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time; production of Beetles had been rising and conditions had been getting slightly better for workers, under the custodianship of the British Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, with Major Ivan Hirst in charge. But when freezing temperatures, snow and ice started causing havoc with transport across Germany, there was little choice but for the plant to shut down almost completely. Not only could new cars not get out, but essential coal for Wolfsburg’s power station