ur feature this month has the spotlight on perhaps one of the most desirable vintage toys sought by VW toy and model collectors in general. It is in the stamped tinplate category and is perhaps the largest scale vintage VW toy produced in quantity This Split Window VW sedan was manufactured by the German toy firm of Johann Distler K.G. located in Nürnberg, the center of Germany's toy industry. Distler had been producing tin toys for years and was well known for their craftsmanship and a large product line of toys. The KdF-Wagen (Volkswagen Beetle as we know it today) was officially introduced in 1938 and it did not take long for the toy and model manufacturers to take notice of the popularity of the vehicle. Distler was no exception and they tooled up to produce their toy version of the “Peoples Car” in miniature as well. Over a 17-year period, Distler produced three distinct variations or versions of the VW car. We will identify each version and classify them as Version 1, Version 2 and Version 3.
