The Original Meter of the Volkswagen Beetle – The Story of a Legendary Prototype

This book tells the fascinating story of the legendary Volkswagen Beetle. For a long time, it was considered certain that all Beetle prototypes had been scrapped. But then an incredible discovery was made at an Austrian scrapyard: parts that clearly belonged to the "VW 30" model were found. These prototypes were built between 1936 and 1938 and covered around two million test kilometers. They were thus of decisive importance for the later success of the Beetle, which was built over 21 million times between 1938 and 2003.

Expert and collector Christian Grundmann took on the found parts and began an elaborate reconstruction. He scoured the archives of Porsche AG, the Volkswagen factory, and the Mercedes archive, collected private photos from around the world, and even found construction drawings. He was supported by VW designer Andreas Mindt, who interpreted the historical photos and created new drawings to restore the Beetle's bodywork.

· All details surrounding the find as well as a comprehensive chronicle of the reconstruction
· Iconic photography by Thorsten Doerk
· Places the VW 30 in historical context and compares it with the later production Beetle of 1938

The book documents all steps of the restoration, from the people involved to the finished vehicle, which in every detail corresponds to the original condition of the year it was created. In addition, the spectacular story of this prototype up to its discovery is described in detail. Author Thorsten Elbrigmann is an expert in the field and has been familiar with the Volkswagen brand for around 30 years.

This book is an absolute must for all fans of the Volkswagen Beetle and offers a unique insight into the history of this legendary car.