In 1938 Adolf Hitler commissioned the Volkswagen factory in Fallersleben to begin production on the KdF (Kraft-durch-Freude-Wagen; translating to strength through joy car) Beetle. This was essentially a piece of automotive propaganda as it appealed to the lifestyle that Nazi Germany was successfully instilling into its people. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly go according to plan and the factory had transitioned itself to making war vehicles such as the Type 82 and Type 166. However, some KdF Beetles did make it through.
This one has just been listed for sale in North Carolina, USA; it’s a restored but well documented 1943 KdF Type 60 Beetle owned by the director of the German Red Cross in Potsdam-Babelsberg in Berlin with 28 723 miles on the clock (the five digit cluster may be misleading). Although it is a rare specimen, it’s asking price of $295 000 (Approx. R4 500 000) seems a bit high especially for a Beetle which has a questionably tainted history.