Is this real?

[kk916]

A friend of mine just sent me this and I cant find any more info on it. I'm honestly more interested in the tow truck option on the side but I thought I was losing my mind for a second when I saw the Beetle on the main cover.

[RodBurNeR]

i never saw the kit before.....so i did a search on google.com for IMAI Beetle...cuz that is the brand of kit and this is the link i have to provide you.

http://thememlingindex.com/hitler_and_the_volkswagen.html

[samdiego]

Wowzers! What a find. I can't imagine that a company anywhere on the planet would have thought that was a good idea given the time frame evidenced by the tires. No wonder it's a rare one. The pix on the side are of different kits in the same line?

[george 53]

WoW! You'd think the Japenese wouldv'e thought twice before popin a kit that was in bad taste.But I guess to them its just a dead symbol.Betcha they don't export that kit to Germany.

[uniongoon]

That might be a valuable collectible un-built in the box

Maybe an e-bay fortune getter.

[Nick F40]

That is wicked. I like the wheels and the extra options on the side.

This is certainly a rare find and different, there is something, not in an excited way, cool about it.

[Joe Handley]

Dang, I was surprised the first time I saw a Nazi era owners manual but wow

[evilone]

it kinda would make sence

the japanese were nazi germany's allie

and the bug was invented by hitler

but non the less that is kinda scary that someone thought that was a good idea

i mean im not exactly politically correct but i can say that i wouldnt build that

[kingiguana]

And on most forums, the General Lee's flag is offensive, and must be covered. And it was removed from the box art too! If this is real I can imagine the trouble this would bring. Now all we need is a kit with Mohammed on it>

[evilone]

man ben laden or sadam would be worse then mohammed

[935k3]

Tamiya's older kit of the Williams FW07 F1 car can be built as one version for certain races that actully has a Bin Laden sponsor decal, It was propabey his Dad's construction business. The car raced in 1979.

[Olle F]

That is about as weird as they come. I bet it's one of those "it seemed to be a good idea at the time" things that they had to eat later, but that would be just totally unthinkable today. I have noticed that they don't even have swastikas on the box art for German WWII aircraft kits anymore... don't know if they removed them from the decal sheets though.

[Joe Handley]

I have noticed that they don't even have swastikas on the box art for German WWII aircraft kits anymore... don't know if they removed them from the decal sheets though.

I've noticed that, but if you look at some of the Allied nose art on some of the bomber kits, I'm amazed we haven't had people complain when wandering through the airplane isle. Don't know if the swasticas have been pulled from the kits though.

[VW Dave]

WOWZA!! Gotta say I'm more than a little stunned by that model, I've heard of it but never seen one in person(I have the 'stock' version). I'm sure somebody thought it was a good idea to market it, and somebody out there wants it for their collection, but nobody at my house.

IMO the swastika makes the rebel flag look like child's play.

and the bug was invented by hitler

I was going to say you really need to do more homework before posting, but why change your M.O. now?

Ferdinand Porsche designed the Beetle, and the KDF('Strength Through Joy') philosophy was his; the initial plan was to call the little car the KDF-wagen. The German government, with Hitler as chancellor, provided the financial backing that was needed to make Porsche's little car a reality. Hitler's government instituted a savings book plan, promising that everyone could afford their own car.....the "peoples' car," as they renamed it.....strangely enough, nobody ever received one.

Edited April 30, 2008 by VW Dave

[Raul_Perez]

I was going to say you really need to do more homework before posting, but why change your M.O. now?

Dave,

Even my Pug "Oti-Wan Kenobi" would tell you "inappropriate is that to say".

Regards,

[m408]

Well, being a grumpy old man who remembers WWII, and have never been accused of being "politically correct", I'll say it. Only a Japanese company would put out a piece of ###### like that without giving it a second thought.

[Clay]

I was going to say you really need to do more homework before posting, but why change your M.O. now?

I agree. You probably russled the feathers of Volkswagen lovers, Kevin

[Joe Nunes]

Well, I for one really liked my new 1971 VW Super Beetle (Bright Red) but I find this Japanese kit art offensive in and of itself. I would not build it , have it on my stash shelf, or give/sell it to anyone. I'd burn it.

[Simon]

For those requiring a sportier vehicle, Doyusha presents us with this baby:

[george 53]

Man! is there no end to peoples insensitivity or stoopidity? Or is bad taste just the norm in some places?(then again,that Porsche is just an evolved Volksie.Still dont make it right though!)

[Harry P.]

WOWZA!! Gotta say I'm more than a little stunned by that model, I've heard of it but never seen one in person(I have the 'stock' version). I'm sure somebody thought it was a good idea to market it, and somebody out there wants it for their collection, but nobody at my house.

IMO the swastika makes the rebel flag look like child's play.

I was going to say you really need to do more homework before posting, but why change your M.O. now?

Ferdinand Porsche designed the Beetle, and the KDF('Strength Through Joy') philosophy was his; the initial plan was to call the little car the KDF-wagen. The German government, with Hitler as chancellor, provided the financial backing that was needed to make Porsche's little car a reality. Hitler's government instituted a savings book plan, promising that everyone could afford their own car.....the "peoples' car," as they renamed it.....strangely enough, nobody ever received one.

Actually, you COULD say that Hitler "invented" the Beetle. Well, more accurately, it was he who wanted a small, fast, reliable and inexpensive "people's car" ("Volkswagen" is German for "people's car")...a car that would carry 2 adults and 3 children, and sell for approx. 1,000 Marks. Porsche had been working on a similar idea, and actually had several prototypes built by the early 30s, but it was Hitler's assigning Porsche to design this new "people's car" that got the ball rolling. Some say that Hitler actually sketched out the design of his proposed car and gave it to Porsche with orders to make it. Porsche didn't start out with a clean sheet of paper...the earlier car that he had been working on was used as the basis for the new VW. The car was injitialy referred to as the "Porsche 60", but was changed to "KDF-Wagen" when the project officially began. ("Kraft Durch Freude", or "strength through happines", was the Third Reich-controlled leisure operation that offered concerts, plays, cruises, etc. in an effort to make "culture" and recreational activities available to the German middle class.)

Unfortunately, WWII broke out soon after, and German auto production shifted to military vehicles. Civilian versions of the car weren't produced until after WWII ended, and at first in only very small numbers.

Interesting factoid: The name "Beetle" was never actually used by VW until the 1967 model year. Everyone called the car "beetle" or "bug", and VW finally made the name "Beetle" official in '67.

Class dismissed...

[Harold]

Kind of reminds me of the Family Guy episode where Stewie and Brian were in Germany on the tour bus, and Brian mentions that the guidebook skips over the years 1939- 1945. When Brian presses the guide for details, he says "Ve ver on vacation". I always wondered when Mercedes showed their ad with all their history, they neglected to show Hitler riding triumphantly through the streets of Warsaw in his Mercedes touring car. Man, though, that kit is in bad taste. Was this an attempt to get neo-Nazis and skinheads into the hobby? Was it the result of extensive market research, or too much saki?

[Harry P.]

I always wondered when Mercedes showed their ad with all their history, they neglected to show Hitler riding triumphantly through the streets of Warsaw in his Mercedes touring car.

Yeah, that's an image that Mercedes is probably smart not to play up too much!

[evilone]

I was going to say you really need to do more homework before posting, but why change your M.O. now?

Ferdinand Porsche designed the Beetle, and the KDF('Strength Through Joy') philosophy was his; the initial plan was to call the little car the KDF-wagen. The German government, with Hitler as chancellor, provided the financial backing that was needed to make Porsche's little car a reality. Hitler's government instituted a savings book plan, promising that everyone could afford their own car.....the "peoples' car," as they renamed it.....strangely enough, nobody ever received one.

the proof of my statment

Actually, you COULD say that Hitler "invented" the Beetle. Well, more accurately, it was he who wanted a small, fast, reliable and inexpensive "people's car" ("Volkswagen" is German for "people's car")...a car that would carry 2 adults and 3 children, and sell for approx. 1,000 Marks. Porsche had been working on a similar idea, and actually had several prototypes built by the early 30s, but it was Hitler's assigning Porsche to design this new "people's car" that got the ball rolling. Some say that Hitler actually sketched out the design of his proposed car and gave it to Porsche with orders to make it. Porsche didn't start out with a clean sheet of paper...the earlier car that he had been working on was used as the basis for the new VW. The car was injitialy referred to as the "Porsche 60", but was changed to "KDF-Wagen" when the project officially began. ("Kraft Durch Freude", or "strength through happines", was the Third Reich-controlled leisure operation that offered concerts, plays, cruises, etc. in an effort to make "culture" and recreational activities available to the German middle class.)

the statment i told you so would be a understatment

thanks harrypri for the research

man ive been studyin ww2 since elementry school

and being a german myself i know that we (germans) invented that car

so that being said i still dislike that kit for dredging up ore past when we were stupid (our and we meaning germans)

[Darrell Gwinn]

but you know the swastika has been around way before the nazis adopted it for themselves... but yes this beetle is in direct reference of the nazi group, but hey let it be, why try to erase history whether it be bad or good.