Volkswagen Type 14A (Hebmüller Cabriolet)
Encyclopedia
The Volkswagen Type 14A (commonly known as the Hebmüller Cabriolet or simply Heb) is a German
automobile
produced after the Second World War
.
After the war, Hebmüller and Sohn
, a coachbuilding firm in Wuppertal
, Germany
, like most German companies of the time, lacked business. During this time, British Army
Major Ivan Hirst
of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
(REME) was running Volkswagen
. After talks with Colonel Michael McEvoy about a sports car based Volkswagen Beetle
, Ivan asked Ringel's experimental team to build the Colonel in charge of Volkswagen, Charles Radcliffye, a two-seat cabriolet
.
The Radclyffe Cabriolet, as it is known in Volkswagen circles, obviously influenced Joseph Hebmüller II on his frequent trips to the Wolfsburg
plant. The Type 14A, commonly known among VW enthusiasts as a "Heb", took many elements of the Radclyffe Cabriolet his company would later build.
At the request of Volkswagen Managing Director Heinz Nordhoff, Hebmüller and Karmann
would build cabriolets for Volkswagen, with as many Type 1 parts, such as chassis
, engine
s, and body panels, as possible. Hebmüller was to build the 2+2 cabriolet, and Karmann
the four-seat cabriolet. By contrast with the Karmann, the Heb was intended as a sporting model.
In April 1949, the Type 14A passed a 10000 kilometres (6,214 mi) rough road test by Volkswagen engineers, pleased with the results, Heinz Nordhoff ordered 2000 production versions to be sold by Volkswagen through its agents.
Hebmüller started production in June 1949, mechanically the Type 14A was the same as the Beetle saloon with mechanical brakes, and the Type 1's' 19 kW petrol engine
. It also shared the Type 1's crank starting, and the cabriolet's icowl-mounted semaphore
turn signals and its pushbutton Telefunken
radio. The Heb differed in having the decklid and trunk lid being of a similar size and shape.
Retailing for 7500 Deustch Marks, the Hebmüller Cabriolet was available in a variety of colours, options were black, red and white in single tone, in two-tone combinations black and red, black and ivory, black and yellow and red and ivory was available, for extra charge buyers could choose their own combination.
The Type 14A was sold and serviced through Volkswagen agencies on the Geman market, and through private importers in foreign markets.
A fire broke out on 23 July 1949 in the factory's paint department, and made its way to the production line. After the fire, Hebmüller did manage to produce later, but later became financially ruined in the early 1950s. Production of Type 14A was moved to the Karmann
factory in Osnabrück
, Germany in 1952.
Production ended in 1953 with a total of 696 units produced, including 3 prototypes and 1 pre-production model. Around 100 are thought to survive.
Today a replica of the Type 14A is produced by the Brazilian convertible company Trocar.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
produced after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war, Hebmüller and Sohn
Hebmüller
The coachbuilding company Hebmüller And Sons was founded in 1889 by Joseph Hebmüller, it was established in the town of Wuppertal in Germany....
, a coachbuilding firm in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, like most German companies of the time, lacked business. During this time, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Major Ivan Hirst
Ivan Hirst
Major Ivan Hirst , was a British Army officer and engineer who was instrumental in reviving Volkswagen from a single factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, into a major postwar automotive manufacturer.-Education:...
of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(REME) was running Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. After talks with Colonel Michael McEvoy about a sports car based Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
, Ivan asked Ringel's experimental team to build the Colonel in charge of Volkswagen, Charles Radcliffye, a two-seat cabriolet
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
.
The Radclyffe Cabriolet, as it is known in Volkswagen circles, obviously influenced Joseph Hebmüller II on his frequent trips to the Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
plant. The Type 14A, commonly known among VW enthusiasts as a "Heb", took many elements of the Radclyffe Cabriolet his company would later build.
At the request of Volkswagen Managing Director Heinz Nordhoff, Hebmüller and Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
would build cabriolets for Volkswagen, with as many Type 1 parts, such as chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
, engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s, and body panels, as possible. Hebmüller was to build the 2+2 cabriolet, and Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
the four-seat cabriolet. By contrast with the Karmann, the Heb was intended as a sporting model.
In April 1949, the Type 14A passed a 10000 kilometres (6,214 mi) rough road test by Volkswagen engineers, pleased with the results, Heinz Nordhoff ordered 2000 production versions to be sold by Volkswagen through its agents.
Hebmüller started production in June 1949, mechanically the Type 14A was the same as the Beetle saloon with mechanical brakes, and the Type 1's' 19 kW petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
. It also shared the Type 1's crank starting, and the cabriolet's icowl-mounted semaphore
Semaphore
A semaphore telegraph, optical telegraph, shutter telegraph chain, Chappe telegraph, or Napoleonic semaphore is a system of conveying information by means of visual signals, using towers with pivoting shutters, also known as blades or paddles. Information is encoded by the position of the...
turn signals and its pushbutton Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
radio. The Heb differed in having the decklid and trunk lid being of a similar size and shape.
Retailing for 7500 Deustch Marks, the Hebmüller Cabriolet was available in a variety of colours, options were black, red and white in single tone, in two-tone combinations black and red, black and ivory, black and yellow and red and ivory was available, for extra charge buyers could choose their own combination.
The Type 14A was sold and serviced through Volkswagen agencies on the Geman market, and through private importers in foreign markets.
A fire broke out on 23 July 1949 in the factory's paint department, and made its way to the production line. After the fire, Hebmüller did manage to produce later, but later became financially ruined in the early 1950s. Production of Type 14A was moved to the Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
factory in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Germany in 1952.
Production ended in 1953 with a total of 696 units produced, including 3 prototypes and 1 pre-production model. Around 100 are thought to survive.
Today a replica of the Type 14A is produced by the Brazilian convertible company Trocar.