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Perlgrau - Pearl Gray
A connoisseur of fine Volkswagen’s approached our restoration shop with quite a find he was adding to his collection. The car is an early 1952 Volkswagen Standard Beetle. “Early” is defined as assembled prior to October 1, 1952. This car was assembled and delivered in late August 1952 to a car dealer, Schmidt & Hoffman in Kiel, Germany. A returning US serviceman imported it into the United States some years later.
The Standard Beetle’s were not exports, they were cars built and sold only for the European market. On top of the fact that there are relatively few of these cars known to exist in the States, this car is one of even fewer of those cars with “Perlgrau” or Pearl Gray paint. Standards only came in three colors in 1952. The Export model was called a Deluxe and the first two introduced in the United States were in 1949 in New York City. There are approximately a dozen of the ’52 Standards in the United States, and fewer than half of them are Perlgrau.
Over 50 years of continuous repaints, “get-by” bodywork and owners applying their personal touches landed this rarity in our restoration shop.
These cars were built with very little trim. The only chrome component used in the production of these cars was the driver’s side rearview mirror (which was a dealer accessory and therefore considered correct). However, the previous owners had adorned this particular car with a treasure trove of jewelry over the years.
A total disassembly was in order to strip the additional trim and the many coats of different colors. While apart, rust damage would be repaired and modifications would be reversed. Parts, from Canada, Argentina, England, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and from several sources in the States were contributed by or purchased from other Volkswagen enthusiasts. Information and photos came in from even more sources
Fortunately the pans and heater channels were in excellent shape, so they did not need to be replaced. There are still a few final parts to get to a totally correct state, and these will be added as acquired. So, if you see something that does not seem to be quite right, you can be assured that we know about it.
The world is now a better place due to this multi-national effort. The proof, a very fine restored, Early 1952 Volkswagen Standard 11A.
