VW Performance History

[DKK Ted]

Well, looking to find where I can find out on when and where the high performance started on our fun VW cars. Any documentation or website? My son is doing a report in school and needs this info. I know all about after it got started, but how it started. LOL! Never really looked into it after ALL these years. Thanks for your help in advance.

Ted

[Brian Rogers]

If you can find a copy of HotVWs and Dunebuggies Feb. '75.

[DKK Ted]

Might just have that issue, I collect them, thanks.


Ted

[Neil Davies]

Ted, Keith Seume's second Cal Look book has lots of good info about the start of Cal Look. Maybe have a good read of that then send a pm if there's anything else your lad needs?

[Zach Gomulka]

Porsche started modifying VW engines, nearly from day one

[modnrod]

How far back do you want to go?
Also I guess, are you after international stuff or just USA?

From here:-
http://www.clubvw.org.au/history002

Sixteen VWs are entered in the 16,900 km Redex Trial, the second-most popular make after the Holden. It’s a disorganised and acrimonious trial, with several last-minute route changes, random inspections and points penalised and restored. A bad redirection sees the field flounder in a farmer’s mud bog at Wee Jasper, only 300 km from the finish. Redex posts their winners but teams protest and re-protest and CAMS overturns them. Redex objects, and the RAC in London becomes involved. Finally, after three months of arguments over whether cracks in the VWs’ floor (from hitting rocks) are ‘structural’ or not, the RAC eventually announces that the Regent Motors VW of Laurie Whitehead / Bob Foreman is the winner, with another VW driven by Eddie Perkins / Lance Perkins in second. These two VWs had actually led for three quarters of the trial, so it was the right result. VWs also finish 15th, 30th, 31st and 32nd. This was to be the last Redex Trial.


PS:- that's the 1955 Redex Trial.

I think they were "rally" driven (when it was a gentlemanly pastime involving tea and cake I think! ) in Europe from the early '50s too weren't they?
After that of course was the Salzburg Beetles.......
http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/index.php?id=321&L=1

Give him a copy of "The Muscle Beetle Story" from EBI for some of your local US racing stuff, great DVD!

http://saltflats.com/36_HP.html
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/8UapqYmJpw4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/8UapqYmJpw4</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/VR0OaTsfDUM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/VR0OaTsfDUM</a>

Etc, etc, etc.....

[bugnut68]

Both of Keith's Cal Look books get my vote, for the U.S. perspective.

[Speed-Randy]

Gene Berg used to have one of his books/pamphlets that had a ton of info on how, when, where, and why he did what he did. very interesting and informative, I dont know if they're still available, but there has to be more than a few floating around

[DKK Ted]

Thanks everyone, I do have that book (Cal Look), good reading and info, Randy, going to give Dee a call, see if she has these books/pamphlets, ya never know, thanks.

Ted

[Jim Ratto]

Another good source for information from the genesis, the Bill Fisher HP Book. Still an amazingly good resource, as old as it is. Lots of guys from SF Bay Area mentioned too....Billy that used to own Bugformance Sunnyvale remembers sitting with Fisher and going over a bunch of the ideas to be published