Monday 4th June 2007

Kubelwagen on the school run

Beetle-based WW2 replicas

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'I'm sorry, that's MY parking space...'

Taking a large sports-utility vehicle on the school run may be one of the more contentious motoring activities of the moment, but unleashing your KoobleKar on a dash to the primary school may run it a close second.

The KoobleKar is an approximate replica of the WW2 Volkswagen Type 82 or ‘Kubelwagen’ as used by troops of the German army. Not surprisingly, it uses the Beetle as the basis of the kit.

Prices start from around £4,500 for the basic kit up to £8,500 for a complete ‘turnkey’ Kooblekar based on recon Beetle underpinnings. The company is based in Albuquerque, USA.

From there, the finished article is dictated only by your imagination or the history books – you don’t have to go down the military route if you don’t want to.

Don't expect great NVH suppression

KoobleKar describe their creation as ‘a simple, durable, fun vehicle that is suitable as an off-road vehicle, a W.W.II "Kubelwagen" look-alike, a beach buggy, town cruiser, or, well use your imagination!’

The firm also offer the ‘Kommando Kar’ and the Kountry Kar – a version of the VW Australia country buggy from the 1960s.

It’s certainly one way to become the talk of parents evening…

http://www.kooblekar.com/

Choose your colour scheme

The Kommando Kar. Not very PC...

 

Source: Winding Road

[Hunttheshunt]

I'll take one of those with a front mounted MG42....should deal with all the tree huggers and anti 4x4 brigade!

[Mattygooner]

On the school run it might worry a few of the old timers who may get confused and start trying to flank me at the traffic lights..

[bob1179]

I dunno, it just doesn't seem right driving around in a symbol of the Nazi war machine.

Maybe it's just me?

[Mattygooner]

bob1179 said:

I dunno, it just doesn't seem right driving around in a symbol of the Nazi war machine.

Maybe it's just me?

Very true, but you could say that of the beatle

[bob1179]

Mattygooner said:

bob1179 said:

I dunno, it just doesn't seem right driving around in a symbol of the Nazi war machine.

Maybe it's just me?

Very true, but you could say that of the beatle

Fair point.

[oagent]

well I think its great. A ww2 / 50's army jeep will set you back several times more. If you after something quirky and like the whole army theme then why not. The kuble wasn't exactly a tiger tank or a mobile gas chamber purely a utilitarian car for those not high ranking enough to have the Mercedes. There are plenty of war veterans who attend air shows and marvel at the historic machinery from both sides alike, this is a cheap affordable recreation of some of that nostalgia.

[Road_Terrorist]

Always good fun strafing those hunwagons on Il-2

[.Flyer]

Just a small thing, but it's spelt "Kubelwagen". To be pedantic, there should be an umlaut on the u, but who cares for pedants .

[FourWheelDrift]

Mattygooner said:

On the school run it might worry a few of the old timers who may get confused and start trying to flank me at the traffic lights..

You'll be ok as long as you keep the sun behind you.

[gentelman]

So, is the Kommandwagen repro also 4wd? Shouldn't be too hard to convert an R32...

I know of a few reenactment groups statewide that have found ways of making kubelwagens for years. It was also not unknown for Allied recon groups to ditch their jeep in favor of a captured kubelwagen, mainly for its speed.

Personally I prefer the SAS jeep with the 50 caliber machine guns.

[Hunttheshunt]

gentelman said:

So, is the Kommandwagen repro also 4wd? Shouldn't be too hard to convert an R32...

I know of a few reenactment groups statewide that have found ways of making kubelwagens for years. It was also not unknown for Allied recon groups to ditch their jeep in favor of a captured kubelwagen, mainly for its speed.

Personally I prefer the SAS jeep with the 50 caliber machine guns.

But are they £8K??? .50 cal ooh think of the fun!

[flattotheboards]

get the real deal,get a willys jeep

[dapprman]

flattotheboards said:

get the real deal,get a willys jeep

Which was also known as Widow Maker due to it's poor reliability in the field - unlike the Kubelwagon.

[Trellis]

Mattygooner said:

bob1179 said:

I dunno, it just doesn't seem right driving around in a symbol of the Nazi war machine.

Maybe it's just me?

Very true, but you could say that of the beatle

Which one? Ringo?

[beasto]

I want 1.

Of each -- kubel, kommando and especially the pickup.

Pity they're stateside.

[qwicksylva]

Which one? Ringo?

Brilliant.

[SS HSV]

FourWheelDrift said:

Mattygooner said:

On the school run it might worry a few of the old timers who may get confused and start trying to flank me at the traffic lights..

You'll be ok as long as you keep the sun behind you.

But you must always keep the hun in the sun infront of you

[BLUETHUNDER]

From time to time i take my jeep on the school run.

[BLUETHUNDER]

dapprman said:

flattotheboards said:

get the real deal,get a willys jeep

Which was also known as Widow Maker due to it's poor reliability in the field - unlike the Kubelwagon.

Errr where did you get that info from

[FestivAli]

I'll take the camoed one cheers. That said a willys would be pretty cool too.