VW Kübelwagen
- Friday, 2 November 2007
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Randy Carlson's Desert Rat Kubelwagen
Rat Look. Rot Look. Hood Look. Just plain knackered Look. What's it all about, eh? And where does it end? How bad does a car have to be before it's considered beyond the pale? There's a certain humour, of course, in bumper stickers that read, "This is not an abandoned vehicle" or "My other car is an old shitter", but somehow we reckon even those wouldn't suffice to explain this car to your mates if you turned up at the pub with it one Saturday, or at your local MoT station for that matter.
Natural time-aged patina is where it's at with these guys. Rat Look aficionados might scoff at those who have taken late-model cars, stripped the paint off and enforced the natural rust process, but few can claim battle scars gleaned from action in real battles. This Bucket Car has it by the bucket load, though - real battle scars from time served in harsh desert environments. And it'll come as no surprise to long-term readers that this VW freak show belongs to none other than the ringmaster himself, Randall Carlson. So sit back, wax that moustache, spark up a Woodbine and let the story begin!
First of all, the question everyone asks is whether it's a genuine Kübelwagen. Well, what do you think? Certainly, the details that are left look the part: check out the dash-mounted fuse boxes and that decaying three-spoke steering wheel. Or how about the basic seats with their simple grab handles, that shovel and the bonnet-mounted spare wheel? The body looks pretty similar and like it's had a pretty hard life, while the sunburnt remains of its bleached desert sand paintwork and that barely visible but mysterious insignia on the driver's door all point towards the German Afrika Korps who, under the watchful eye of Field Marshal Erik Rottweiler and his sidekick Helmut Schnauzer, were sent to North Africa in 1941 to hang out with some rather more fashionably dressed Italians who were considering picking a fight with the Libyans.
For the full story on this ratty old Kübelwagen check out the December 2007 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 2nd November to 30th November and then available through back issues.
