Volkswagen models, promotionals and toys have been produced in many scales, colors and materials over the years. Some have been produced with very fine details and others as a caricature toy. Materials used range from metal stampings that include tin plate painted or lithographed or a combination of both. Zinc alloy diecast and plastic injection molding processes are very common as well. The toy and model manufacturers have produced, over the years, several thousand examples of the Volkswagen Beetle in miniature form. Because of such a large number of VW model and toys produced, many collectors have become specialized in what they collect. Some collections represent a certain era such as pre-1957 which includes the Split and Oval VW era. Some include certain themes such emergency and you will find German ADAC cars as well as the German Polizei and fire brigade cars in a specialized collection. Collections could also be certain sizes or scales and we even know of one collector who only collects blue colored VW beetles!
This article has the spotlight on the vintage VW era and on one of the most desirable vintage toys sought by VW toy and model collectors. It is in the tin plate category and is perhaps the largest scale vintage VW toy produced in quantity. This Split Window VW Sedan was manufactured by the German toy firm of JOHANN DISTLER K. G. located in Nürnberg, the center of Germany's toy industry. DISTLER had been producing tin toys for years and was well know for their craftsmanship and a large product line. The KdF Wagen (Volkswagen Beetle as we know it today) was officially introduced in 1938 and it did not take long for the toy and model manufacturers to take notice of the popularity of the KdF Wagen. DISTLER was no exception and they tooled up to produce their toy version of the "Peoples Car" - in miniature. Over a 17-year period, DISTLER produced three distinct variations or versions. We will identify each version and classify them as V1, V2 and V3.
Version 1 or V1 was “Made in Germany” and represents the 1938-45 KdF era and is identified with a IIIA 42801 license plate. V2 was “Made in the US Zone - Germany” and represents the 1945-50 era and is identified with a 307300 license plate. V3 is the last of the versions and was “Made in Western Germany” during the 1950-55 period and was equipped with a license plate number of D-3070. In case you are wondering about the different “Germany” markings, before the end of WWII, items made in Germany were labeled “Made in Germany.” After the war, Germany was divided into four zones and DISTLER was geographically located in the US Zone and stamped toys produced “Made in the US Zone – Germany.” In 1950, the US, French and British zones were consolidated and became known as Western Germany.
The first release or V1 DISTLER VW toy is of the desirable KdF era. The body is stamped out of tin plate metal and has cut out windows. The details stamped into the body are the front hood indentation, rooflines and the "bumble wing" rear deck lid. There are indentations for the air louvers under the rear split window and the taillights are raised bumps in the fenders. There are also seam lines for the doors and the door handles are raised as well. The cut out windows in the tin plate body are curved inward for a nice contour finish instead of a sharp edge. There is also an extension of the body sheet metal that forms the non-detailed dashboard. It is not easy to make metal dies so that the VW body stamping looks exactly like the silhouette of a real VW car because of all the curves. The roofline of this DISTLER VW toy appears to look like a "chop top" custom car when view from the side and this is because of the metal die design to eject the body after stamping. Maybe DISTLER should be credited with the first "chop top" Volkswagen! It is a large 1/18 scale (230mm in length) toy car so you can really get your hands around it to view.
As mentioned before, this V1 DISTLER is of the KdF Wagen era and the body was lithographed the traditional KdF blue/gray color. The lithograph design also features a gray pin stripping around the contours of the body indentations. DISTLER paid very close attention to the stamping process and alignment of the metal sheets before stamping because the location and centering of the pin stripping is always perfect. Metal buttons with a lithograph headlight lens design are attached to the front fenders and finishes of the details of the body.
The chassis of the DISTLER toy VW was also stamped out of tin plate metal. The chassis is not detailed as such but there are lines that form the running boards. There is a key wound clockwerk motor attached to the chassis and there is a keyhole in the left rear fender. The brake lever for the motor protrudes out a slit in the rear deck lid. There is a "fir tree" symbol stamped into the side of the clockwerk motor and the original key has the same stamping as well. The well-known clockwerk Specialist Company, Gebrüder Bühler, made the motors and their trademark was the fir tree. The front wheel assembly has a separate axle design and a three position steering lever for left, right or straightforward action (nothing fancy or automatic here). The wheels are the old style metal button type and stamped with a tread like design and appear to be a black lithograph color. Silver painted hubcaps are attached to the wheels. Metal extensions of the chassis forms the front and rear bumpers with small bumper guards. Just to note, the front bumper has two slit hole for the attachment of the front license plate and this makes the front bumper weak and the DISTLER VW is quite often found missing the front bumpers. The chassis is lithographed silver and stamped "Made In Germany" (near the clockwerk motor section). There is a black tin plate seat with a tin lithographed driver (with or without a steering wheel) that is attached to the chassis and the chassis is then secured to the body with eight bent over tab ears from the body.
This V1 DISTLER VW toy is easily identified by the "IIIA 42801" license plates mounted on the rear deck lid and front bumper. The IIIA 42801 license plate number that DISTLER used on this KdF Wagen was not made up or fictions. At the laying of the KdF Wagen Factory Cornerstone in May of 1938, there were three real KdF Wagens present for the public to view. There was a Sedan, Sunroof and a Convertible Model. The license plate number on the Sedan at the ceremony was in fact IIIA 42801 !
The next release or V2 to appear was the post war era DISTLER VW toy car (1945-50). It was the same as the above mention car in regards to the metal stamping of the body and chassis. The color of the body changed and was painted red and the red paint job was not the best. The paint was thin and some areas, the bare metal body shows. The metal button wheels were a gray lithograph color on the earlier versions and were later replaced with hard rubber tires. The light gray painted chassis is stamped "Made In US Zone - Germany." There is no tin lithographed driver with this version and not all were produced with a metal seat. This second release is easily identified with the "307300" license plate registration number.
The final version or V3 appeared around 1950 and was manufactured until the mid 1950's. The body was painted red and the paint quality was improved as well. There was also produced a rare version with a light pale green color but is seldom seen. The V3 comes with or without a seat attached to the chassis. The silver lithographed chassis was stamped "Made In Western Germany" and is identified with the license plate of "D-3070." The front wheels have a design change and are of a single axle type and also included the three position steering lever for left, right or straightforward action.
Just to note, we have mentioned and described three distinct version of the DISTLER Volkswagen toy that are most commonly found. We also have noticed that DISTLER used parts from V1 when migrating to version V2 and from V2 to V3. This is a listing of the variations found within the three distinct versions described in this article.
V1 License plate number IIIA 42801
Body is lithographed KdF blue/gray, green/gray, dark green, flat black or camouflaged.
Body is found with or without pin stripes.
Silver lithographed or gray painted chassis stamped with or without “Made In Germany.”
Black or gray colored tin seat with driver and steering wheel
Metal or hard rubber wheels with ribbed hubcaps.
Clockwerk motor with a brake lever.
V2 License plate number 307300
Body is painted red or lithographed blue/gray with pinstripes
Grey painted chassis stamped with or without “Made In US Zone – Germany.”
Red or gray tin seat or no tin seat.
Metal or hard rubber wheels with ribbed hubcaps.
Clockwerk motor with a brake lever.
V3 License plate number D-3070
Body is painted red, blue or a light pale green.
Silver lithographed chassis stamped with or without “Made In Western Germany.”
Red or gray tin seat or no tin seat.
Metal wheels with ribbed hubcaps.
Rubber wheels with ribbed hubcaps or with metal rims with large dimple hubcaps.
One-piece rubber wheels with molded hubcaps.
Clockwerk motor with or without a brake lever.
Single or straight axle front wheels.
The original box for the V1 DISTLER KdF VW toy has two different scenes of a family inside a Volkswagen cruising down the autobahn or along the countryside. Another scene shows a gentleman washing his KdF Wagen while talking to a lady doing some gardening. The box color are somewhat subdue or drab and the original KdF cartons are extremely hard to find in any condition. DISLTER later changed the carton for V3 that used brighter colors, especially red tones and modified the scenes on the box. The man is now just standing by the Volkswagen instead of washing it. These V3 boxes are easier to find and examples of V3 “mint in the box” surface from time to time.
These DISTLER VWs originally sold for very little money since they were only toys, meant to be played with, enjoyed and destined for destruction. But as with everything old and collectable, they are in demand not only by VW collectors but also by tin toy collectors in general. They are now pricey, especially the hard to come by V1 and V2 versions. Good luck and happy collecting.
