1943 VW Schwimmwagen For Sale

Genuine 1943 WW2 VW Schwimmwagen For Sale

SOLD!!

Being a "VW Guy" I have always dreamed of owning one of these...and I am not the only one.
This is truly one of the rarest and most desirable Vintage VWs...the Schwimmwagen.

This is the "crown jewel" of any VW collection...a genuine early 1943 Schwimmwagen
in fully restored condition. Certainly one of the nicest ones available on the market today.

25 horse engine is fully rebuilt and runs well.
The block dates to 1949, but the owner has access to a proper 1943 engine block
the may be negotiable into the sale.

Hull is excellent, no signs of rust or damage...this was a ground up, every nut and bolt resto.

The propellor folds up when not in use.

Correct wide wheels and fat Military tires.
In Europe it seems common for these cars to have the thinner wheels and tires fitted
but in my opinion, the fat ones are the way to go and are more "correct"
they also provide better flotation than the skinny ones.

Prop assembly has the cog wheel VW logo.

The pair of rifles and of course the massive machine gun are incredible crowd pleasers.
We had this vehicle on display in our booth at the VW Classic and the response was phenomenal.

Shovel and oar mounted to the side.

The machine gun is period correct, but has been dis-armed.

Clean!

Top is excellent...small rear window flap is openable

Wood footboards...small handle next to the shifter is the choke
Handle behind the shifter is to switch from two wheel drive to four wheel drive or to engage the
PTO to run the propeller.

Interior is fitted in the proper style seating.

Bang bang!

The only real flaw I noticed was the missing horn button.
A cap has been fashioned to cover this, so currently it looks much better
but thr proper horn push should be sourced.
The cannisters on eaither side in this photo are ammo cans for the machine gun.
No rounds in anyy of them, but they look cool!

High mounted exhaust also hold the rod used to raise or lower the prop from within the car.

Shift pattern plate

Very simplistic dash.

Windshield does fold forward.

Body tag.
This is a reproduction plate but the information is correct and the numbers are verified to be proper for the car.

Map tubes.

Serious hardware!

Cool shot...love this one!

The car has been fully restored from the ground up...the work was professionally done
several years ago, the car has been driven only test miles, never in the water (but reportedly is swim-worthy)
and has been stored away in a private collection up until now.

Im the first to admit that my knowledge of Schwimmwagens is pretty light, but I have
a fair bit of research material to pour through...and based on what Im seeing...this one look very nice.
Its interesting to see one done in the darker color, most seem to be in Desert Tan or some Camouflage scheme.

Nice details...the shovels and oars and warning lettering...

Proper early wheel with small horn button, I see the dimpled shift knob and the wood footboards.
The horn push is missing currently (see above photos)

Shift patterns and operation instruction labels on the dash.

Seats are stitched in what appears to me to be the proper pattern.

Gun mounts, etc...

What a great bit of equipment this is...I cant wait to see the detailed shots and share them all with you.
I will brush up on my Schwimmer knowledge too so I can educate a little.
The M-44 machine Gun is authentic and is included in the sale as are two correct K-98 Rifles that stow behind the front seats.
One note of detail...the wood oar on the side has now been re-finished in a darker wood finish to match the shovel...
No stone was left unturned on this restoration.

The engine in the car is not the original...it is a slightly later unit, but it is properly equipped.
Mechanically the car has been fully rebuilt and is operational.

The engine that is in the car is a 25 horse engine from a late 40's-early 50's car.
The owner has located an original 1943 KDF engine block that can be negotiated for with the car!

Note the "D" regulator and flat top distributor...the early fuel pump as well.
This car was restored by a well respected member of the Vintage VW community and it was done right!!

Here's a photo of the engine when it was out...just prior to installation.
Note the belt guard, the air cleaner and the exhaust routing.

Here is a "before" photo of the body just after being stripped to bare metal.

Some restoration process photos

This was a FULL restoration here...beautiful workmanship.

Fitting the propeller and mechanics...coming together!

Some detail of the hull and pedals and such.

The correct transaxle was fully rebuilt

Nice detail photo here...