Tag Archives: Paderborn

Wolly Bulli – Volkswagen Type 2 (T2)

In the Autumn turn of 1982 twenty odd college class mates and I made our way from the Untied Kingdom to Paderborn University for the first half of the third year of our European Business Studies course. I overslept on the train and ended up a hundred kilometers further east than intended in Kassel having missed my stop, but I digress.

VW Type 2 (T2) Kombi, Paderborn, Germany

Once in Paderborn we soon made friends with our fellow German students some of whom had banded funds together to buy a late bay VW Type 2 (T2b) Kombi seen above, in Germany these vehicles are known locally as “Bulli”. The Type T2 (T2) was first seen in 1967, it was wider and longer than it predecessor the Type 2 (T1) which I looked at last week. The motor was slightly larger starting at 47 hp wich increased to 70 hp by the mid 1970’s, but the real improvements were in low end torque which helped this heavy vehicle keep pace with the rest of the traffic.

VW Type 2 (T2) Kombi, Paderborn, Germany

Above I can be seen sitting at the wheel of my friends Type 2 wrapped in a blanket in the middle of February as I was about to return from Wolsburg where I had a placement at Volkswagen to Paderborn. To reduce the intake of exhaust fumes, because the heat exchangers were breaking up, the heating pipes were blocked up and the windows were kept open hence the blanket was necessary to keep warm in the well ventilated unheated bus.

Type 2s went through three distinctive body developments from ’67 to ’71 the early bay T2a was characterised by low front indicators and rear light clusters inherited from the Type 2 (T1), from ’71 to the early 1990’s the late bay Type 2 (T2b) is characterised by high front indicators and larger vertical oblong rear light clusters. By the early 1990’s production in Mexico and Brazil moved to the Type 2 (T2c) which has a raised roof and the latest models now built only in Brazil have duel fuel water cooled engines which run on petrol or ethanol.

Type 2 (T2) Camper, Shakespeare County Raceway

Chris Maddog Antell’s VW Type 2 camper van seen above at Shalespeare County Raceway is an early bay Type 2 (T2a) with low front indicators and small rounded rear light clusters he runs it with a 2276 cc / 138 cui motor of yet to be determined origin, if you know please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Volkswagen Type 2 (T2c), The Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Type 2 (T2c) as seen above at The Classic Motor Show is still in production in Brazil a couple of years ago they were being manufactured at a rate of 100 a day, some of these vehicles can be seen in Europe where they are often used as camper vans. The latest news courtesy of mariner at The Nostalgia Forum is that Type 2 (T2c) production is planned to come to a halt in Brazil next year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wolly Bulli” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Henry’s Hot Hatch – Ford Fiesta XR2 Mk I, II & III

The Hot Hatch was a term for class of hatchback that gained currency with the introduction of the performance orientated Volkswagen Golf GTi in 1976, although I would venture to suggest the first real performance hatch back was the rear wheel drive Austin A40 Countryman which won the 1960 British Saloon Car Championship with Doc Shepherd at the wheel, though pedants may quibble about the fact that only the lower boot / tailgate of the Mk 1 A40, that one the championship, opened where as a hatch back is generally considered to have a rear opening that includes the the rear window and most commonly front wheel drive.

Ford Fiesta XR2, Sudring, Paderborn

Fords entry vehicle into the front wheel drive hatchback market, ‘Project Bobcat’, was first seen at Le Mans in June 1976. The Fiesta range topping performance XR2 was launched in 1981 with an 84hp 1597cc / 97.5 cui over head valve 4 cylinder motor fitted with a carburetor good for a 0 – 60 mph time of 9.3 seconds and a top speed of 105 mph.

The much modified XR2 above with extended wheel arches is seen in the car park of the Südring shopping mall in Paderborn, Germany. The number plate style indicates it belonged to a member of the British Army On The Rhine (BAOR), and is seen competing in an Autotest a sport in which precision driving is the key skill. If you happen to recognise the car or know it’s drivers please chime in below.

Ford Fiesta XR2, Brands Hatch

The Mk II Fiesta was launched in 1983 was essentially a reskin of the Mk I with the XR2 version being fitted with a 95hp motor as used in the Ford Escort Mk 3 XR3.

Thanks to Roger Lund, Alan Raine and Tim Wilkinson at The Nostalgia Forum we have a consensus that the #23 Goodliff car seen at Brands Hatch above was driven by Norman Grimshaw, and that the car was shared with Barrie (Whizzo) Williams during a two driver race in the Ford Credit Fiesta Championship at Oulton Park.

Ford Fiesta XR2i, Donington

In 1989 the third generation Fiesta was launched with a revised chassis pan recognisably similar to the original version and completely new body. Upgraded with a fuel injected 104 hp motor the XR2 became the XR2i, however increased competition in market led Ford to introduce an RS 1800 and RS Turbo versions of the Fiesta which topped and replaced the XR2i name in 1992.

Joining Norman Grimshaw at Goodliff racing in 1989 were ‘one make’ racing specialist James Kaye and Jim Smith in the #1 and #11 respectively seen above heading for a Goodliff 1-2 finish in the Ford Credit Fiesta Championship race at Donington Park on the 16th of May 1989.

Various Fiesta floor pans were used to build Quantum Coupé and Quantum 2+2 convertible kit cars.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Henry’s Hot Hatch’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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