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VolkswagenType 18A

1949 Germany Automobile 1 production year
Production1949
Recorded originGermany
ClassAutomobile
Built482 units
Background

The Volkswagen Type 18A is a limited production variant of the Volkswagen Type 1 made for the German police that started production in 1949. In German it was called "Polizei Cabriolet" or Gendarmerier. It was also used by East Berlin's fire department. In total 482 were made, 203 by Karosserie Austro-Tatra. The lack of doors made it easy to get in or out of the car, but made it uncomfortable during the winter. The floorpan was strengthened, but the engine was a stock Type 1 engine producing 25 hp (19 kW), with a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The brakes were mechanical.

Text adapted from “Volkswagen Type 18A” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07

Chronology ledger

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Production chronology1949

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