Owners history story:
64450 kilometers, that was precisely the count you could read the Hebmüller's speedometer. On that sunny June morning my family started activities to bring a nearly forgotten vehicle back into life. Since 1969 the Hebmüller slept under a dustcover in the garage of my parents home, apart from some years for show at a local Volkswagen dealer. Since as a teenager my father had dreamed of a Volkswagen Hebmüller, but more than a leaflet and an imagination of his own car in future was not possible for a boy in the still young founded Bundesrepublik. As an apprentice and later mechanic for a Volkswagen garage he still came a little bit closer to his wish, but with a repairman's small wage, there was no chance for any luxury. Until 1961, when my father's former employer offered him a used Hebmüller to buy. A painter had given the vehicle in payment for a new car. The car had already a 12 years history and previous owners (scrap dealer, confectioner, painter) had given their personal taste to the vehicle: American bumpers, heart shaped tail lights, all sorts of contemporary chrome trim let the car shine with the model development of Volkswagen latests design movement. Originally in brown color (we researched at Volkswagen Stiftung Wolfsburg) without any extras, delivered to Volkswagen distributor Gottfried-Schutz-Essen, the Hebmüller was now painted in bold red combined with green leather seats testified the green intermediate phase of the car. My father, the fresh VW-Hebmüller owner, proudly enjoyed his new freedom with the convertible and numerous trips, for example to the Nürburgring and the Eifel landscape, encouraged the owner's desire to travel with his girlfriend, my later mom. So in my first years of childhood I took place on the rear seat of the Hebmüller until 1969, when the TÜV prohibited a further operation due to flagrant defects. My father did not want to part with the Hebmüller, so the car found its place in our garage. Over the years, other things were always more important and the Hebmüller kept the destiny of a sleeping beauty. Until the year 2016, when my now 81-year-old father decided to give the car to me and my husband. On a June morning the trailer of the classic car specialist parked at the front of my parents home and the Hebmüller was prepared for the journey under the curious eyes of the neighbourhood. A neighbour said benevolently that its finally good that this rotten car gets now to the scrapyard. We are looking forward to the astonished face of this man, if the Hebmüller will shine again in its old glory. My father had given the car a contemporary modernization. A flashing light system replaced the semaphores, larger "safer" taillights, new mighty 60s fenders, Talbot mirrors and a replacement engine with 30 hp graced the car now. After the dismantling and inventory of the Hebmüller, we had to give up our plan to leave the car mostly in its latest shape. The bad condition of the body, two unprofessional accident repairs, a bad paintwork, rotten wood made the list of tasks ever longer. As a fortunate circumstance the Hebmüller specific parts were mostly complete. We decided to leave some quirks, but when the semaphore shafts emerged by removing the paint and filler layer, the decision to reactivate the original look of the car as far as possible was made. The Telefunken IA50 mounted into the car was given to a specialist for tube radio restoration, who restored it very well. For us, a exciting time began and we are very intensively involved with the Hebmüller and the history of early Volkswagens. Fortunately, we met Claus Missing and Sascha Haun, who helped us with their technical experience, parts and friendship. We have to thank a lot of people, who are engaged in this project and without their craftsmanship and engagement we would not get the car back into a perfect condition. Our aim is to present the car at the Karosserie Hebmüller meeting in August 2019.
Andrea + André Boers
(CM)
