(first published in 2011) This Volkswagen tv ad from 1958 is a bit of a cult classic, depicting VW execs driving to Italy for a consultation with “one of Italy’s most famous car designers”. The only recommendation received was to enlarge the rear window. Right. And why did they forget to mention that the front window was enlarged the same year? Those were pretty obvious changes to keep up with the times, sort of anyway.
In reality, VW did commission Pininfarina in 1952 to come up with a new design for the Volkswagen, as one of its first efforts to start thinking about eventual replacements or line extensions to the Beetle. The result is the EA41, and, no, it was not adopted.
The EA41 is significant, as being the first in dozens of design concepts VW created both in-house and with outside designers (often Porsche) for a replacement to the Beetle. In the end, it just never happened, until the Golf finally was rushed in for the job (and designed in Italy). The Beetles inertia was just too great, at least for almost another quarter century.
For some reason, it looks to me as though it came from Nash not pinin farina.
Car design seems to give to credance to the theories about group think.
Funny you say that, because Pininfarina did “design” the replacements to the Nash Airflytes. That kind of humped-back fastback was pretty common at the time, or actually, had been, but was on it’s way out by 1952. I guess they kept it in order to not be too radically different.
Nash used Pinon Farina as a designer for some of their cars.
I see hints of Saabs and Porsches. And a sort of “pre-echo” of the type III fastback.
Type III Fastback was my first thought as well.
Me too….very Type III roof line
I found this history http://rastall.com/412/vw-ea240.html
Pininfarina-VW EA 41 → Porsche 555 → EA 47 → Porsche 726 → VW EA 97/1 – /2 (?) – /3, leading to the VW Type 3 → 1500 → 1600, and VW Type 13* → VWdB 1600 → Brasilia → Variant II.
I was thinking part Saab and part Tatra. It also looks like it was designed around a pair of Beetle doors, for some reason. I have a feeling the doors aren’t actually interchangeable with a Beetle, but on first glance you wonder if they are, and that is enough to create a weird first impression.
It looks very nice. I assume it came with a 32 hp air cooled flat 4.
BTW: the Karmann Ghia was designed by carrozzeria Ghia. So VW consulted with more than one Italian carrozzeria.
The KG first appeared in late 1953, which would still make EA41 the first VW commission from an outside carrozzeria.
“A Volkswagen is never changed to make it look different, only to make it work better.” That sure isn’t so these days!
That EA41 looks nice. It looks very American from the back.
Conveniently ignoring the Karmann Ghia, which didn’t work better than the Beetle in any appreciable way except in terms of looking less old-fashioned.
I haven’t seen that EA41 before. It has a front like a Porsche and a back like a Lancia Aurelia GT (also by Pinin Farina).
That’s exactly what I thought. A mid-’50s Aurelia coupe with a 356 nose.
I always wondered where the styling for the early GAZ-20 Pobeda came from. (google it…there are a few photos of un-customized ones.)
Pobeda pre-dates this by several years. It is partially based on a pre-war Opel and partially on the UK Standard Vanguard of the 1940s, but only partially. It is an original design that incorporates many elements from other cars.
Back in the fifties, the going rumor was that the Pobieda was simply a newer version of the Opel Kapitän, to be launched in 1943, were it not for the war. The Russians simply helped themselves after they occupied the Opel factory in Brandenburg. There has been a lot of controversy about the matter but it was never really settled.
From the back it could easily be a ’58 Volvo, a ’40 Ford, ’40 Willies. Looks possibly Porsche like…Probably a pre-war Chevy with similar lines too.
Wasn’t there a Nash designed by Pininfarina?
Nash had a contract with Pininfarina to redesign their 1952 line. His designs were modified to some extent, but his name was used on advertisement and brochures, and his influence could be seen on the Rambler until 1961.
VW was wise to stick with the “we never change we just improve” image of the Beetle for as long as sales were good. Interesting design study, as others have noticed there is a strong resemblance to the type 3 Fastback, in a bloated 50’s way. Interesting design, missed this article the first time. The Type 4 link showing this car’s connection/influence is interesting.
Speaking of the Golf, there’s another little known fact about its conception that comes directly from the mouth of Giorgetto Giugiaro :
Originally, it was meant to be a much bigger car, but then they changed idea at the last minute over cost fears, and asked me to design a smaller car, while retaining the same mechanical layout.
January of 1970. I arrive at the VW Research Center in Germany. In the middle of an enormous room, there’s a Fiat 128 that was completely disassembled, down to every nut and bolt. I ask what’s going on and they tell me that “we will never be able to make a car with such a sophisticated drivetrain for this price, that’s why the Golf must be smaller.”
Nice looking concept car. It’s a shame that Volkswagen didn’t use this styling for its production cars.
Very nice.I`m not a VW fan, but if this were produced, it would probably make me change my mind.Very Tatra looking from the rear, all it needs is a dorsal fin.
Well. That was pretty awful.
The side design isn’t bad, and the front is kinda cute. But that bustleback – well that is pretty awful looking.
I’m always struck by how successful the Type 1 shape actually is. While it’s far from the prettiest car on the road, there seems to be something of a universality about its shape. Sort of like the Pyramids. Sheer simplicity in its use of curvature, not much surface sophistication but the fundamentals are so right.
Another aspect of the Beetle’s shape I find interesting is its relative strength, a bit like an egg. I imagine that if you sat it on its roof, it would not deform as much as other cars from its time of development. Maybe I’m wrong on that point, but for me the use of curves gives the body an inherent strength.
The PF prototype has a bit of a ‘New Coke’ feel about it.
Intriguing, but in the end, a more graceful Beetle is still a Beetle, ands therefore still not for me.
Looks like Farina borrowed the Nash he DIDN’T design. While he was giving Nash an excellent new design to replace this Nils Wahlberg design, he passed along the Wahlgren Airflyte to VW.
Seems almost like a ‘spite car’, punishment for low payment or something.
I like it. They should have produced it along with the bug
EA41 would’ve been a good line extension if it had a couple extra doors. That would’ve gone nicely with what must’ve been a solid gain in shoulder room.
The glass-covered headlights and pure, finless humpback date it more than anything else. Granted, the Beetle was like that but it was just what it was…
and let’s not forget the Borgward Hansa 2400, first shown in 1951.
and from the rear, even more so.
+1 . I was thinking the same thing. I’ve always liked the look of the Hansa (until they notchbacked it for the sake of fashion). An example of convergent evolution I guess – aerodynamics and Dr Kamm’s theories all lead to the same place.
the Hansa seems to have been designed by some comics author, there’s something slightly goofy about it – but very endearing.
It looks like they cast for Nuccio Bertone in the VW ad.
Pretty cool ! .
-Nate