Volkswagen has just restored the “half-track fox”, a 1962 Combi T1 that was transformed into an eight-wheeled off-roader in its early years by an Austrian mechanic. Despite its modest 34 horses, this van is cut out for the mountains.
Absolutely cult, the first two generations of the Volkswagen Combi have been undergoing all kinds of modifications and restorations for decades thanks to a large community of enthusiasts. But today’s copy stands out in more ways than one. Firstly, it has no less than eight wheels and has tracks. On the other hand, it is the manufacturer himself who has just ensured the restoration.
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Eight wheels and two tracks to go skiing
This Combi T1 was produced in 1962 at the Volkswagen factory in Hanover, Germany, to join its first owner in Austria. Shortly after, a Viennese mechanic named Kurt Kretzner, who is said to be a passionate skier and specialist for the brand from Wolfsburg, set about transforming the vehicle into a mountain all-terrain. His idea was born from the lack of supply in terms of easy-to-drive vans with true off-road capability. The development and realization of this project took him four years.
It must be said that these are not minor modifications. The T1 has two double axles: the four front wheels are steered, while the four rear wheels are driven and linked on each side by a caterpillar. The 34 hp 1.2 flat-four was retained, but the transmission received a limited-slip differential. This configuration makes it possible to combine a high traction capacity with a contained turning radius, to the detriment of the maximum speed which is only 35 km/h. The body has been widened to accommodate the wheels, which are 14 inches in diameter at the front and 13 inches at the rear. The adventurer thus created was painted in matte orange and baptized “half-tracked fox”.
First class catering
A second “fox” would have been built around 1968, before Kretzner abandoned the production of a third copy. The first of these was acquired by the private Porsche museum in Gmünd, Austria, in the early 1990s. Then in 2005 it passed into the hands of the German company of Combi enthusiasts called Bullikartei during a restoration that did not materialize. The division dedicated to Volkswagen utilities, via its “classic” department, got his hands on this atypical T1 at the end of 2018.
It was completely restored in its original factory in Hanover. The vehicle was completely stripped, its body treated and repainted, its mechanics redone. The catering team was given some freedom to renovate the cabin. Wooden furniture and tool racks have been installed there. Last February, the “fox” hit the road, or rather the track, for a mountain excursion in the snow. Its presentation coinciding with the launch of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, we quickly imagine an eight-wheeled version of the new electric combi.
