VW Delivery back then - HOW?

[hambone]

So, how did your new 19xx Beetle get from Germany to the West Coast? No one I've talked with seems to know.
I'm guessing ship to NY and train elsewhere. Hal suggested maybe Panama Canal.
I am curious.

[whc03grady]

Who's 'you'?

There's an M-Code for the port where the vehicle was headed--every one of the cities listed (US ports start with 'U') has deep-water access, with the exception of Grand Rapids, which is only 30 miles from Lake Michigan. I'm sure they all came by ship, and those going to West coast ports went through the Canal (surely they didn't go 'round the Horn, right?). Then from the ports by rail to the dealers.

That's my bet anyway.

[hambone]

"Your", youse-is, whatizts. And more.
What would be cheaper? Ship to West Coast, or train across This Great Land? And inland, no ports.
I should do a %$#)%#)% Samba search.

[whc03grady]

I'm prepared to guarantee that bringing them through the Canal was cheaper than shipping to the East coast and then training them across, since that's (shipping through the PC) what they apparently did. "Whaddya mean that's what they 'apparently' did?" Because if they were just gonna put 'em on a train somewhere on the Eastern seaboard, then why all the West coast M-codes?

If you start a thread on TS about it, could you link to it here? I'm a little curious about the process myself.

[whc03grady]

Just for fun:
https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=208 ... 158.027344

[hambone]

Wow that's cool! Great job. That's a lot of ports...VW sure was hot back then.

[yondermtn]

[hambone]

That's a crapload of VWs...and all NOS German EVERYTHING. Where is that? Funny none have wiper arms. I'm guessing 1972.

[JLT]

That's a crapload of VWs...and all NOS German EVERYTHING. Where is that? Funny none have wiper arms. I'm guessing 1972.

I'm guessing that the wiper arms were removed to prevent damage in transit, since they'd be quite vulnerable.

[tristessa]

Wiper arms, hubcaps & mirrors were shipped in the trunk for installation at the dealer.

[whc03grady]

Okay, I spent about an hour and-a-half on Google maps trying to figure out just where in Oakland or San Francisco this photo was taken, but I failed.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

My Westie was delivered to the PO in Germany; back in the day you could take delivery of it in DE and then have it shipped over to the states. She toured Europe for 3-4 weeks, and then had it shipped to Cali where she lived ... I'm gonna guess it came into the port of LB or OAK. It's pretty cool...it has those little chachki 2" x 3" RV stickers from each country/city she visited on the headliner; then did a grand tour of Canada so the whole perimeter of the headliner around the poptop is covered with the stickers, and there is still about 10 or so in the drawer that were never applied.

[Amskeptic]

and all NOS German EVERYTHING.

I KNOW, ow, ow , owoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Colin

[whc03grady]

That's a crapload of VWs... Where is that?

San Pedro California (LA's seaport). The bridge back there is the Vincent Thomas Bridge and beyond that, the hills of Ranchos Palos Verdes. This picture seems to have been taken from the far end of that lot (at night of course). The general vicinity here.