Type 82e staff car. KDF wagen replica project for reenactment.
The Volkswagen Type 82E was a specialized military staff car produced during World War II that combined the civilian KdF-Wagen (the precursor to the VW Beetle) sedan body with the robust, high-ground-clearance chassis and running gear of the open-topped military Type 82 Kübelwagen. This hybrid design offered the reliability and off-road capability of the Kübelwagen with the comfort of an enclosed sedan body, making it a valuable vehicle for German officers and government officials.
Key Features and History
Hybrid Design: The most defining feature of the Type 82E was its unique construction, merging the standard VW Beetle (KdF-Wagen) body with the reinforced chassis, portal gear reduction hubs, and independent suspension of the Kübelwagen. This gave it a higher clearance and better rough-terrain performance than the standard civilian car.
Military Use: Primarily used as a staff car or personnel vehicle (Kommandeurwagen variant with 4WD Type 87 chassis also existed), the Type 82E was deployed across all theaters of the war. Its air-cooled engine was highly reliable in both the extreme heat of North Africa and the severe cold of the Eastern Front.
Rarity: Only a small number of Type 82E vehicles were produced during the war, with sources indicating roughly 546 to 688 units were built between 1941 and 1944. This makes surviving examples highly sought after by collectors today.
Production: The vehicle was built at the Stadt des KdF-Wagens factory (later renamed Wolfsburg). Production ceased at the end of the war, though the British occupation forces later produced a post-war version for their own use, known as the Type 51.
Key Features and History
Hybrid Design: The most defining feature of the Type 82E was its unique construction, merging the standard VW Beetle (KdF-Wagen) body with the reinforced chassis, portal gear reduction hubs, and independent suspension of the Kübelwagen. This gave it a higher clearance and better rough-terrain performance than the standard civilian car.
Military Use: Primarily used as a staff car or personnel vehicle (Kommandeurwagen variant with 4WD Type 87 chassis also existed), the Type 82E was deployed across all theaters of the war. Its air-cooled engine was highly reliable in both the extreme heat of North Africa and the severe cold of the Eastern Front.
Rarity: Only a small number of Type 82E vehicles were produced during the war, with sources indicating roughly 546 to 688 units were built between 1941 and 1944. This makes surviving examples highly sought after by collectors today.
Production: The vehicle was built at the Stadt des KdF-Wagens factory (later renamed Wolfsburg). Production ceased at the end of the war, though the British occupation forces later produced a post-war version for their own use, known as the Type 51.
On the left: That image is a well-known historical photograph of a destroyed Volkswagen Type 82E or KdF-Wagen taken in Berlin in July 1945, shortly after the Battle of Berlin ended. The vehicle has been hit numerous times by gunfire. The visible license plate is indeed WH 1400382. It was a Wehrmacht Heer (Army) plate, indicating it was likely used as a staff car assigned to a high-ranking military officer working within the Reich Chancellery or a nearby government building in the final days of the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. Only two Wehrmacht Heer (German Army) generals were present with Hitler in the Führerbunker immediately before and during his suicide on April 30, 1945: General Hans Krebs and General Wilhelm Burgdorf.
WW2 photo: Type 82 Kublewagen and type 82e (KDF body with kubel chassis).
