In the early 50's, the low diesel prices that were practiced in Europe and the shortage of gasoline, due to the war in Korea, led Volkswagen to bet on the diesel engine. Together with Porsche, they named the project the Typ 508. The result: an exclusive engine, which, despite the noise, had a very satisfactory consumption. It delivered 25 horsepower (the conventional Beetle delivered 36 hp) and reached a maximum of 3,300 revolutions per minute. The 0-100 km/h was accomplished in a painful 60 seconds…
Later, incumbent Volkswagen president Heinz Nordhoff came to the conclusion that the vehicle would not sell in the US because it was noisy, slow and very polluting. The project was eventually abandoned.
In 1981, Porsche, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, offered 50,000 Deutschmarks to Robert Binder to rebuild Volkswagen's first diesel engine. The aim was to put him in a 1951 Beetle, an operation that would prove to be successful even though it was very difficult to carry out.
Today, despite being functional, the “Volkswagen Käfer Diesel” naturally does not pass the pollutant emission tests. Still, nostalgic ones can find the vehicle on display at the Porsche Museum.
Image gallery via AutoBild