Nine historic Audi and VW cars lost as carrier overturns.

[Yannis]

Nine historic Audi and VW cars lost as carrier overturns.

NINE irreplaceable historic cars, including the last Beetle built on the Volkswagen SA production line in 1978, were damaged beyond repair after a car carrier transporting them overturned while travelling from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.

The VW and Audi vehicles were on their way back to VWSA‘s refurbished auto pavilion museum in Uitenhage.

Among them was a 2002 T3 microbus, the last of it kind to be built in Uitenhage, a 1958 Beetle, the 1978 Beetle, a 1979 Passat, a 1970 Audi 90, a 1973 Audi 100S, a 1975 Audi Coupe, and a 1959 Beetle.

VWSA communications general manager Bill Stephens said the accident happened on Tuesday morning near Albertinia as the cars were coming back from Cape Town where they had been part of a display during the VWSA 55th anniversary celebration. The cars had been displayed at the Groote Schuur Manor House where a celebratory dinner was held.

Stephens said the cars could not be replaced because each was unique in the history of VWSA, representing an exact milestone.

“This is the worst that could have happened because if they were new cars they could be replaced – we can‘t replace these ones. This is a great loss for us.”

Stephens said VWSA was going to look for similar models and restore these when found.

Over the years the company had also collected other historic cars which were stored in their warehouses, and would decide which to put in the museum in place of those destroyed.

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[Bruce]

Not a lot to say, but that is obviously terrible news.

[kovachian]

At least they didn't lose the Silver Arrow! Now that would've been tragic beyond words.

[Mr. M]

[phaeton]

At least the 1st Beetle or something that precious to VW was not lost, sad still

[cawimmer430]

Terrible news indeed.

If I were Audi / VW, I'd launch an investigation into why the carrier overturned in the first place and see if anything can be done to prevent this from happening in the future.

Damn it this sucks.

[phaeton]

Pictures of the cars....

Originally Posted by fig from thesamba.com

Here are pics of the wrecked cars, before and after:

[Choleric]

[rev]