After 6 years of intensive research, the DIL-Heb has now been clearly identified as Heb 19. Since 1978 known with licence plate DIL WY 49 this car is significant for the Hebmuller registry as it was on the 2nd Brezelfenster meeting Fuldatal 1978 and the 2ndst Bad Camberg meeting 1979. Standing next to the car is Bob Gilmore from USA, (Heb 258) with Rolf Vidal from Germany (Heb 723). When Dirk B could buy this long time sleeping beauty in 2019, we began searching for the body number, as the original data had been lost. Soon after receiving the first information and photos, we knew this is a very early car. Fire wall is straight up with rounded top (first 100 cars). Both corners left and right on the firewall are slightly bend inward to the front. Only Heb 17 has this item so far. Engine cover is assembled in pieces and has a bulb on the central hole for L handle. As on Heb 8 and Heb 17. Openings in the warm-air pockets in the front window are drilled, not slotted. Only the first series have this. Many other details were checked and compared with pics of other very early cars. Due to the investigation, it was clear that this bodynr would be close to nr 17.. since at least a year, in the registry offline background, it was stored in a file named Heb 19. The car has traces of Ivory paint where black paint is normally found on black/ivory cars. Even in areas that are difficult to re-paint, original ivory paint can be found. We are therefore convinced that this car was completely ivory when it left the Hebmuller factory. Contemporary photos prove that completely ivory cars existed. When Dirk bought the car in 2019, there were even a few period photos of the Heb with its ivory paint. The side panels had apparently been repainted, presumably in blue. Since long time, we have collected details on Hebs, numbers, data and other information in books, documents, and classified inside information from the Hebmüller family. There was long time no clue on what body number exactly this car is, but we could narrow it down to the first 25 pre-production Hebs. With all the bodywork details and paint information, and eliminating the known cars which still exists, very few body numbers remained that could apply to this Heb. Now last week, Dirk checked old door handle from his Heb, which the pre-owner stored along with other replaced parts from the car. With the help of another collector, who has a lot of original keys, they found out that the driver side door handle was matching a key with code Y140. Now with this information returned to us, we went through our files – with success! With Key Y140 we found 3 cars in the range of the first 25 pre-production Hebs (it is known that VW reused the key numbers randomly). The first one is Heb 3, produced on 22 July 1949 … but that was delivered in black/red paint, so no match. This car is still missing today. The second one is Heb 13 … but that one is still alive in a barn in USA and was originally painted black/ivory. The third one is Heb 19, produced 15 July 1949… full match in all details we investigated! Dirk’s Heb has very similar bodywork details compared to early Hebs like numbers 8, 15, and 17. All these Hebs were produced within a few days in July. Therefore, we have long time assumed that it could be Heb 19. The matching key now provided us with the final missing proof. All other early Heb numbers are not eligible because certain exclusion criteria were found during the intensive research. This finally solves the mystery of the DIL-Heb – it is Heb body 14-00019! (PS) 03.04.2025
This Type 14a was a participant at the first ever Bad Camberg meeting in 1979. Since that time it was known in the wider Vintage-VW scenery. In the following years, it attended several Oldtimer meetings in Germany. It was 1997, when it was taken off the road and then stored in a garage nearby Dillenburg, Germany (Westerwald region). Over the years, the garage keys got lost and it became a little bit forgotten and was then missed in the VW scene. In 2014 the new owner got a tip about a forgotten 2-seater VW Cabriolet. A first phone call with the owner - a lady of 80 years old - brought clarity. The car really exists and it is a 1949 Hebmüller! It took than 5 years of contact, before she and her daughter were ready for a visit of the car. This was an amazing day for the new owner, followed by two other visits. The car was then rescued from the garage in April 2019. After some technical repair, including a comprehensive engine overhaul, it was presented at the Hebmüller Karosserie meeting in Meerbusch in the same condition as it was in the 1970ies. It is still decorated with all accessories and stickers it was wearing on the Bad Camberg meeting in 1979, and on the frontcover of the VW Cabriolet book from Schiffer Automotive series. In the album you see our Registry member Bob Gilmore in 1979 with Rolf Vidal (left) and Willi Lottermann (right) at the VW Veteranen meeting in Bad Camberg. On the next picture you see Bob and his happy new Heb owner at the Hebmüller meeting in Meerbusch August 2019. (CM)
