Volkswagen
VW 30 (W30) pre-series test cars

Why it matters

The VW 30 was the pre-series test fleet that turned Porsche's prototypes into the production KdF-Wagen, the car later known as the Beetle. The durability running of these 30 cars across Germany produced the final design.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

After successful Black Forest trials with the V 3 prototypes, Porsche's design office developed a pre-series version known internally as the VW 30. Thirty were built by Daimler-Benz at Sindelfingen in 1936/37; the main visible change from the V 3 was headlamps moved into the front wings. The cars were driven around Germany with the emphasis on durability, using the new autobahns for sustained running at top speed, and the results fed into the final KdF-Wagen. The test cars were later scrapped, and the example shown today is a careful reconstruction.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Compared with the V 3 prototypes, the VW 30 has its headlamps set into the front wings. All original VW 30s were scrapped, so the car displayed by Volkswagen is a reconstruction rather than a surviving test car.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Volkswagen VW 30, Baujahr: 1936/37 – Volkswagen Newsroom Level A

   • 30 units built at Daimler-Benz in Sindelfingen

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   Volkswagen VW 30, Baujahr: 1936/37 Level A Volkswagen Newsroom

   • das Schicksal der Verschrottung
   • luftgekühlter Vierzylinder-Boxer
   • 985 ccm
   • 17 kW / 23,5 PS bei 3.000/min
   • 23,5 PS bei 3.000/min
   • Höchstgeschwindigkeit 100 km/h

   Accessed 2026-11-12