Hebmüller
Encyclopedia
The coachbuilding
company Hebmüller And Sons was founded in 1889 by Joseph Hebmüller, it was established in the town of Wuppertal
in Germany
.
At start it constructed horsedrawn carriage
s but after the death of the founder Joseph in 1919, his sons started building bodies to automobile
s. After World War II
, the company received an order from the British Army
to build 15 Humber
based cabriolets.
The company's best known model is perhaps the two seater convertible
based on Volkswagen Type 1 platform - known as Volkswagen Type 14A
. Volkswagen
ordered 2000 vehicles and the production started in June 1949.
Hebmüller also built a number of four-door cabriolets on the Type 1 platform; most sources agree the doors were canvas.
By the end of 1940s, the company's economic situation was not good. It also suffered from a massive fire in its paint shop on 23 July 1949, and was destroyed, although it was rapidly rebuilt. The company met its end in bankruptcy
in 1952.
Ford Motor Company
subsequently purchased the former Hebmüller factory.
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
company Hebmüller And Sons was founded in 1889 by Joseph Hebmüller, it was established in the town of Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
At start it constructed horsedrawn carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s but after the death of the founder Joseph in 1919, his sons started building bodies to automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company received an order from the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
to build 15 Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
based cabriolets.
The company's best known model is perhaps the two seater convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
based on Volkswagen Type 1 platform - known as Volkswagen Type 14A
Volkswagen Type 14A (Hebmüller Cabriolet)
The Volkswagen Type 14A is a German automobile produced after the Second World War....
. Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
ordered 2000 vehicles and the production started in June 1949.
Hebmüller also built a number of four-door cabriolets on the Type 1 platform; most sources agree the doors were canvas.
By the end of 1940s, the company's economic situation was not good. It also suffered from a massive fire in its paint shop on 23 July 1949, and was destroyed, although it was rapidly rebuilt. The company met its end in bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1952.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
subsequently purchased the former Hebmüller factory.