autoevolution
 

One-Off Volkswagen Type 2 With Tank Tracks Is Up and Running Again

When Austrian mechanic Lutz Kretzner converted the Type 2 Microbus into a four-axle tracked vehicle, he created the most off-road-capable T1 ever. He called it “Half-track Fox,” supposedly inspired by the four-legged animal. Two Foxes were finished by 1968, but only one of them survived and was recently restored by Volkswagen Classic Vehicles.
One-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running again 28 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
One-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running againOne-off Volkswagen Type 2 with tank tracks is up and running again
The Type 2 (Transported, Kombi, or Microbus, depending on the market) is not, as one might guess, the successor to the Type 1 (Beetle). Mechanically it borrowed a lot from Beetle, but it was a new line of vehicles that proved incredibly successful for Volkswagen. Launched in 1950, the first-generation Transporter is also named T1, confusing with the Type 2 name.

As versatile as the T1 proved to be at the time, one particular Austrian was disappointed with its off-road capabilities. An avid skier, Lutz Kretzner wanted a vehicle able to climb the Alps in all weather conditions. He couldn’t find any, so he decided to make one for himself. The Volkswagen mechanic spent four years designing and building this mountain climber.

He took a 1962 Bulli (this is the affectionate name that Germans gave to the Bus) and put two more axles on it. The front two axles are both steered, with two double 14-inch wheels on each of them. At the back, the two axles were fitted with 13-inch wheels driving tank tracks of his own design. All wheels were fitted with brakes, and a limited-slip differential ensured evenly distributed forward propulsion regardless of the terrain.

As you can imagine, there wasn’t much to distribute, considering the engine was the standard 1.2-liter flat-four with only 34 horsepower. With a maximum speed of 35 kph (22 mph), it was slightly slower than a fox, so Kretzner named it “Half-track Fox.” The half-track part was because Kretzner wanted to preserve the maneuverability of the original Type 2 instead of tank-style steering.

The two Foxes that Kretzner built were not very visible, and only one is thought to have survived. This one was bought by the Porsche Museum in Gmünd in the early ’90s. Later, it was acquired by the Bullikartei e.V., a society of first-generation Bulli fans. They tried to restore the special Alpine vehicle in 2005, but the restoration was impossible to complete. Volkswagen Classic Vehicles (VWCV) stepped in to save the day at the end of 2018.

The work was extensive, and we should say that the Half-track Fox was brought to a better condition than when it was new. Instead of a simple repaint, the VWCV went all the way to the bare metal and applied a cathodic dip coating before painting it in the original matt orange. The mechanics were also brought back to as-new condition, and the interior was given a fresh approach. The work was completed in February 2022, and the Half-track Fox got the chance to prove its worth through the Alpine snow.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories