Find of the Day Supplementary: Göring Beetle

Everyone knows that Hitler had a hand in the design of the Beetle. It’s one of the awkward historical realities that we all have to think about now and then. But there are Nazi Beetles and then there are Nazi Beetles. This is the latter.

That’s because this Beetle belonged to head of the Luftwaffe and all around Nazi scum (but I repeat myself), Hermann Göring. Sort of.

If you believe the somewhat breathless account of the seller—what possible reason could he have to embellish the truth?—this was Göring’s daily. But the truth, as it so often is, is more complicated.

According to research that was, admittedly, conducted on the internet, this 1944 Type 82e was delivered to Hermann Göring’s office. Unfortunately, it seems that the Nazi leader was also a cretin, because he preferred to drive a Mercedes 540K to a people’s car. I know, the Nazis just keep getting worse.

Instead, this seems to have been one of a number delivered to Göring’s offices that were then likely handed over to officials.

This one, serial number 5033568 seems to have then come into the possession of a Frenchman by the name of Jacky Morel. It then moved to the States, and apparently into the ownership of this Texan.

Regardless of who actually drove it, this wartime Beetle is still one of a small number, since the allies had a policy of explosive diplomacy in 1944.

As a result of the bombing and just the age of these cars, there aren’t many of these Beetles kicking around. You’ll have to decide for yourself if that means that this particular piece of history with a strangely direct link to humanity’s darkest days is worth $525,000.

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