Price, speed, power, size and economy are, of course, all-important factors facing the car-buying public, but all these are quickly nullified if the product lacks quality. Shoddily made cars hold little appeal for the discriminating motorist
But quality and reliability are not achieved as a matter of course. They are a result of continual testing and research in the laboratory, and constant inspection and meticulous care in the actual manufacture of the vehicle.
This was true for the Australian VW enterprise in Melbourne, which fully manufactured (as distinct from just assembled) local variations of the Beetle from 1959 to 1968, as well as Kombis and later the Type 3. Motor Manual visited the plant in 1961 and reported on the quality control they found there, and it was quite interesting.
The quality control at Volkswagen Australasia Pty Ltd, as it was then, embraced all aspects of production and included a highly developed scientific statistical quality examination of all incoming materials and components which was an almost foolproof method of detecting defective parts. In addition, there was a modern research lab, staffed by trained technicians, chemists, metallurgists and physicists who could create every condition that a VW was likely to encounter during its long operating life.
Here the many things that couldn't be seen by eye the heart of a metal casting, the blend of two steels in a weld, the fabric structure of a rubber hose were dissected with all the tools at the scientists' disposal.
There were cribs containing toxic corrosive gases which, in just a few days, could reproduce the effect that weathering and industrial atmosphere would have on paint and chromework over a period of many years.
Another machine could bring rain or shine at the touch of a button. This was the "Xenotest W' which created controlled conditions of atmospheric humidity, temperature and sunlight and could compress into a few days the effect of a lengthy exposure to the elements. It was invaluable for the testing of rubber components and coverings, plastics, paints, textiles and other organic materials. As a double-check, however, identical samples of these materials were left outside to the elements for a period of up to three years.
In a soundproof water-tight container, sample VW horns were tested for performance while totally submerged in water!
Of all the components in a motor car, however, none are as important as those that affect the welfare and safety of the occupants. For this reason VW's Quality Control Department devoted hundreds of hours to ensuring that the highest possible standards were attained - and maintained - in the manufacture of all parts affecting safety.
For instance, steel hydraulic brake lines were submitted to a pressure test of 82.7 Mega Pascals (12,000 psi), while rubber brake hoses had to withstand 34.5 MPa (5000 psi) pressures many times greater than what would be required in the most extreme emergency.
So severe were these tests that VWA had to wait six months to obtain a special intensifier capable of reaching such pressures. It was unavailable in Australia and had to be specially built for Volkswagen.
The brake wheel cylinders, master cylinders and stop light switches were all submitted to similar pressure tests, and also to a Magnaflux examination.
In a quiet corner of the VW factory was the VE Endurance Laboratory. Here tests were carried out 24 hours a day on machines fitted with automatic time and temperature controls to ensure that every one of the tests met VW specifications exactly. Ball and roller bearings of all sizes were subjected to loads of five tonnes at varying speeds and up to a million revolutions. There was a clutch testing machine for measuring the wear and tear and fading of linings. A pair of clutch linings alternately drove and braked heavy spinning flywheels up to 10,000 times, the equivalent of many thousands of miles of motoring. A vibrator machine would shake and shudder electric light globes and other electrical components, simulating the sort of shocks that they would receive while the car was travelling on a rough outback road.
Close by was a unique machine unimpressive in appearance but awesome in performance. It was the Swing Table which oscillated up to 10,000 times a second, and was used to test sheet metal for body panels and also delicate apparatus such as car radios and electrical equipment to determine their ability to withstand the violent and consistent vibration experienced in a motor car on the move. The Swing Table was set in a 1.7 tonne concrete block mounted on four rubber cushions. If it wasn't for these firm foundations, the tremendous and violent force of the machine would quickly destroy the very building on which it stood.
Stabiliser bars which assisted the VWs excellent road holding were selected at random and tested on a machine which twisted them almost to breaking point two million times! Entire consignments of these bars were rejected if samples were not able to pass this severe test.
Because it stuck to a non-changing body design, VW used master jigs which permitted a more intensive control of the quality of body panels that was normally possible. Because the jig reduced from days to minutes the time required to measure the panels, a precision check could be made continually during production to ensure that they were of the highest possible quality.
One body in four was measured on a special jig in the Body Shop to ensure that all the mounting points of the chassis matched the corresponding holes of the body. The chassis itself was checked in a jig in a special room which was maintained at a constant temperature all year round. This jig measured the location points for the body as well as for the front and rear axles, and transmission mounting panels to a tolerance of 0.05 mm!
Along the entire length of the assembly line inspectors checked welds and the fitting of parts, etc., but the standardisation of VW assembly - as a result of its unchanging design made this a comparatively simple process. Inspectors knew what areas needed the closest scrutiny and what areas could be passed with only a cursory inspection.
Each VW sedan and transporter had its own inspection card, listing a total of more than 400 separate points which had to be checked. The inspector noted his findings on the card, which left no room for error.
At the end of the assembly line the VWs were driven into a special cabinet where high pressure water jets were aimed at the vehicle from all directions to test for possible defects in body sealing.
The next stage was the "Exacta" axle tester, a precision optical system for ensuring the correct operation of the steering and the perfect tracking alignment of the wheels.
From here they went to another booth where the car's performance was "road tested" maximum speed in all gears on rollers. A series of cleverly placed mirrors allowed the tester to operate the car's controls and check lights, electrical accessories etc., simultaneously.
After the brakes were checked on a special machine, the VWs moved onto a test track, about 800 metres long, comprised of a "road" of railway sleepers.
Test driving was the last formal step in the inspection operation, but the most crucial was yet to come. This was when the proud new owner took his first loving glance at the vehicle. His satisfied smile was the final OK stamp before embarking on thousands of miles of low-cost, trouble-free motoring.