Kübelwagen (VW 181)

This is my 1969 "Cow-Thing" (Kuhkübel). 32 horsepowers and a maximum of 110 kmh (68 mph) make it possible to visit the beergardens around Freising, take a swim at one of the lakes or drag the main. I only take it for a ride in summertime. My brother takes his' around the world.

Many parts and even the engine are a lot younger or were refitted by my brother (who is the real fan of Things). He is also responsible for the cow-type paintwork and seat covers. Besides removing the canopy you can take out all four doors and even fold down the windshield - a true convertible experience.

This was one of my first panoramas. Using a digital compact camera (Canon PowerShot S80) it took 38 images (3x12 + N+Z) for the full sphere. I did not work with fixed exposures at that time so the panorama needed a lot of retouching. There also remain some ghosts. Because the sky was extremely blotched I replaced it with blue and did some more retouching which a pro will immediately notice.

Producing the Pano was fun nevertheless!

The Volkswagen Kübelwagen (bucket/tub car) was a military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen prior to and during World War II for use by the German military. It based heavily on the Volkswagen Beetle.

A later variant of the vehicle was released several decades after the war as the Volkswagen 181 for the Federal German Army and then for the civilian market Volkswagen 181 named "Thing" in the US. There are still a few Things around but they get rare and more and more expensive.

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Europe / Germany

Lat: 48° 26' 3.65" N
Long: 11° 40' 42.03" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

• Camera: Canon PowerShot S80

• Panohead: Nodal Ninja 2

• Tripod: Manfrotto

• Stitching: RealViz Stitcher 5.1

• Editing: Adobe Photoshop CS2

• Shots: 3x12 shots plus nadir and zenit