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The Gutbrod Atlas

800A conservation project by the University ofApplied Sciences (HTW) Berlin in cooperationwith the Museum of Technology, Berlin

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THE PROJECT: THE GUTBROD ATLAS 800

The Gutbrod Atlas was first produced and sold in 1950. For its time it was an modern, attractive vehicle, fulfillingpost-war demands for quality and versatility with its compact yet aerodynamic appearance and being extremelyeconomical to run. It appeared on the market almost simultaneously with the new VW Transporter. The Gutbrodwas extremely popular, reaching one of the top places in the sales rankings in the utility vehicles category. A fewyears later, however, the company had to discontinue vehicle production; for a company with a small workforce incomparison with other vehicle manufacturers, Gutbrod had perhaps invested too heavily in R&D.

This was the background of the Gutbrod Atlas 800, a prominent yet somewhat unusual example of vehicle designin the Berlin Museum of Technology's depot. It had been used in a variety of ways, reflected in the romanticallydecayed and rather neglected condition in which it was acquired in 1983.

The Museum of Technology Foundation and the University of Applied Sciences (HTW), Berlin intended to work

together long-term on developing scientific methods of conserving objects of industrial culture. During theplanning phase, the Gutbrod Atlas was considered as a candidate for a possible conservation project at sometime in the future. Some years later, this project was actually implemented, confirming the productive collaborationbetween the two institutions and the degree of mutual trust which had been established over time.

The first stage of the project was the documentation and scientific examination of the Gutbrod Atlas 800 insummer 2003. Following this, a preservation and conservation concept was designed – no easy task in view ofthe many phases of use which had left traces on the vehicle. For the museum, the presentation of the design wasimportant, to fit in with the concept of their collection. The HTW students and lecturers, who had alreadyconserved a 1928 Wanderer W10 for their first vehicle conservation project, were struck by the vehicle’sconstruction details, indications of the manufacturing methods and the lively history of its usage. It was decided in joint discussions that the process of conservation and restoration should conserve the existing variety in thevehicle’s authentic condition, from external design to technical details, from technological innovations to theevidence of a fast and to some extent improvised production. Achieving this involved sacrificing to a large extentthe romantic traces of decay and neglect so striking in the vehicle’ appearance as it stood in the depot. Theintention was to allow these traces to show only faintly.

This brochure gives a brief insight into the way in which we attempted to carry out the demanding concept in thecourse of the project. The result may be seen as an approach which can be further developed in subsequentprojects. Our intention is that in future, our work will be more intensively integrated with related fields of historicalstudy such as industrial and technological history, economic and social history. Only thus can objects of industrialculture and of everyday use gradually take their deserved place in historical research as historical witnesses.Well-considered conservation gives objects which have been taken for granted a density of non-verbal statementwhich they do not have in their found condition.

We would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of the project, in particular Ulrich Kubisch und Dr.Volker Koesling of the Museum of Technology for their constant support of the project and trust in our work, andthe students and supervisors for their great commitment.

Berlin, March 2006Ruth Keller-Kempas



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THE FORM

Compact simplicity

The compact simplicity of its design is the main impression the viewer receives of the Gutbrod Atlas 800 in themulti-purpose version for goods and people transport. The clear lines are particularly emphasised by the

paintwork on the vehicle’s long flanks. The side view of the boxy bodywork shows the flowing lines; the side doorto the passenger space is centred between the two wheels, giving rhythm to the right-hand side. The driver’s cabhas a busy appearance due to the various lines and curves. The eye cannot rest on them, instead gliding over thesmall area behind the front wheels and resting on the striking structure of the side door, which is as high as thevehicle. The viewer’s gaze rests on the greenish area extending to the steeply sloping rear. The five ventilationslits under the gutter, which end in the same line as the wing, are a little decorative element, contrasting with thecurves of the wing. The clearly-defined wings, their joints with the bodywork emphasised by the edging strip, arelike a relic from earlier days of vehicle manufacture.

The front, unlike the rear, has a sloping form to provide sufficient leg-room for the driver’s cab. From the slightlyprotruding headlights downwards, the front profile becomes vertical, so retaining the overall boxy shape.

The defining modern feature of the vehicle when it was first sold in 1950 was the compact design, created forreasons of economy. Significant features of the design and construction are the placing of the driver’s cabin infront of the front axle, the lowering of the loading space between the two axles and the flange-mounted engine onthe central tube frame behind the rear axle, a technique already used in Germany before the Second World War.A significant technological aspect was the efficient air cooling; the three rows of seven air slits each are visible inthe engine cover on the rear.

Seite 5Before conservation

Before conservation, the vehicle's appearance was dominated by traces of use and decay on the one hand andon the other, repairs and alterations due to use and the requirements of road traffic regulations, such as theindicator. The green paint of the exterior was ful l of flaws and no longer shiny. Lines of rust spread vertically downthe surfaces; dents and folds in the bodywork – on the right front – were noticeable, detracting from its unifiedappearance. Chrome coatings had been undermined by rust and were peeling from door handles and brackets.

The front bumper, a replacement for the original, has been bent on the left and right sides to fit the vehicle’sshape. The rear bumper was a later addition, screwed onto the lower edge of the bodywork; on the left, it wasonly held by a piece of yellow washing line. At the rear on the left, the square, dark blue surface around the oldnumber plate bracket has been slightly sprayed with light green paint, the existing top coat, showing that thenumber plate was not removed when the vehicle was sprayed. The side indicators are fixed above the semaphoretrafficators, which are covered by a metal sheet.

The inner sides of the wheels and the whole underbody were thickly covered with layers of oily, muddy dirt, givinga uniformly grey-brown appearance. The condition of the technical installations could not be assessed until aninitial cleaning had taken place. The sides of the bodywork and the floor panels of the driver’s cab were revealedto be rusted through to a considerable extent. The boxy loading bay construction, stabilised by iron strips, hadbeen protected by the double sides and was in good condition.

Evidence of the original function as a delivery van could still be seen in the interior, in the marks of wear on thepainted metal floor in front and the wooden planks of the loading bay in the rear. This was overlaid by the remains

of the use as a camper van: the main items were wall coverings and items lying around such as string, cloth,boards, laths, bars, hardboard boxes filled with all sorts of bits and pieces, and slatted frames on the metal floor inthe front, the floor covering of balatum (a substitute for linoleum, made of felted wool), a shelf and pictures on therear walls of the loading bay. In the driver’s cab, there was a loose cover over the seat and a wooden platform forthe passenger covers the rusted spots on the floor and provided a raised footrest.

THE CONCEPT

Preservation of historic vehicle

A car is developed, constructed and used for driving. When it gets old, keeping it roadworthy seems the obviousthing to do. This means that parts become worn out and are repaired, rust is combated and the paintwork has tobe renewed here and there. This kind of gradual replacement of historical material by modern parts is the naturalcourse for an old car which is used, cared for and adapted to modern technical requirements by a private owner.

Others, who buy a vintage car to enjoy the feeling of driving and living in the past at weekends, indulge in a moreromantic relationship to history. They identify themselves with an earlier epoch, or remember it, and do notnecessarily want to question this in great detail.



As soon as a historic vehicle is taken into a museum’s collection, it undergoes a complete change of function andsignificance. It leaves the cycle of useful objects and becomes culturally significant: a object of observation andmediation, reflection and historical research. The technical function, too, is no longer used for practical purposesbut serves historical observation; its use is detrimental in that it wears out the substance.

Museums have the obligation to preserve the objects entrusted to them for a long period of time; they can andmust not permit gradual decay or replacement of historical material. These processes would lead to loss of

authenticity and value as a historical source, which a museum cannot allow. Therefore demonstrations of objectsin motion are only possible to a limited extent.

The use of the Gutbrod

When the Gutbrod Atlas 800 was taken into the Museum of Technology, Berlin in 1985, its condition reflectedmore than simply the history of its use. Closer examination also revealed the history of its technical developmentand production, giving some insight into the general economic conditions in Germany soon after the SecondWorld War.

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Soon after the vehicle was delivered by the Gutbrod company in December 1950, it was registered in Nurembergfor goods transport. The owner was Neumeyer AG, a cable and metal business. It was registered in Berlin in

September 1952 by Otto Uhleben, a commercial representative, who used the van until late 1959. The next ownerwas Herbert Jaekel, who ran a Berlin haulage company; he bought it in 1960 and soon sold it on to the tooldealer Franz Kruck, also in Berlin. This owner apparently first adapted the van and then registered it as a camper-van in early summer 1961.

This chronology indicates the vehicle’s frequent changes of usage. Its use as a transport vehicle by theNuremberg metal company and later by the Berlin commercial representative is typical for the period from 1950onwards. When the vehicle changed hands in 1952, Gutbrod was still producing vans in the Calw factory in theBlack Forest; a network of authorised workshops existed throughout Germany. By the next change of ownershipin 1960, these days were past, as Gutbrod had had to cease vehicle production for economic reasons in 1954.Thus the Atlas 800 became a collector’s item, a link between pre- and post-war technology in German vehiclemanufacture, which soon came to be connected with the idea of freedom, of travelling to distant lands, aninspiration to fantasy, a moving refuge from the here and now. The adaptation as a camper-van matches thisidea: it was achieved at minimum cost, using a cheap floor covering, one shelf and a few hard-fibre boards for thefunctional aspect and about two metres of PVC sheet and two calendar pictures stuck onto cardboard to give it a

homely atmosphere. It is clear that dreams became reality here for very little financial investment.

The police found the Atlas 800 abandoned by the motorway near Tegel airport in Berlin in 1983. The owner whohad bought the vehicle from Franz Kruck could not be found; among other useful items, he had left behind a longfishing rod. So the history of the vehicle, at first so clearly documented, sank into obscurity until the Museum ofTechnology acquired it from the police in 1985.

The technical details of production can be summarised here; they are described more fully by Ottfried Jaus andPeter Kaiser. The two cylinder engine, flange-mounted on the central tube frame, had been developed bySchnürle engineering company since 1948. Their work concentrated on improving the air-cooling of the rear-mounted engine, which was based technologically on a pre-war model. This successful cooling systemguaranteed long term trouble-free operation. The demand for utility vehicles for post-war reconstruction wasenormous, so development and production permits were mostly given for vehicles of this type. In this phase of thepost-war period, a small family-run company such as Gutbrod still had the chance to keep up with VW in the

development of a forward-control vehicle with the driver’s cab in front of the front axle. However, the weaknessesof this unified bodywork soon became apparent. It had been developed at top speed by the company Binz, usingwood for the front parts and a steel box separate from the driver’s cab for the loading bay, in order to retain thestable connection to the central tube frame construction with welded-on brackets.

The heating system gained its heat from warm exhaust from the engine via a heat exchanger; however, it isdoubtful whether it ever worked. Its remains are still to be found on the Gutbrod Atlas 800; the pipes seem to havebeen neatly cut, showing no signs of corrosion problems.

The preservation concept

The concept entailed preserving the Gutbrod in its authentic condition so that both the historical layers and thespecial technological features can be seen and appreciated equally.

To present the vehicle in the condition of one particular point in time, for example, as it left the factory, as it wasused around 1952 or even in its final phase of use, would be to lose a great deal of the history the vehiclecommunicates. The tension of the many historical and technical layers, which leave many questions open, would



also disappear. In order to fulfil the delicate task of creating a balance between different layers of history, it wasnecessary to precisely document the chronology as seen in the materials.

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LAYERS OF TIME

The preservation of a vehicle in the condition in which it was taken into a museum collection as an object ofcultural history has the advantage that detailed examinations can be made, so determining and documenting thevarious historical layers. Material remains are an important source for research into cultural history; theycomplement the many written and oral records of the recent past in a similar way as witness statements andwritten evidence in legal cases are complemented by the securing of evidence against which their truth can betested. In the documentation phase, the conservator’s work is similar to that of detective looking for evidence. Theconservator examines the traces left on an object, in particular clues to its manufacture, use and changes of use.Preserving these traces enables the object to communicate history.

Layers of paint The outward appearance and paintwork of the Gutbrod Atlas 800 define the first impression the viewer gains. Allthe technical aspects, its usefulness, as well as the desires and longings linked with the vehicle arecommunicated by the external appearance.

But how has the outside of the van reached its current state? This question can be answered by exact

observation and examination.

The dimpled surface and blobs where the paint has run show that the surface was poorly prepared and the topcoat inexpertly applied. At some point, flaws and corrosion marks on the edges and the wing joins were coveredby a paint mix which was slightly too yellow and too thick. The previous layer of paint was not properly cleanedbefore this paint repair was made, so the edges where the new paint was applied are grey.

On the edges and corners and in places where flakes of paint have come off, earlier layers are revealed: red, lightblue, grey, light grey, black, dark blue. A look under the long metal repair panel along the lower edge on the left ofthe vehicle shows a dark blue layer underlaid with grey. By comparing these findings with the results of manymicroscopic polished sections, the sequence of paint layers and the pigments and bonding agents used could bereconstructed.

The first layer consists of red iron oxide combined with cellulose nitrate, the second layer is light blue. The paintlayers – mostly single layers (R5, R13), in some cases double (R13) - are thin. On top of this is a thick layer of

grey covering almost the whole surface; this paint also contains cellulose nitrate and a great deal of filler. It wascovered partly with light grey on the roof (upper part of the vehicle), partly with darker blue (R10) and partly withblack followed by blue (R17 and L4, left side behind the rear wing). These are alkyd resin paints. The roofremained light grey in colour, while the sides were later painted over in the l ight green seen today, which is alsoan alkyd resin-based paint.

This material evidence can be corroborated by historical photographs. The old pictures show the Atlas 800 as amulti-purpose vehicle for transporting goods and people with a painted side panel, which still exists on the door tothe driver's cab. The position of the former panel can still be seen in the slight height difference in the middle ofthe paintwork on the sides. The side line often marks a boundary between two areas of colour. The wings couldalso be dark, probably black. The findings of the examinations carried out before the conservation confirmedthese assumptions.

The findings permit the sequence of events to be interpreted as follows: during production, the vehicle was

painted with the typical red iron oxide paint, a cheap and commonly used corrosion protection which however onlyhas a passive effect, and immediately afterwards painted light blue all over, in tune with the most up-to-date tasteof the early 1950s. The bonding agent was cellulose nitrate, as usual at that time; the paint was applied byspraying. After polishing, the paintwork was glossy with intensity of depth but sensitive, requiring a lot of care. Thelack of active corrosion protection is probably one reason for the corrosion and the many repairs to the bodyworkand the paintwork.

The striking light blue which was so modern in 1950 seems to have been followed by more conventional choicesof colour: very light grey from the trim upwards and on the roof; dark blue below the trim and black wings,following a pre-war fashion. This state could coincide with the vehicle’s use by its second owner. The presentpaintwork was probably applied during the phase of its use as a camper-van. Repairs and touching up took placeat different times.

Driver’s cab seat The basic construction of the bench seat and backrest in the cab is of wood. The dark brown imitation leather seatcover is hard and brittle; it could be the original cover from 1950.



The bench seat is loosely covered with a replaceable cover of imitation leather and textile, such as was oftenused in the 1960s to protect the original padding. Soft imitation leather was used on the outer edges and the frontpart of the seat, which is subject to most wear; the rest of the seat is covered with checked material. Under thecover, the seat consists of padding over interior springs and fills the entire width of the cab, being made to fi t intothe curve of the front wheel arch.

Securing the bench seat as found revealed at least three different periods during which it had been altered and

repaired in several stages. Under the padding nails on the basic construction, tiny scraps of brown imitationleather were found which matched the material of the back rest and date from the vehicle’s production. In thesecond phase, the springs were repaired from above and the imitation leather covering, or at least its torn edges,was replaced or repaired and strengthened using real leather. In the third phase, the covering was roughlyremoved and replaced with the grey-blue and yellow protective covering. Before the new covering was fixed, alayer of padding from another source was added to improve the comfort of the worn-out upholstery.

Bench seat in the passenger area

The two bench seats for passengers are covered with brown imitation leather. They are mounted on a simplestructure and can easily be removed. The forward-facing rear bench seat can be folded down; the rear-facingfront seat can be folded up and secured to the back rest with a belt. (Fig. 01). The legs can be folded in sideways.

Comparison with original illustrations shows that these are the removable seats from 1950 which were features ofthe multi-purpose vehicle as sold. In the first year the Atlas 800 was sold, Gutbrod followed an American examplein expanding its range to include a vehicle of this kind, which was suitable for transportation of both goods andpassengers, with windows and removable seats.

The two seats opposite each other have three cuts in their front edges (see fig. 03). These cuts indicate the lateruse of the vehicle as a camper-van: three poles were used as a basis for extending the two seats to make alarger bed.

It is difficult to be sure whether the very well-preserved imitation leather cover is still the original from 1950. Thefact that in the original il lustration, the steel frame was carefully covered by the imitation leather seems to indicatethat this is not the case. Besides, the imitation leather on the backrest in the cab, which could date from 1950, iscomparatively brittle and worn;. The surface of the material on the backrest in the cab is very brittle and badlycracked, so it gives the impression of being older; however, it is also likely to have had more use and exposure tosunlight.

The box built in under the front passenger seat contained many items which may have been used by the formerowner. Along with many other items found, they may contribute to a picture of the owner's lifestyle: moth-eatenworking trousers, crumpled plastic curtains, wrapping paper, air pipes, brake discs and a copy of the Nachtkurier newspaper form 16 October 1964. There were many smaller items at the bottom of the box: dried flowers,corroded pieces of metal, fragments of shells, paint flakes and many other things. The items have beenconserved and kept as found objects. One day it may be possible to find out whether they reveal characteristicsor are simply chance items.

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CONSERVATION

The approach

Conservators study historical materials and their surfaces, using the objects entrusted to them. They aim topreserve these in the condition in which they were received, as references to the past for the near and distant

future. This aim entails postponing the natural deterioration of the materials as far as possible, a process whichrequires knowledge of materials and how they deteriorate as well as aesthetic sensitivity to the surface patinadeveloped over time.

Just as the time layers are determined in order to illuminate historical links, the materials and their condition arecharted to establish what an object is made of and its condition before conservation. Microscopic images andmethods of chemical analysis underpin this work.

Depending on what is aimed for when conservation is complete, either purely conservation methods or restorationprocedures may be used.

Conservation aims exclusively to preserve the materials, meaning that for example, aggressive dust and dirtlayers may be removed and a preservative coating applied, or the objects may not be touched, but simply storedin light and climatic conditions which are ideal for that particular material as a preventive measure.

Restoration implies procedures which alter an object’s appearance. Cleaning, additions and touching-upprocedures may be included, often carried out for aesthetic rather than conservation reasons. There are no clearboundaries. Cleaning an object of layers of dust which may accelerate the deterioration of the material may beimportant for conserving the object, but of course it also pleases the eye.



The fundamental principle of this work is to preserve the original material as far as possible. In the case ofeveryday technical objects, this original state is not a perfect “new“ state but an aged condition showing all thetraces of use. The surface must be treated with particular care, since it is the border between present and past,between the viewer and the material reference to a past time. It is important that for example the cleaningsubstances used do not scratch or dissolve the original surface or even clean it too thoroughly, removing thepatina which has arisen over time.

The bonding agents used as adhesives are tested in special laboratories for their long-term stabili ty and otherqualities necessary for conservation. They should be easy to remove even after 50 or 100 years and not shouldhave any negative effects on the historic object during this time. There are very few adhesives which fulfil thesecriteria.

Since objects of cultural value are kept for a long time and are objects of historical research, it is essential toprovide continuous documentation of the conservation work so it can be retraced at a later date. There are manyhistoric vehicles in museums where it is impossible to distinguish precisely between original and restoredfeatures. This means that the objects can no longer be used as historical sources or only to a limited extent.

However, documentation and object can easily become separated. To avoid this, conservators of technicalobjects stamp additions they make to mark them with abbreviations (NB for new built, FR for free reconstructionand CS for conservational stability) and the year of the measure. The size of the letters of course has to fit the

item and in the case of added screws, for example, it is very small indeed.

To illustrate the conservation procedure we may take an unspectacular item, a floor covering from the Gutbrod’sloading bay. The drawings of this piece of floor covering document the exact measurements and its condition withall the residues and cracks. It is easy to see how it was cut to fit the Gutbrod interior exactly. The piece cut out ofthe middle fits the engine cover, which is itself covered with a piece of the same material. The material is balatum,a felt material impregnated with bitumen and then coated, a cheap linoleum substitute.

Seite 10The conservation concept envisaged preserving all the historical layers of the Gutbrod side-by-side to give themequal impact. To achieve this with the floor covering, it was necessary to reduce the thick layer of dirt whichmeant that in appearance, the final usage dominated all the previous layers of use.

Cleaning and solubility tests were carried out to determine how to clean the surface gently in several stages andthe procedure was then carried out over the whole area. The result leaves visible traces of wear, yet the pattern of

the floor covering can be seen once more. The cracks were sealed with fine fibrous material and an adequateadhesive so that the material was stabilised and the fibres invisible, yet the crack can be opened again at anytime.

All the other Gutbrod parts were conserved in a similar way. The first phase was cleaning, which took place inseveral stages, layer by layer. The dry cleaning equipment used next included paintbrushes, brushes, vacuumcleaners, erasers, wooden spatulas, plastic palette knives, scalpels and soft sanding material (plastic and fruitstone or nutshell granulate). Watery or soluble systems were applied in a second phase, in a few cases addinggels, pastes or complexing agents.

There were many difficulties to be overcome during cleaning, because each material requires a differentprocedure and many areas were very dirty or badly deteriorated. Cleaning the thickly encrusted underbody was atedious task, ensuring that the remains of the corrosion protection and protective paint could be preserved andthat the largely decayed rubber materials did not disintegrate completely during cleaning so that the original

substance could be stabilised later. It was a challenge to clean the electric cables, the plastic lamp housings, thetextured paint of the dashboard or the surfaces of the plastic curtains, now sticky with age, the various imitationleather coverings and the hard-fibre boards. The complex material compound of the front bench seat, the batteryhousing, severely decayed by battery acid and the motor cover, thickly covered with oi l and soot, all had to becarefully tested for chemical reactions when cleaning.

At many points, for example on the exterior surfaces of the bodywork and the wheels, it was necessary to fix paintflakes before cleaning, to avoid losing original material. The more stable areas could be fixed after cleaning. Todo this, one lets a usually solvent-containing adhesive system flow under the loose parts, which can then bereattached or re-fixed using heat after the solvent had evaporated.

It was particularly difficult to re-fix the flaking white top coating on the ceiling of the passenger area. It hadobviously been applied when the vehicle was adapted as a camper-van and it would have been easier to removeit altogether than to carefully reapply it. However, that would have violated the concept of retaining all the

historical layers of the vehicle, which would have had implications for the whole task. The interior would no longerhave matched the rest and for purely aesthetic reasons, one would have had to start removing later layers of paintat other points as well.



Materials which had been weakened by processes of decay had to be consolidated; large flawed areas bridged tostabilise them. Corroded metal parts were stabilised using stainless steel mesh and metal adhesive. Wherenecessary for the textiles, material very similar to the original was laid underneath and attached with almostinvisible reinforcing stitches. Decayed wood was replaced by matching new wood in load-bearing areas (sill of thedriver's cab). Where decay had only started, sufficient stability could be given by saturating the wood with anadhesive.

The concept also entailed ensuring that the formal aesthetic aspect, unusual for the 1950s, should once againdominate the external appearance. To achieve this, i t was necessary to straighten out dents in the bodywork andwings, in particular on the front right of the cab, without…

[seite 10]…losing the paint. This was only possible by repeatedly fixing the paint. The unified appearance of the exteriorsurfaces was achieved by extensive cementing and repainting. The aim was not to achieve a perfect surface; thework continued until a fairly unified surface was obtained. The colour varies where the undercoat shimmersthrough, where edges have been reworked with the paintbrush and where the coating is faulty; these effects haveonly been minimally reduced on large areas, in order to fulfil the other part of the concept, the preservation oftraces of wear and alterations of use. In the interior, the walls and ceiling were also repaired where they wereaesthetically very damaged, though to a lesser extent than on the exterior. Less visible parts such as theunderbody were not touched up.

Finally, the metal surfaces were coated with a microcrystalline wax, to stop or slow down corrosion processes.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Manufacturer: Gutbrod Motorenbau GmbH Plochingen/Württ.,Fabrikstraße 42Year of manufacture: 1950Motor: 2 cylinder with 576 cm3 cubic capacity, two-strokeBore 70 mm, stroke 75 mmCompression ratio: 1:5,6Compression pressure 5 barEngine number: 15958Performance: 16.5 hp at 3,500 rpmCooling system: fan coolingFuel consumption: 7 – 9 l / 100kmCarburettor: Solex 30 BFRHStarter: 6 Volt Bosch CDD 0.4/6LIgnition – light system: 6 volt Noris LZ 2 a/6/75/100Fuel tank: 27 litres

Clutch and transmission system: single dry plate clutch, Fichtel & SachsType K 10 (E)Transmission: 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear 1:6.8 1:2.95 1:1.7Reverse gear: 1:9.8Gear change box, differential gear: Hurth-GA 50 L1Chassis: chassis no.: 48104Foot brake, mechanical, 4 wheel braking systemHandbrake, mechanical, 4 wheel braking systemTrack: front 1,300 mm, rear: 1,330 mmWheelbase: 2,350 mmSteering: Fulmina Ross steeringSprings front/rear: leaf springs, worm springsWheels: disc wheels 3.5 D x 16Tyres: 5.50 x 16

The following people worked on the project :StudentsBeck, Sibylle – drum brakes, wheel (driver’s side, front); Berg, Ina – partition (betw. cab/passenger area), interior shelf; Berlin, Maxie

- underbody, exterior paintwork; Beuster, Sara – bench seat; Brandt, Oliver – exterior paintwork, exhaust silencer; Enk, Stefanie – footwell mats;Freyberg, Dana- wheel (passenger side rear); Garve, Julia – floor covering (boot) wheel (driver’s side, rear); Gehrmann, Nina – fuel tank; Görike, Franka- wheel (spare); Grundmann, Christin – rubber elements, bumper with number-plate; Halm, Juliane – electrics; Hann, Philipp – engine, doors;Herrmann, Aicke – passenger area, boot esp. ceiling and walls, paint examination;Hilsky, Steffen – exterior paintwork examination and fixing;Jahn, Kerstin – imitation leather upholstery; Jaroschewski, Michael – bench seat frame (passenger area); Jehle, Mario – underbody (rear)Unterboden (hinterer); Karp,Sebastian – underbody structure (passenger area), front panel; Kreil, Andreas- sun shades, wiper motors, rear view mirror, fire extinguisher;Löwe, Alexander – wings (securing, mounting), wooden framework;Maerten, Thomas – door handles, rods, mirrors, wooden frame (driver’s side), steering column mount, underbody, springs, engine / transmission,exhaust; Meerschiff , Marilyn – wheel (passenger side, front); Meineke, Anne- calendar pictures; Menzel, Tim – bench seat, rear; Meyer, Daniela – hard fibre boards, board (passenger area); Mittmann, Holger – exteriorpaintwork examination and fixing; Pour, Nahid Matin – engine cover; Schach, Oliver- underbody structure (passenger area), wings; Schieck, Alexander – passenger area and boot, mainly ceiling and walls, paintwork examination;Schlasse, Heike- spare parts box; Schulz, Kerstin – dashboard; Schweinsteiger, Florian- side panel, driver’s side; Siebert, Hannah – slatted frame, driver’s cab;

Simon, Konrad- bench seat, rear; Stahn, Ulrich, Stockhorst, Jessica – underbody, exterior paintwork, repair and retouching; Tietjen, Lena – benchseat;Tränkner, Rene – backrest; Voigtländer, Dirk – engine; Wagenknecht,Anja – plastic curtains; Willers, Janosch – platform (passenger side); Witt,Gesa – wooden slats, woodfibre board; Wroblewski, Sebastian – slatted frame, passenger area; Zimpel, Antje – bench seat, front



Supervision and consultationKäferstein, Martin – Technical cultural objects laboratory, HTW Berlin; Linke,Dietmar – technical conservation, methodical development of conservation techniques;Mentjes, Meike – calendar pictures; Prückner, Gerhard- repair and retouching paintwork; Zimmermann, Ines – textiles (front bench seat);Zimmermann, Sibylle – microscopy; Koesling, Volker – scientific consultation, department of conservation and science laboratory, Museum ofTechnology foundation; Stadelmann, Christian – science laboratory for conservation, HTW BerlinProject managementKeller-Kempas, Ruth – technical cultural objecs, SG conservation, department 5, HTW Berlin; Kubisch, Ulrich – automobile department, Museum

of Technology foundation

Editors: HTW Berlin and Museum of Technology foundation Text and editing Ruth Keller-KempasDesign Yvonne Prätzel

TEXTE ZU BILDERNSEITE 21 grey, side walls / frame trim2 plastic curtains3 dark grey, footwell /lower side walls4 brownish/ yellowed, side walls

1 Door to living area of camper van at the start of the project (photo: Jehle)2 Door and wall of passenger area from inside; documentary drawing and materials chart; by lowering the loading space between the two axles, space wasmade for passengers (drawing Schieck and Hermann)3 View of passenger area before conservation; yellowed plastic curtains, foldable bench seat sl ightly raised, contents of box scattered around the slatted floor(photo: Schieck)4 After conservation but before retouching the large flawed areas on the walls; without the removable seats, the very worn condition of the loading bay can beseen. The flaws in the grey wall paint were not due to that and have been touched up to obtain a unified appearance in the interior (photo: Linke)

5 Gutbrod badge; the company manufactured under the name Standard before the war, post-war they took the owner’s family name (photo: Berlin)6 Under the company badge which decorates the front, remains of grey, dark and light blue layers of paint and primer paint can be seen (from top to bottom)(photo: Berlin)7 Underbody, right, on the edge of the lowered floor to the passenger area: gear system (thick) and accelerator rod (thin) padded to reduce rattling, beforecleaning (photo: Berlin)8 Underbody from the left rear, looking forwards: (from front to back) floor of passenger area to the front edge; the construction welded to the central tubeframe, designed for goods transport; the bodywork left, set low down for aesthetic reasons; in front the leaf springs, the battery box and the floor of thedriver’s cab (photo: Berlin) [Unerboden – Rechtschreibfehler im Original PDF]9 Rear during cleaning: the loose paint flakes have been fixed; final cleaning to remove rust marks not yet done (photo: Berlin)10 Rear after fixing and retouching flaws, wax coated, polished. The concept envisaged giving uniformity to the areas of paint. Colour variations due to blueundercoat shimmering through the top coat and variations in paint thickness retained (photo: Berlin)

SEITE 31 Front with badge and corrugations (photo: Hilsky)

2 Diagonal front view: the driver’s cab in front of the front axle can clearly be seen. The front curved design gives more space to those sitting in the cab(photo: Hilsky)3 Side view showing clear design and lines; the driver's side with its window is characteristic of the multi-purpose vehicle (photo: Hilsky)4 Passenger side with passenger door (photo: Hilsky)5 Diagonal view from the rear reveals the long l ines of the vehicle (photo: Hilsky)6 Striking air slits in engine cover from rear (photo: Hilsky)

SEITE 41 Rear door handle; Lines of rust were embedded deep in the top layer of paint (photo: Jehle)2 Dashboard with flaking varnish and rust beneath3 Slatted floor of passenger area; lighter area where the box of utensils stood on it under the bench seat; the left-hand side has been partly cleaned (photo:Wroblewski)4 Interior of bodywork on the left behind the driver's cab; severe corrosion of the structure, metal partially rusted away (photo: Berlin)5 Rubber window seal with final light paint layer along the edges; cracks where the rubber has deteriorated (photo: Grundmann)6 Passenger side of driver's cab; steel framework of platform covered with wood to cover the metal floor where it has rusted away (photo: Schulz)7 Loading bay interior: the boxy structure of the small van comprises steel ribs covered with metal panels; felt strips at the joints to reduce rattling noise; onlyminimal corrosion of the inner box, which was well protected by the bodywork (photo: Hermann)8 Curtain of PVC sheet, yellowed and dirty (photo: Wagenknecht)9 Felt seal from driver’s cab (photo: Schach)

10 Combined wood and steel structure of driver’s cab from below; in front of the front axle, central tube frame, signal horn installation in front, metal floorstrengthened by corrugations; wood covered by metal sheet, badly deteriorated at the edges. Gutbrod invested much time developing the engine and had thebodywork built by Binz company at comparatively short notice. The VW transporter, produced at the same time, had all-steel bodywork (photo: Berlin)11 Underbody of the driver’s cab; detail of rotten wood, wrapped in corroded metal (photo: Berlin)12 View from the right into the driver's cab footwell after removal of the gear lever housing: gear rods thickly crusted with layers of old grease, wear debrisand corrosion products from the driver's cab and dirt blown up from the road; behind, pedal lever covered in grease (photo: Karp)

SEITE 51 Driver's cab, detail of door sill weakened by blight; disintegrated wood remains can still be seen. Worn edging strip, minimal remains of first blue paintwork.The edging strip comprises a core and a fine cotton coating, missing here due to wear (Photo: Löwe)2 Structure weakened by decay of wood. The remains of light blue paint confirm that this was the fi rst layer of paintwork (photo: Löwe)3 Underbody of driver’s cab, where the floor joins the bodywork: stability due to wood on top (photo: Löwe)4 Gear lever cover with holes and cracks (photo: Schach)5 Structural wood of driver’s cab, blight, microscopic photo; the cellulose is mostly decayed, the remaining lignin causes the brown colour. The wood is nolonger stable due to the lack of reinforcement previously provided by the cellulose (photo: Löwe)

1 Air cooling system for the engine: top lid with badge of Carl Hurth machine and cog wheel factory, Munich; could have been used as a lid to cover theopening used in winter to connect the system to the heating pipes, parts of which are still visible on the underbody (photo: Linke)2 Intake pipe for the air filter; air is sucked in through the central pipe from the front, in front of the differential on the right (photo: Jehle)

3 Pipe intended for hot air for the heating system from the engine’s waste heat; it i s not clear whether it was ever used: in front of the differential on the left(photo: Linke)4 Underbody of the driver’s cab, a piece of heating pipe with insulation; also not clear whether ever used or simply cut off (photo: Berlin)5 Engine at the rear from the right before conservation; large coil for air cooling to prevent too much heat being lost upwards; air filter on the right; lightinginstallation at the back with rusty lid (photo Voigtländer)



SEITE 6

1 Underbody, padding between the load-bearing framework and the floor of the loading bay/passenger area; reduction of rattling2 Driver’s cab: view from above of the corroded floor panels (photo: Schach)3 Loading by at the rear, left; dream horizon in the form of a calendar picture showing a southern landscape, mounted on hard-fibre board, in front the sparewheel mount (photo: Schieck)4 Underbody from left rear; the dark gap shows the space between the boxy loading bay structure and the exterior bodywork which gives the vehicle auniform appearance; bodywork by Binz company (photo: Jahle)5 Exhaust silencer, rear, to the left of the engine; the outer cover is rusted through, showing the sound-absorbing technology (photo: Voigtländer)

6 Spare wheel; the markings on the drawing show where paint samples were taken (drawing: Görike)7 Spare wheel: polished section of sample c showing paint layers in different sequence from layers on other wheels (photo: Görike)8 Engine cover at the rear: the previous blue paint layer can be seen under the flaking paint (photo: Berlin)9 Rear, left; the old number-plate mount is above the bumper which was mounted later and is tied on with yellow washing line (photo: Hilsky)10 Spare wheel: as seen in the polished section, the dark blue paint is visible under the top coat of paint which is not continuous

11 Indicator next to the fuel tank filling opening; when indicators were made compulsory, the semaphore trafficator was not removed but simply covered with

a metal piece (photo: Jehle)12 Engine removed from rear, left, after partial cleaning; light generator on the left, two spark plugs on top for the vertical cylinder, air filter on the right; thetechnical achievement and prerequisite for placing the engine underneath the loading bay was the effective air cooling system due to the large coil (bottom)(photo: Voigtländer)13 Sequence of paint layers on the undercarriage (photo: Jehle)

SEITE 71 Paint drips on the exterior (photo: Berlin)2 Painted over too thickly on the edges; here on the left, the door to the passenger area (photo: Berlin)3 Filled areas along the lower edges; here on the right, the door to the passenger area (photo: Berlin)4 Where the former number plate bracket is located the dark blue paint can be seen, only thinly covered with the top coat5 Top coat, poorly adhering to the undercoat in many places; flaking off due to this and to underlying areas of corrosion (photo: Berlin)

6 Polished paintwork sections: the sequence of paint layers could be determined: one or two light blue layers above the former side line, the light paint on topwhich is still to be seen on the roof, the current light grey-green top coat (drawing: Schulz, Hilsky and Mittmann)7 Polished paintwork section from below the roof (photo: Hilsky)8 View under the repair panel on the driver’s side: the second dark blue paint layer visible over a large area (photo: Schweinsteiger)9 Polished paint section of the undercoat (photo: Hilsky)10 Paint flaked off along the edges of the repair panels (photo: Schweinsteiger)11 Edging strip on the wing, rear left; manual overpainting of sprayed paint (photo: Berlin)

SEITE 81 Bench seat in driver's cab as built in (photo: Schulz)

2 Bench seat in driver’s cab, view of springs from below, severe corrosion; larger replacement spring on the left; grey additions to the spring twine indicatewhere the repair was carried out from above (photo: Zimpel)3 Top corner of bench seat, on the right; tiny remnant of brown imitation leather proves the match with the backrest as belonging to the original equipment(photo: Löwe) [Kann es sein, dass das Bild fehlt?]4 Backrest, driver' cab; the thin structure due to lack of space left by the tank (photo: Tränkner)

5 Imitation leather back rest, detail; very degraded behind the driver’s seat

6 Imitation leather cover of the bench seat; detail of seam (photo: Löwe)7 Objects from the box under the rear bench seat (photo: Schlasse)

8 Rear bench seat of passenger area, folding mechanism (photo: Menzel)9 Front bench seat of passenger area, box underneath as addition. Seat can be folded up to the backrest for goods transport, a feature of the multi-purposeuse (Photo: Schieck)10 The folded seat is space-saving and can easily be removed altogether (photo: Tietjen)

SEITE 91 Front from the front, right; deformed panel obstructs door closing and detracts from the uniform appearance of the bodywork (photo: Karp)

2 Front from the front, right; panel beaten out, so the shape is restored and the door can be shut; complete reshaping was not intended, so as not to hide thetraces of the past; the loss of lack during beating out was minimal (photo: Karp)3 Front, from the front, right, after repairing flaws; harmonious surface (photo: Berlin)

Riss = crackverletzte Oberfläche = damaged surfaceLoch = holeRostfleck = rust markDruckstelle = dentölige Verschmutzung = oily dirt

4 Floor covering in loading bay, area around the engine cover; measurements in the drawing (drawing: Garve)

5 Balatum floor covering, a substitute for expensive linoleum, condition before conservation (photo: Garve)6 Area for trial cleaning marked in drawing (drawing: Garve)7 Trial cleaning of balatum; oily layer removed to give the impression of used but cared-for condition (photo: Garve)8 Underside of floor covering; felt impregnated with bitumen (photo: Garve)

SEITE 10

1 Imitation leather cover of front bench seat in passenger area, careful historic repair indicates that former owners took care of it (photo: Tietjen)

2 Fixing the hard, sticking-up edges of the PVC material during conservation; retaining the old repair is part of the concept (photo: Tietjen)3 Imitation leather cover of front bench seat in passenger area: tear (photo: Tietjen)4 Tear mended almost invisibly; to the right of the black square on the photo (photo: Beuster)5 Wing, very deteriorated and dirty rubber material, corrosion (photo: Halm)6 Wing after disassembly, cleaning and material consolidation: condition after reassembling. No additions were necessary (photo: Halm)

7 Front bumper, before conservation; bent to the left and right of the numberplate to make it fit the rounded shape of the Gutbrod (photo: Grundmann)

8 Bumper, inner side; during blast cleaning using Natural Blast, pellets made from granulated walnut shells and fruit stones, the hard, thick corrosive layer

was removed and the chrome underneath revealed to be intact (photo: Grundmann)9 View of the underbody from the side at the front axle; leaf springs and wheel suspension from front to back of image; central tube frame across image,battery box on the front right. After conservation, metal surfaces were coated with protective wax, in parts inhibiting micro-crystalline wax (photo: Berlin)10 Wheel suspension with brake drum at rear left after conservation (photo: Linke)11 Underbody of driver’s cab, battery box before conservation (photo: Berlin)12 Wheel suspension with brake drum at rear left before cleaning (photo: Beck)



13 Underbody driver’s cab, battery box after cleaning, exterior (photo: Berlin)14 Fixing the inner side of the wing on the front right with metal mesh: during glueing with two-part adhesive (photo: Schach)15 Silencer; corrosive degradation and exposed asbestos (photo: Brandt)16 Silencer; stabilising corroded parts with metal mesh; asbestos bound with adhesive and sealed (photo: Brandt)

SEITE 11

1 Passenger area before conservation, looking towards the front; white paint peeling off ceiling, yellowed PVC curtains at the windows; white rods in the

foreground built in for use as camper-van (photo: Hermann)2 Large area of flaking white paint between the window and door of the passenger area; during alterations to the vehicle's use, the brown top coat in thedriver's cab was painted over with paint which did not adhere properly (photo: Schieck)3 Driver’s cab, sequence of ceiling paint layers; first primer and fill er, thin top coat of brown varnish with l ittle filler; hence intensity of colour (photo: Hermann)

4 Ceiling between door and window after fixing flaking paint and retouching remaining flaws (photo: Schieck)

5 View of the interior from the rear after conservation, before retouching large flaws on the walls; when seats and slatted floor are removed, a large loading byis available (photo: Linke)

1 Engine number visible after cleaning (photo: Voigtländer)

2 Light generator: view inside after removing lid; inset in the back of the engine block. Made by Noris company, type LZ 2a/75/100: LZ – light generator whichproduces 75 watts at 6 volts; during cleaning (photo: Linke)3 Differential with machinist company Carl Hurth logo, to be seen on a lid of the engine air cooling system (photo. Voigtländer)4 Underbody, steering linkage on the right next to the front wheel; torn rubber seal before conservation (photo: Berlin)

5 Carburettor Solex by the German Vergaser-GesellschaftMbH Berlin und Neuss, type 30 BFRH, from above, after cleaning (photo Voigtländer)6 Tank at the partition between driver’s cab and passenger area, after conservation inside and outside (photo: Gehrmann)7 Starter motor, Bosch, type CDD 0.4/6 l; steel housing with remains of black cellulose nitrate varnish (photo: Halm)

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