Schwimmwagen Type 166
The Schwimmwagen, an amphibious vehicle derived from the Volkswagen Beetle conversion, was put into mass production for the Wehrmacht in 1938 under the name Kübelwagen (translated as “bucket-car”). Erwin Komenda, a car body designer working with Ferdinand Porsche, developed this variant in 1940 to add an amphibious capability.
The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen, a light four-wheel drive car, was widely used by German ground forces during World War II, making it the most-produced amphibious car in history with over 15,000 units built. Initially prototyped as the Type 128, it went into full-scale production as the Type 166 in 1941, specifically for the Wehrmacht.
Production of the Type 166 Schwimmwagens totalled around 15,600 units between 1941 and 1944. The Fallersleben Volkswagen factory produced 14,276 units, while Porsche in Stuttgart contributed 1,308 vehicles, with bodies manufactured by Ambi-Budd in Berlin.
