The Escudería
Before talking to you about Ramón Oliver's Special Volkswagen Roadster, I have to tell you how I discovered it. Because this is the story of how what at first would have been just another Saturday afternoon, ended up leading to everything a Spanish automobile discovery. And I know that I am not the only fan who takes advantage of watching old movies to find the odd interesting vehicle, since outdoor filming is usually a faithful witness to the motorized fleet of each era.
The case in question happened in March 2018, when in a practically unknown Spanish film titled “Weekend” (Pedro Lazaga, 1964) which at that time was being broadcast on TVE, a spectacular two-seater roadster made an appearance during a couple of scenes. I immediately took some photos to see if I was able to recognize it for later. consult in national and international forums.
Nobody came up with the answer, the hypotheses were diverse, from a fiber kit-car to some creation beyond the extinct Iron Curtain due to similarities with certain Tatras y Škoda of competition. Personally, like many other fans of the brand, he saw more closeness to Volkswagen-Porsche, since headlights and wheels, common to both, seemed to come from these. Everything was a mystery and the doubt remained there for six long years.
THE GRANDSON OF THE CREATOR APPEARS
In early 2024, I was receiving an email from a person who seemed to know the answer to all my questions. It was about Mr. Juan López Oliver that, as a result of chance, I had seen the entry of my Personal blog on one of those many Facebook pages dedicated to vintage cars. He reminded her of a car that his grandfather had made and that I only knew from family photos.
After consulting it with his uncle, who had collaborated in its creation as a child, and comparing it with personal photos from the time, It did not take much work to affirm that, indeed, It was the same copy. Even so, and to clear up any doubts, he decided to contact me to make sure and you can't imagine the impact it had on me to receive those black and white photos for the first time to certify the obvious.
From here he wanted me to take care of making known the work of his grandfather, Mr. Mr. Ramón Oliver López, as a tribute to a authentic sheet metal artist. The greatest possible documentation and information began to be collected through relatives who experienced the story directly, and even original negatives were discovered not yet revealed that, thanks to this, they would finally see the light.
CONFIRMED: VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE BASE
Those initial suspicions were correct; both the mechanical parts and the frame had been donated by a Volkswagen. It is well known that the platform of Volkswagen Type 1 It offers a versatility not seen in other vehicles, which is why for decades it has been used to carry out all types of transformations; from friendly beach buggies to sports cars, including countless replicas and kit-cars. Specialized companies such as Rometsch, Dannenhauer&Stauss, Denzel or Enzmann They used their chassis to produce short series of sports cars which today enjoy high prices.
We cannot forget the famous Lindner, a model built by hand in the former GDR from a military Volkswagen (Kübelwagen) that survived the war imitating the lines of the Porsche 356 and that currently occupies a place in the history of both brands. Our protagonist, Ramón Oliver would take this same resource while working in a company dedicated to coachwork Bus en Tangier.
As an obligatory historical review, Between 1912 and 1958, northern Morocco belonged to the Spanish Protectorate, while the south French Protectorate. In 1923 the Tangier International Zone whose government and administration fell into the hands of a commission of several countries. Located in the north, at that time it experienced a time of economic prosperity thanks to very liberal trade policies, becoming, in addition to a tax haven, a cosmopolitan city. In the 50s, more than 20% of the population was Spanish of a total of 200.000 inhabitants. In October 1956 It would be dissolved to rejoin Morocco after its independence was proclaimed.
THE STORY OF RAMÓN OLIVER
Driven by that image of prosperity, Ramon Oliver Lopez (1923-1998) After having worked with his father taking care of a farmhouse and learning the mechanic's trade, he made the decision to look for a better future in Tangier, away from your Almería native. With a salary of 90 pesetas a week (0,54 euros) he was barely enough to support his family. Married with a small child, he packed his bags in 1949.
His beginnings were hard, doors were closed to him every time he showed up as a mechanic, to the point that for a while he was sleeping on the floor of a bakery. Finally, accepted a job as a sheet metal worker in a workshop Opel despite his lack of experience. There he not only learned the trade, but he quickly stood out for his innate skill. Already then he earned in one day what in Spain would have meant a week's work. The fame of his skills crosses the doors of the workshop and You will start receiving offers from other companies.
Encouraged by a salary increase, he will leave Opel to join a company dedicated to building urban buses. Run by a Portuguese, it had a large staff of sheet metal workers, mechanics, upholsterers and painters. Taking advantage of old truck chassis, they transformed them into small buses in such an artisanal way that many times the final result came from the ingenuity or resources of the moment. Before long, Mr. Oliver would demonstrate not only mastery, but also inventiveness in metal modeling. As a reward he receives 135 pesetas in remuneration in a single day. Thanks to his new salary, she can afford for his family to move in with him. And this is where the mysterious roadster comes into the picture..
THE VOLKSWAGEN ROADSTER SPECIAL
En 1956 will receive a curious assignment: his boss wanted a exclusive car for recreational use. Starting from the basis of a Volkswagen type 1 (that is, a Beetle), outside of working hours and in collaboration with other company workers, a convertible two-seater sports car was shaped. Even his son, also named Ramón, who was only 9 years old, helped in the process..
Oliver conceived a design that personally reminds me of the Mercedes-Benz W196 Typ Monza Formula 1, that is, the version with faired wheels with aerodynamic body presented for the first time in the 1954 season to participate in high-speed circuits. Therefore, the integration into the most compact measurements of the VW chassis is surprising without losing fluidity. The roof over the front wings, the rear air intakes or the slight rear central ridge are some of the details that lead me to believe that Ramón Oliver was inspired by this model to shape his special creation.
Even the large VW badge placed on the “false” front grille that clearly indicates the origin of the vehicle. It would be an analogy to the three-pointed star of the “Silver Arrows”. The headlights inherited from the VW, as well as the general proportions of the body give an aesthetic closer to Porsche. For all we know, only this unit was built of the Volkswagen Roadster Special and its whereabouts, currently, are unknown.
RESEARCH WORK
Although we do not have data on the Volkswagen from which it was based, thanks to photographs from the time that show the transformation process, we can differentiate several elements to ensure that It belonged to the “Split/Brezel” series. (rear window broken). For example, the fenders with a longitudinal channel and rounded stops or the front axle with telescopic shock absorbers, suggests that it was a model presented between April 1951 and October 1952.
Other visible details such as the gear lever or the steering wheel also correspond to that era. We do not know if the mechanics received any type of preparation to achieve more power., since the standard 25 HP extracted from the 1.131 cm3 boxer seems insufficient for the spectacular nature of this body. It is assumed that the license plate it had at that time was the same as the Beetle, T-13113, corresponding to Tangier.
THE VOLKSWAGEN ROADSTER SPECIAL IN DETAIL
Analyzing the finished vehicle, which I would also like to call “Oliver Special”, highlights the presence of two small aerodynamic windshields, a solution more typical of a competition model. The lines, as I already mentioned at the beginning of the article, are reminiscent of a hybrid between Mercedes-Benz W196 Stromlinie or with a Porsche 356 / 550.
Even from Porsche 356 A couple of solutions are reproduced: the round cover that hides the chassis support point for the mechanical jack and the chrome molding that runs along the lower part of the body. The wheels were equipped with a fairly common accessory of the time: some hubcaps imitating spokes to give it a more sporty look according to the canons of that time. The original VW bumpers appear to have been mounted and dismounted as desired. Besides, everything indicates that the rear lights also took advantage, but, although there are no photos of the rear, they seem to be of the so-called "heart" type (with the brake light in a higher lens).
This type of pilot was not presented until October 1952, at odds with the rest of the visible donated elements, which indicate a Volkswagen manufactured at least a few months earlier. But It cannot be ruled out that it was an update added by the owner, quite common practice in this model. The original steering wheel would later be replaced by another with a central ring.
EVOLUTION
Subsequently, the two-seater will receive some changes. Due to the lack of practicality of the first, a new, wider windshield was installed, made up of two glasses forming an angle. A style reminiscent of the one used in the Jaguar XK120 among many other sports models from the early 1950s (including the America Roadster version of the 356).
Basically, it was a way to get a wraparound windshield and without much aerodynamic resistance due to the lack of technology to obtain curved glass. But also, thanks to this A removable rigid roof could be attached. (hard top) developed to quickly transform it into a coupé. Unfortunately there are no photos of the Volkswagen Roadster Special with this accessory installed.
During that time, the registration is different, being 3113-33 followed by the Arabic alphabet whose translation is Al-Magrib or Morocco. We understand, therefore, that This registration occurred after the dissolution of the Tangier International Zone and its annexation to the recently independent Morocco, that is, around 1957. But it is only a conjecture.
RAMÓN OLIVER RETURNS TO SPAIN
With the arrival of Moroccan independence and due to the climate of tension and insecurity at the time, Ramón Oliver and his family will return permanently to Almería in 1959, where he soon opened a small bodywork workshop in his neighborhood. It will not take long for him to achieve renown and in this way he will begin to receive orders for jobs that required above-average skill. There he repaired everything and if there were no spare parts, as was the case with many of the foreign cars, especially North American ones, that passed through there, Ramón Oliver's hands were capable of reproducing them without any problem.
Shortly after, due to urban planning, The workshop moves to another larger location which over time will become a reference point where several generations of future professionals will also be trained. But the idea of making his own car never left his mind. With the knowledge acquired with the Volkswagen tangerino wanted to make another unit for his personal use. Unfortunately, the Spanish bureaucracy of the time put an end to his dreams. Consulting with engineers, he realized that the Ministry of Industry required that he register as a manufacturer and the necessary procedures were going to be unaffordable for someone like him.
Thus, the idea of manufacturing a new sports car was nothing more than a mere chimera. After his death in 1998, the workshop will continue to be active under the direction of his son Ramón. Currently its facilities are very different from that humble neighborhood workshop, but apart from preserving the surname of its founder, the corporate image continues to use that Special Volkswagen Roadster as a witness to the talent left by its creator.
THE VOLKSWAGEN ROADSTER SPECIAL IN THE CINEMA
The great unknown is What happened next and how it came to appear in at least two films filmed in Spain. “Weekend”, the film that made me discover this unique two-seater, is a light comedy of manners, a representative genre of the national cinema of the time. Among the dozens of titles in this category, it is one of the least known, despite being directed by Pedro Lazaga and have in its cast Antonio Ozores, José Luis López-Vázquez and Manolo Gómez-Bur, that is, the usual ones at that time.
At Filmaffinity they give it a solid thumbs up, so don't expect much, just a nice and simple work to pass the time. It should be noted that, although the year 1964 appears on the technical sheet because it is its release date, looking at the covers of the magazines that appear in a scene, This would have been filmed during September 1962. The question is to know how this car, then with a provisional French license plate (in red with the Paris 75 badge) already appeared in Spanish territory and who was its legitimate owner. His stellar presence occurs in two scenes where he takes center stage in his own right. In them he is led by the popular Jesús Puente (1930-2000) with Elvira Quintillá (1928-2013) as a companion. In these scenes you can see that it underwent several modifications.
One of the differences it presents is the front defense, minimalist and integrated into the body, although it maintains the original rear. And more evident, the absence of any windshield. Thanks to being filmed in color, Now we know that the steering wheel was red.. The new decorative treatment also stands out, with the body painted in white with a central red stripe. As we already indicated, the license plate corresponds to a Paris tourist transit license plate. On the other hand, the yellow right headlight is disconcerting.
LAST APPEARANCE ON CELLULOID
And we have said that it is not the only film where the Special Oliver makes an appearance. For a very brief moment, so brief that it does not even last a second, appears at the beginning of the successful “Marisol Rumbo a Río” (1963). On this occasion he is just a mere extra in a scene that happens in a famous gas station in Madrid which at that time was staffed by a staff of young girls... as a marketing campaign.
You can see the raised hood with swingarm on the front. Possibly refueling since it is assumed that, as in the original Volkswagen and many other rear-engine models of that time, access to the gasoline tank was through the front hood. It is, therefore, curious that, in the course of just one year, this unique automobile is visible in two Spanish films. Fruit of chance? Would its owner be related to the world of Spanish cinema? At the moment it is another mystery, as is the whereabouts of the Volkswagen Roadster Special.
Text by Fernando Rodríguez González.
NOTE: : All vintage photos have been courtesy of Juan Lopez Oliver and the data about its history provided by Ramon Oliver Guirado.
