VOLKSWAGEN TUNING

Was the one of the first tuning factories in Germany who made tuning parts for the Volkswagen Beetle.

Dipl.-Ing.Gerhard Oettinger is the grounder of Oettinger Kraftfarhtechnische Spezial Anstalt

He started his work in his fathers garage with two workmen, with his technical skills he began to get more interest in motor engine sport.

In 1951 he started under the name OKRASA his own tuning firm in Friedrichsdorf

At the first Automobilausstellung at Frankfurt in 1951 was OKRASA present, at this time they where,

Standing together with Rometsch a famous coachbuilder on the IAA with a complete duel carburetor set

For the 25 bhp engine.

And two years later with Farm Filters and in 1955 also.

In 1957 Okrasa was for the first time standing alone on the IAA whit their own stand

Tougher with Fram filters Okrasa their one stand 1957

In 1957 Oettingers wife gave there first printed brochures away.

Oettinger took the possible costumers too the open space area on the IAA for a test drive in a OKRASA beetle.

The biggest break through was in 1951 when an American pilot of TWA took an OKRASA set back to the USA

And there, with his friends, he tested it successfully an they send there test result to HOT ROD and Special-Volkswagen.

That was the break through for the US marked from the a round 16000 engine parts that they hat build in the 50s, and after 1955 the most

engine parts were shipped to the US.

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This is the Okrasa beetle at the IAA .

This is VW TVS 1300/34- engine design by Okrasa in an export model

Okrasa build different types of engines

Oettinger build the first 1200 TS engines as street versions they were modification of the original cylinder heads with the original carburetor a Solex 28 PCI

He as also build engines with duel carburetors with the Solex 28 PCI only he changed the emulsion tubes and making special manifolds.

These engines had about 38 bhp and run 125 km/h.

A works man rebuilding an Okrasa engines with a chromemoly crankshaft note the inscription.

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In 1953 he developed the TSV 1300/30 an engine with duel carburetors the same as used on an early Porsche 356 and special twin-port cylinder heads with

Special manifolds and a chromemoly eight-dowelled counterweighted crankshaft.

Through the crankshaft it was possible tot give the engine a capacity of 1295 cc instead of the normal 1195cc.

The special designed cylinder heads had larger inlet valves 33mm and later on the 34bhp engines they where 34.5mm,

With a compression ratio of 7.8;1.

The carburetors where a pair 32 PBIC Solexes with Knecht air filters fitted on the special designed manifolds.

Cars fitted with the complete set had about 70 bhp and where running top speeds of 140 km/h are more.

Because you could also offer the 1300 TS/30, this one is the same as the 1300TSV/30 but whit out the

Chromemoly crankshaft and had a top speed of 120 km/h.

This a complete tuning set for a 30 bhp engine

The engine set could be fitted by Okrasa in Germany are some Volkswagen dealers did it there self.

When the engine was fitted, a Bosch VJU 4 BR 8 replaced the distributor

There was also an optional FRAM oil filter and cooler and the oil gauge was also option.

In oil gauge was the name of OETTINGER printed.

This is the option packed that you could order. This how the oil cooler was installed.

Oettinger hat also tuned Porsche engines in the late 50`s for races, in the same year he started this, they won the German

Meisterschaft.

At the end of the 50`s he had about 20 specialist who build about 20 engine sets pro week.

He kept divelping new engine parts and tried them self in his VORFHRWAGEN (test car).

In the beginning of the 60`s they started also to build the bus engines up for better preferment.

They are still in the Oettinger`s tuning program .

The first tuned bus was used in the rally SPA-SOFIA-LTTICH as a service car for the other rally cars ,

Till 1955 gerhard Oettinger

was active in motorsport.

Oettinger has build several rally cars in the late 50`s and 60`s for Scania-Vabis they where in Scandinavia the VAG dealer.

The cars where with the support of Volkswagen offered to the FIA and where homologation in the GT class.

In 1964 was the big event where 5 cars with Oettinger engines came to the start of the rally SPA-SOFIA-LTTICH.

They took the 7 and 8 place in the total classifieds.

The Belgian importer of VW was so imprested of this all, that he asked Oettinger to build a super KÄFER for street use are competition.

They called it the MACH 1, there where 200 sale applications whit in a half an hour.

After the news was out in Belgian .

There where 250 cars build in this style ,but after there was a press relays in Welt am Sonntag they went so furies at the

Volkswagen works that the Belgian importer had to come to the VW chef Nordhoff,and this was the end of the MACH 1.

In the press relays in Welt am Sonntag was standing that the real VW was now build in Brussel and that hurt at the Volkswagen works.

The first real beetle ready for delivery. `Here is Oettinger looking at the building of a MACH1 engine

They where all build with a special interior and white stripes.

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After the MACH 1 story Oettinger concentrated his work more to the American market

To get there a permanent dealer net work.

Oettinger also has build complete chassis with there famous engine for a sports car in Australian.

This car was called the ASCORT TVS 1300 GT. And never introduced to Germany

In 1969 there were 19 cars build and the production was canceled.

This is the ASCORT TVS 1300 GT Here are the works people moving the crate

With the parts for the ASCORT ready for shipping.

In 1967 Oettinger built the Chrommoly crankshaft with 78,4mm .

In the version with 1700 ccm was 80 hp and the 1800 ccm about 85 hp.

The firm APAL from Belgian build formula vee car for racing.

These racing cars could be offered with a Oettinger 1200 and 1300 ccm single port engines.

These engines where only balanced and build with original Volkswagen parts.

Also in the 70`s they built engines for the super vee they where rebuild VW 412 engines.

Here you can see the arrival of the Formel vee at OKRASA APAL racing kit

These cars could also be bought as kit in Belgian by Apal

Apal is also making buggys and the replicas of the Porsche 356.

This firm is still exits in Belgian.

Oettinger kept divelping the engine of the beetle .

In 1971 they build a new Chrommoly crankshaft together with special MAHLE hand made piston for the:

VW 411,VW BUS, VW/Porsche 914/4

The pistons and cylinders where enlarged to 1900 ccm .

In 1972 where engines available for the Beetle with 60 hp at 1600ccm cylinder bore,

And for the bus with 75 hp at 1900 ccm cylinder bore.

At the end of the Beetle area ,Oettinger build even engines with 70hp with a 1800 ccm cylinder bore

And 85hp with 2000 ccm and VW/Porsche engines with 110 hp at 2300 ccm cylinder bore.

In 1974 was a new area for Oettinger because the Volkswagen new line of cars were presented,

These cars where also available with Oettinger engines.

There was an agreement with the Volkswagen work that people could offer an Oettinger powered beetle at there local,

VW Dealer .

These cars where oft delivered in yellow with black trim.

Oettinger became the house tuner of the Volkswagen work.

This is a 1975 made in brazil PUMA.

The PUMA had a restyled engine by Oettinger because the original brazil engine was not

approved for the European marked.