Sweeping VW Success In Africa

In the 1954 Coronation Safari, a very tough 2,000-mile competition run at speed over indifferent roads and sponsored by the East African Standard, the first five places in Class A and the Team Prize were taken by Volkswagen cars. The East African Standard reports:

“And in they came in one of the most impressive demonstrations of high-speed regularity and reliability in motoring history, No. 1 Volkswagen at 4.28. No. 2 at 4.30, No. 5 and No. 6 at 4.36 and 4.38, respectively. No. 8 at 4.42 and No. 12 At 4.50 p.m., three of them within fractions of a second and the rest within seconds of scheduled time. Their eliminating test times varied only between 18:1 and 19.1 sec. The triumph was complete; to comment would be superfluous; to praise be a gilding of the lily.”