solved - als097 - Denzel aka Volkswagen WD Equipment with fiberglass body

[als15]

What is this spider, for one point?

[Willie McCrum]

I'm told by a normally reliable source that it might be a Denzel, but as I've never seen a real one....

[als15]

Yes, it's indeed a Denzel. And unless your source is Google's "search by image", the point is your.

Can an admin, please, merge it with a similar puzzle already solved?

[Willie McCrum]

No Google images involved. Just a friend who HAS seen one !

[Carnut]

There have been a handful of Denzel puzzles before but I don't think any of them have been the same as this car.
I wonder if this was a very early prototype, although it doesn't look identical to pictures on the web of some of the earliest ones to me.
I'll leave it for the moment, but I think Denzels should have a model name as well, e.g. 1500 S or Super 1300.   I did find one which was supposed to be a prototype named the WD Super Sports, which was shown at Geneva in 1953, but it wasn't the same as the puzzle car.  In fact I haven't found another one with that small lid to access the front compartment..

Maybe Wendax can throw some light on it?

[als15]

Unretouched picture, with original Austrian license plate, if can help.

[Wendax]

To me it looks like this one recently posted as a puzzle:
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=29560

[Carnut]

Similar, though that one has small extra vents in the front (for brake cooling?) plus the lid for the front compartment is much bigger.  I note that is the onlly 4-seater but can't tell how many seats als's Denzel has..
I'm not satisfied it's the same car!

[Wendax]

Another early Denzel with the same small bootlid, but nice position lights as well as a roof that seems to be a plexiglas one.

[Wendax]

Another early Denzel:

[Wendax]

The puzzle car is quite interesting, because the number plate is not mentioned in Martin Pfundner's Denzel book. I think it might be the sixth Denzel built.
The car in reply #9 is the third Denzel built, the first one with doors.
The car in reply #8 is the fourth one built.

I have a picture of another mistery fiberglass Denzel. It has reinforced window pillars, probably added later when the bodywork began to weaken. I think this may also be Denzel #6 at the end of its life.