Old Volks home: Gary Collis with the Beetle he says survived Adolph Hitler’s order to destroy the car and other similar prototypes.
By Erin Pearson
THE WORLD’S only survivor of a Hilter purge against Volkswagen Beetles will feature in a new Fyansford museum dedicated to the marque, according to its owner.
Gary Collis has won a two-year extension to complete the museum six years after securing initial planning approval.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal granted the extension after hearing Mr Collis had “substantially commenced the development”, spending $400,000.
Mr Collis said factors beyond his control including the global financial crisis and the loss of his surveyor meant accomplishing his Volkswagen dream was taking “longer than planned”.
“Over the years some things have made it very difficult to complete the project,” he said.
“I still envisage a museum featuring my collection of very rare cars and a spare parts business for specifically older models such as Kombis and Beetles.”
Mr Collis said his pre-war prototype Beetle would take pride of place in the museum on Hamilton Hwy.
“The only other similar one around is the one Hitler was chauffeured around in. All prototypes were supposed destroyed during the war under Hitler.
“His was a convertible but mine is a larger version of a Beetle made for the upper-class.”
Geelong’s council tried to kill Mr Collis’s museum plan, arguing at VCAT that planning controls had changed since he secured his permit.
Extending his time limit was now “inappropriate”, council argued.
But VCAT member Dalia Cook described Mr Collis’s appeal as “unique”.
She noted that work had already commenced on levelling the site, construction of foundations, installation of steel framework and erection of tilt slab walls.
“Some six years have passed since the initial grant of the permit. Viewed objectively, the economic burden associated with the permit was not excessive.
