Yes, Mr Anthony Briffa has owned his split screen pick-up truck for the past 42 years!  Could it be the longest period a VW has stayed with a single owner in the Maltese islands?  The van is still running its original engine and has covered 135,049 trouble free miles, the engine has never been rebuilt.

Mr Briffa has owned the pick-up from new, ordering it from Continental Cars back in 1957.  The Continental Car showroom was then located behind the Empire Stadium in Rue D’Argens.  In 1957 Continental’s  showroom was full of new Oval window Beetles and Split-Screen VW Kombi vans. However, Mr Briffa needed a commercial van for his carpentry business.  So he ordered the pick-up, which duly arrived from VW in October 1957.  The purchase price at the time was Lm 720 with a deposit and payment by regular installments.

On the 19th October 1957 the van first took to the road and was immediately put into service.  Mr Briffa ran a successful carpentry business in Paola and used the van to collect timber and diesel fuel for  his workshops.  In the late 1950’s the local power station could not supply enough energy to local businesses therefore Mr Briffa’s woodworking machinery had to be belt driven by diesel motors. 

The carpentry business was kept busy producing 1960’s style wooden deck chairs, garden chairs, sun loungers and wooden balconies.  It was also the period before modern electricity wiring and carpenters actually made wooden trunking to cover the wires, which were exposed on the wall in your home.  All the finished goods were loaded onto the pick-up truck and delivered to waiting customers.

It was not all work, once the van took 23 people on a short holiday trip to Gozo, three in the cab and twenty people on the back !  with luggage safely stowed in the under-floor compartment. Can you imagine the van climbing up to Mellieha on the way to the ferry with just a 1192cc engine.

There was unrest in 1958 when a general strike was called.  The van was out delivering goods on the strike day but by the afternoon it was safely locked away in the workshop, in case militant strikers should damage it.

The 1957 pick-up was originally supplied with a yellow/olive green two paint scheme.  The cab has a long bench seat and, for plenty of fresh air, the two front windcreens actually hinge outwards (called safari windows). The gear lever is straight, unlike the long bent shifter on later splits. There is no petrol gauge but a reserve fuel tank can be opened using a knob located just below the front seats.  In 1957, semaphore indicators were used, they pop out of the body like hands.  Under the pick-up area is a large enclosed compartment.  This is accessed by placing a huge key (called the Church key) in a side loading panel, which then hinges open. You might notice from the pictures that this van has the original early style bumpers too.  Lift the engine lid and you will see a small hole, the starting handle fits here and can be used to hand crank over the engine, if it will not start.

The van has been repainted in a different two tone colour scheme and later rear lights/front indicators were fitted.  The rear engine lid has been replaced twice, it was bumped into by English tourists driving hire cars.  At one stage a monk even reversed into the van in his Morris 1000.

Mr Briffa is now a retired gentleman and has decided to pass the van on to a new home, so I became the lucky second owner. The van now awaits restoration to its former glory and is in the workshop parked next  to its cousin .... my 1957 Oval Beetle. I am collecting the missing & damaged parts, at VW Euro (see article) a replacement steering wheel was found, new original stock (NOS) 1950’s glass rear lights + Church key were  purchased too. I also have the large VW emblem for the front.  Now I just need a set of 6 volt semaphore indicators to start restoration.  If anyone has working/non working indicators I would be grateful to buy them.

Lastly, many Thanks to Joe and George for the ‘extra’ workshop space and the V-Dubs Club ‘CREW’ who helped get the van into its new home.  Thanks too to Mr Briffa who took good care of his van.

Kevin Widmann