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Known as the ‘bucket’ or ‘tub’ car, the Kübelwagen Type 82 was a light military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during WWI for military use. It was the axis equivalent of the “Jeep”, although the production over 50,000 which ended in 1945 was much less than its famous allied counterpart (over 650,000). Simple, reliable, rugged, with good cross-country performance, cheap and tailored for mass-production the Volkswagen Kübelwagen was everything needed for a versatile standard liaison/staff/recce/utility vehicle on the battlefield. The Kübelwagen was simplicity itself. With a two-wheel-drive configuration so successful to cope with snow, ice and mud, the vehicle surprised even those in charge of the development. In some tests, it showed even superior handling characteristics than some 4x4s. This was due to a combination of a lightweight chassis and smooth, flat underbody which "surfed" on soft surfaces just like a motorized sled, allowing it to follow tracked vehicles without much trouble.

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the Porsche Car company, was a genius designer whose design ideas have influenced many today. He has designed the Beetle, the Elephant heavy tank destroyer, the Type82 Kubelwagen, the Type166 Schwimmwagen and Lohner-Porsche Mixed Hybrid, the world's first car powered by hub-mounted motors in the wheel.. While Ferdinand Porsche was designing , Adolf Hitler was waging war across Europe and plunging the World into chaos.