From 1924 to 1961, the Rometsch coachbuilding company produced not only cabs but also bodies for Borgward and VW. Best known are the coupes and convertibles based on the VW Beetle. Extremely rare are the Beetle cabs. These were VW Beetles that were lengthened and converted to 4-doors by Rometsch. In 1959, Rometsch brought out a convertible that was to be produced in small series in Berlin. This convertible had a handcrafted aluminum body. Each individual vehicle can thus be regarded as an individually designed work of art.

No wonder that celebrities spontaneously took an interest in Rometsch’s luxury liner when it made its debut at the 1950 Berlin Motor Show. Actor Victor de Kowa, for example, was among the first to pay a hefty 8900 marks for the Volkswagen in its aluminum tuxedo. Later, Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn joined them in the U.S. – which was extremely beneficial for sales of the luxury vehicle, which Berliners called a “banana” because of its curved beltline: Rometsch produced 585 special bodies between 1950 and 1961, starting in 1957 in a completely new, visibly Americanized form. From this cabriolet only 85 units were produced.

Berlin designer Bert Lawrence gave the new Rometsch tail fins, a panoramic windshield – and, among enthusiasts, the additional name to distinguish it from the Beeskow version: These late coupes and convertibles are called “Rometsch Lawrence.”