The Kong toy is a classic dog accessory, and pups go crazy for things that look like snowmen. Today, Kong is a fixture of the pet industry with a full catalog of toys for dogs and cats, but it all started in a Colorado mechanic shop in the 1970s. The story goes that the original Kong, called the Kong Classic, was modeled after a Volkswagen Bus bump stop. I found one, and yes, they look the same. But interestingly, Bramble the dog prefers the Kong version.
Joe Markham started selling dog toys in 1976, but before that, he fixed cars in Denver. Volkswagen even found a photo of his old store and put it on its newsroom website a few years ago. He seems to specialize in VWs, and even has a few odd custom Beetles in the mix.
Apparently, Markham’s German Shepherd Fritz is a big chewer, constantly putting things in his mouth and breaking his teeth gnawing on rocks. And I think one day while a Type 2 Bus was being partially dismantled for the suspension, the mechanic threw his dog into one of the vehicle’s bump stops and finally discovered something that Fritz could chew on without it was immediately destroyed.
Bump stops, sometimes called axle stops, are little rubber nubs that are like the last line of safety if your suspension goes down. So if you hit a big bump and you’ve used up all your suspension travel, theoretically, the bump stops will reduce some of that shock to the vehicle and may prevent the vehicle from destroying itself. Ideally, you’re not hitting your bump stops with any kind of regularity, even if you’re driving like crazy.
However, they are very stable for obvious reasons. If and when they get used to it, they will be hit with full force. So it makes sense that a dog would have a hard time chewing one. These old examples of VW buses are particularly chunky, too.
Both Kong and Volkswagen have confirmed the origin story of the Kong toy. You’ve probably read this before. I followed the thread a little further and found that the exact part in question is P/N 211 501 191; “rubber stop rear axle.” That fits Type 2 VW Buses from 1966 to 1979 and Type 3s from ’62 to ’66.
From there, of course, it was easy to find one on eBay, and I had it shipped to our garage in New York for about $12. Getting Kong Classic is easier; they are available online and usually at any store that sells dog products. They are cheaper than VW parts and come in different sizes.
Looking at the dog toy and bump stop, I found the visual similarity quite funny. I mean, they basically look the same, just packaged differently. But the modern-day Kong toy is actually easier to digest. The VW part is almost rock hard and bounces a bit, but the Kong toy has a nice give to it and it flies happily when you drop it on a hard surface. It also has two holes, instead of just one, and a larger interior cavity for storing treats or peanut butter-like snackable spreads to keep a dog entertained for long periods of time.
Most dogs love peanut butter, but you should only give them the natural stuff—standard peanut butters like regular Skippy and Jif can have other ingredients that aren’t good for canines. Kong also sells its own squeeze-cheese-style snacks that you can stuff with these toys.
Finally, I want to see if our dog Bramble will be as interested in the VW part as Fritz was years ago. Not him.her. I put the Kong and the VW part in for him, and he gave the bump stop a brief sniff, but basically ignored it entirely. As another, I strongly advise against giving your dog car parts to play with in general. Even clean ones can sometimes have greasy coatings or be made with toxic chemicals.
Bramble isn’t much of a chewer, and he spends a lot of time around car parts that he never touches. So I guess I’m not surprised that he doesn’t care about the bump stop. Once I put peanut butter on Kong, it was all over—he licked it clean and never came back to the car. He also liked Kong when it bounced and he could pounce on it. Moving targets are his favorite form of stimulation.
With that in mind, I can’t say he’s as obsessed with Kong as Fritz might be. She hasn’t played with it much since our photoshoot, through I know she’ll have her nose in it again next time I re-pack the inside with treats. Kong Squeakair tennis balls, however, that’s a different story. Brambles lives for those things. He probably makes me buy a three-pack every two months (he buries some, the lawnmower gets the rest). Not sure how easily I can do that in a story on a car blog, but I can give it a try. Maybe my Civic could use a Squeakair livery before the next hillclimb race.
