Some cars are destined for CC-status and classic water-cooled VWs, despite their fragility, always seem to find someone happy and willing to keep them alive. That’s especially true of diesel engined-variants, especially rarer versions like the Rabbit pickup here, spotted by S. Forrest. A number of us might not be so tolerant of the modifications made it, but there are enough A1-chassis Rabbits running around with their Westmoreland front clips in tact. Actually, the earlier versions with the European front end are seen much less frequently, so to the purists I’d say, “if you have nothing nice to say…”
Having been built only in Westmoreland and Sarajevo, the facilities which produced these trucklets are dead, the latter plant no longer assembling full cars. Production continued in South Africa until about 2007, and I suspect that’s where the grille, complete with driving lights, was sourced. The long-lived nature of the A1-chassis Golf is a boon to its currents fans and as a lover of these cars, they’re always on my short list of what to buy next. Whether I’d be able to put in a TDI engine as this owner apparently has (believable because there’s enough commonality with the A3 platform where it made its debut in the Golf), I’m less sure, but its a combination of light bodywork, hauling capacity and torque good enough to lend substance behind the serious flat green paintwork. A more strictly urban get-up would suit my tastes better, but this Caddy is ready for battle.
Why do they call these “Caddys” anyway.
Had a cousin that borrowed his dads Rabbit pickup when we were kids, it was slow but fun to cruise around in.
In most other markets, the Rabbit was called the Golf — what better to call a carryall version of a Golf than a Caddy?
Sure, that fits. Something to carry one’s lawn mower and other stuff. You don’t need a behemoth Toyota Tundra to do the job. Sometimes a small truck can do the job just as well. 🙂
When VW finally changed to (in US) ‘Golf’ in 1985, the story was it means Gulf winds, Just as the Scirocco, Passat, though VW called Passat ‘Dasher’ and later ‘Quantum’ in US. VW stressed it was not named after the game. The names were supposed to reflect trade winds and such. But VW gave in later and even started putting ‘golf ball’ shift knobs on them. Here they were just called ‘Pickup’ or Rabbit Pickup’. It’s nice to see one preserved and used, not the way I would do it but does have a little more ground clearance now for a little off roading. I would love to get and restore one of these but the cab is just a little too small for me. The TDI engine swap would not be too difficult in one of these, it’s been done before.
True, but after adding the Polo and later the Caddy, I have to assume VW was in on the joke.
asking 10K and has 2 pics hahahhahaha
“if you have nothing nice to say…”
Would it be mean to say “if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade?”
In all seriousness, I think it’s great. If it were mine I would do the same thing.
That thing is great, and all the people who get bent when somebody else does exactly what they want with their own car can go get bent.
The only thing I’d change is the grille guard, and that’s because I don’t drive places where it would be needed.
Double Plus Good! There’s not many vehicles that don’t look good in a military olive drab scheme (at least to my eye!). The TDI conversion is only icing.
interesting choice for a bugout vehicle, too bad it’s not a 4×4… that would be cool. Love the bull bar on the front.
Weren’t there all wheel drive versions of some Golfs, or at least that platform? Would be cool if the owner had adapted that. 🙂
Also cool (sort of, I guess 🙂 ) is that if you look at Google street views for that intersection, the yellow car way in the background, parked beside that building is there too!
Hmmm, sometimes I can find where to click for a link in street views, sometimes I can’t. Anyway, this is the north east corner of Markham Street and Harbord Street in Toronto, looking south, when looking at the tailgate.
Second series had AWD from 86. There was the raised suspension version too, County from memory. Small numbers in Europe only, but I suspect there’s a couple in the US.
The G60 Rallye was the performance AWD with quattro style guards.
KJ
Golf Country, not County. County was a Range Rover trim level for a while. Or maybe you just left the ‘r’ out by mistake 🙂
Don’t forget the Ford County.
It’s certainly different from the more common GTI style conversions. BTW A3 and A4 engine swaps are fairly common, apparently the hot ticket in A1 conversions these days is a 5 valve 1.8T. Alternatively, go old school with a 2.0L B3 Passat block topped by the head of your choice.
Have always liked these……Don’t see any here on Cape Cod, anymore….They began to disappear late 80’s … early 90’s. A shame.
There’s a gray one with black wheels I’ve been seeing around here.
Seeing this “version” of the Rabbit pickup I have to wonder how many MORE units VW would have sold if they had pushed the truckiness instead of the cutsiness of this design. If they had used more “manly” colors instead of pastels.
Not crazy about the “brush guard” only because it looks too weak. And I’m still trying to figure out what it is with the roof rack.
That is really well done!
At first glance I expected it to be an actual German military vehicle, with “Bundeswehr” stenciled on it somewhere…
Great find!
A Google image search for “VW Caddy” yields some horrendous results. And this amusing camper.
I had two of those Mark I Rabbits (both 2-door hatches), the first built in Germany, the second in Westmoreland, PA. The German one, a first-year 1975 model, was junk. The second one was better but still not so hot compared to cars I had later. I’ve sworn off VW since, but I still like the looks of the Mark I (styled by Giugiaro).
Wow! I love it!
Needs a pair of .30 cal in the bed. 🙂
Nein!
If we are going to make this a German themed ‘Technical’ it needs a Rheinmetall MG3. 🙂
I like it! No, it isn’t a ‘real’ truck in that it would be hard pressed to keep up with even the lowliest 2wd 4 cyl Toyota p/u, let alone a beefy American rig such as a Ram 1500 4×4. But being off the wall, and having plenty of potential all its own, these are extremely cool. The bull bar seems to polarize opinions but most things that are cool do just that. I like that grille/headlight treatment a LOT, and the lifted suspension with widened steelies make this rig look like it means business. All in all, it gets a huge thumbs up for being different. Whoever put this together loves this rig a lot, which is easy to get sucked into.
Not a bad effort. Not feeling it for offroad though. I’d go with something more along these lines.
I always liked these- at least until I shoehorned my 6’4″, 230 lb. self into one and tried to drive it. My affection for them wore off pretty quickly afterwards.
So given that most “SUVs” are now unibody, many with car-based FWD origins (at least in the US, and based on what I’ve seen, in Europe and Asia as well) why aren’t these kinds of pickups making a comeback? If Porsche can sell SUVs, I bet BMW could sell a boatload of Mini pickups …
Someone is having some cheap, harmless fun with their car, and I’d also think not taking themselves too seriously. Those front boots look like a very tight fit, but really help functionally and with the look.