Davo found one of these VW notchbacks before I did. I know there’s one or more in Eugene, but I just never caught up with it, which is hardly a reflection on their speediness. Unless they’ve had engine upgrades, which realistically 95% of them have. The 1500 was a really big deal when it came out in Germany in 1961; after decades of dithering and endless prototypes, VW finally came up with an answer to all of the Beetle critics. The result was a mixed bag, and since I just happen to have a C/D review of one handy, I’ll share the highlights.
Somewhat oddly, the 1500 was never imported by VW to the US, as they were production-constrained until their new plant opened in Emden. In 1966, the 1600 arrived (legitimately), but only in fastback and squareback (wagon) versions. But that didn’t keep gray-market dealers from importing the 1500 notchback. It was a hot item among VW-philes at the time; kind of like when Honda introduced the bigger Accord after the Civic built up a similarly enthusiastic following.
The 1500 was obviously very much a VW under the boxier skin: the engine was reconfigured into the “pancake” layout with the blower fan now mounted at the rear of the block. That means there’s actually a flat luggage compartment under that rear lid, which with the larger front compartment addressed one of the Beetle’s biggest shortcomings.
A wider rear track (but still swing-axle), bigger brakes, a front sway bar, and a more powerful 65 hp twin-carb engingine in the 1500S version combined with the drastically better visibility and somewhat better interior room to make the 1500 driving experience feel more up-to-date, for the early sixties. And VW’s superb material and build quality was still on full display.
The driving experience was still a mixed bag: better than the Beetle 1200, by a pretty good margin, but the competition was closing in all a round, and the basic VW configuration was showing its limitations: handling quirks, performance, fuel economy, cramped quarters, etc. If it had appeared in 1958, it would have been hailed as a brilliant Porsche sedan. Here’s my CC on the 1600 fastback.
From the rear it makes me think; “Baby Mercedes.” Which to my mind in the styling department is a good thing.
It’s a sharp styling job for sure.
I saw one of these being used as a daily driver in Seattle back in the 80s and 90s. It was blue, and always looked striking to me. Nice design.
The only place I’d ever seen one, was in the VW section of the J.C. Whitney catalog! The section was marked with outlines of the Beetle, Type II and Type IIIs…I was fascinated that there was a Type III sedan, as well as Fastback and Squareback.
I had a low-grade fascination for these cars as a twelve-year-old…air-cooled like a Beetle, trunk forward and load space in the rear. A friend’s grandfather, who also lived in the neighborhood, had a Squareback that he used as a daily driver…his pride-and-joy was his ’55 Cadillac. Not that he got much joy out of it; the plates were five years lapsed, and he had it covered with throw-rugs and light garage trash. The old guy would take it out once a year or so; put gas in it (I expect he drained the tank in the garage, first…gotta have fresh gasoline in it; never know when we’ll need the Caddy for a special event…)
But the Squareback…the dash, to me, bespoke a proletarian luxury, with those round pods. The car was practical; and based on the Beetle, surely fun to drive. Ah, how myths die hard…today, the Type III looks like what it is, a Recovery-Era Euro-car, made for people with less disposable income and less lofty ambitions…
Sometimes memory is a very confusing thing to have. I know I saw these cars regularly but cannot recall where. I was in Canada in 65 and 66. Possibly there. Oh, well. It doesn’t matter. They were sharp and, I agree that it would have an excellent intro in 1961 and could have been done a lot earlier if anyone had chosen. i really never did care much for the fastback.
I remember a few of these in Eugene in the ’60s. I didn’t realize they were gray-market.
We had these in Canada starting mid-way through the 1962 model year. My grandfather ( a long-time Dodge guy) bought one right away, then two years later upgraded to the Squareback. That was the first of a few Squarebacks in the family, along with many other aircooled VW’s.
The notchback was one of my favourites.. probably a 1965 vintage would be my top choice.
The one in the pictures above looks like a grey-market Euro import, as the Canadian cars had red rear signal lights and no sidemarker/ signal on the side of the front fender. Looks like a ’63-’65, but can’t recall exactly the year-to-year differences within that time.
Even after all these years, the notchback still looks a little odd to me…which I chalk up to the comparative ubiquity of the Fastback and Squareback Sedans in their day (because after all, the Microbus/Combi was marketed here as the “Volkswagen Station Wagon”).
So it’s me, not the car…which is actually quite well proportioned.
Every once I awhile I’d see one ’round my neighborhood (north of Pittsburgh) as a kid, or sometimes I’d see one in a car mag. They were much more common in Canada when I lived there for a couple years at the end of the 60’s.
The Type 3 was a similar story to the Honda Accord, but over a decade earlier. Super success with a small car, what next? A slightly bigger, more powerful and more luxurious car, but not giving up on the basic layout and build quality was the answer.
Unfortunately for VW, but fortunate for the rest of the car industry, the air cooled engine’s days were numbered by emissions standards. Fortunately because VW pioneered the first to mass produced EFI in 1968, at least for the US market, paving the way for everyone else some 20 years later.
My father had a Squareback, with the luxury options of automatic transmission and dealer-installed air conditioning.
Paul, have you ever spotted a Type 3 Karmann Ghia in Eugene? Even in LA they are extremely rare.
at first glance, i thought it was some kind of mg coupe. never knew these existed!
Nice choice of visual aid, SAM. Love that model & those MBs weren’t bad either!
Love the design of this notchback. Normally a fastback fanatic, the lines on this VDub are so nice and natural. baby mercedes, indeed.
We had the fastback when I was a little kid, I had never seen one of these in flesh until I was in Germany in the late ’70’s. Even then, they were oldtimers, and many of them were in the back of the VW dealership in the town I was staying in. They were being taken off the road due to the strict German safety inspection system.
In my part of Ohio, all of those cars would have been completely road worthy, as there was little surface rust. But apparently there were bigger structural issues with the cars, and were not fit for Autobahn duty. I think I would have liked one.
Here’s the 1965 that the wife & I owned back in the late 80’s.
Also owned a 63 & had a friend that owned a 62 that when the VIN Number was check through VW Archives it was found to been produced in Sept 1961.
Wished I still had mine but w/two messed up knees & a bad back I couldn’t drive it any more…
When I learned to drive , it was in my dad’s 71 squareback , 4 speed manual. It was dark blue . Our neighbor’s kid had an early 60s notchback that he had painted yellow. It looked pretty sharp.
Friends of mine had a squareback in the early 70s. Even then it felt like an old (er) car with it’s odd, through the floor gas, brakes, and clutch pedals and steering that was both precise and yet wooden in feeling.
These cars were/are well built, but that’s the best you can say for them. Cars like the Datsun 510 and Toyota Corolla and Corona did as much to spell their doom as the limitations of the rear engine or air-cooling.
Imagine shopping for a small German sedan and having this and the BMW 1600 to chose from….
A rare sight indeed
There was a comparison drive report in a German classic car magazine about 3 years ago. They compared it with the Opel Rekord and Ford Taunus.
One comment stood out for me because it was so unexpected: they found the Type 3 to be the quietest of them on the Autobahn because the engine was in the back. Hmmmm maybe they drove that thing faster than sound?
Probably not! 🙂 But rear engine cars back then were generally quieter than front engine cars, because the engine was typically further removed and better isolated from the passenger compartment, especially for the front seat occupants. The rear occupants: maybe not so much so.
Also, the lack of the exhaust and drive train noise emanating from under the floor also made them quieter. This phenomena was pretty well accepted and understood at the time to be one of the advantages of a rear engine car.
Modern front-engine cars largely solved that problem by improved technology and much greater attention to sound deadening. Back then, just about the only thing that separated the engine in front from the driver was the sheet steel firewall, and maybe some sound deadening/carpet mats; usually not very much in economy cars.
Thanks. This does make sense, but as a youngster I did not notice that.
I had one uncle who moved up the corporate ladder in a pulp based factory. He was the only one with a car in the extended family for quite some time of my childhood. I recall the Reseda Green VW oval window which was replaced with a type 3, followed by an Audi 100 LS. As a thrifty MBA he upgraded about every 10 years. Yes, I was riding in that Type 3. I remember when my cousin borrowed the car to put up posters for a rock concert that he organized. We plastered half of Baden-Württemberg.
By the way if you like to keep your German fresh go to Youtube and search for Rainer Günzler. That’s how a real auto test is done.
The Type 3 was very quiet inside, the rear suspension, engine and ttansmission all being carried in a subframe, rubber-mounted to the floorpan and body. This combined with decent thick insulation round the engine, an effective exhaust silencer, and the cooling intake being ducted from the rear valance, made for an extremely quiet interior.
That green notchback looks very familiar. I’d almost swear I’ve seen that exact car tooling around Southern California- maybe at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank or Ruby’s Diner in Redondo Beach.
Did Davo mention his location?
Knowing that Davo is really our own Dave Saunders, current COAL writer! send him an email through Paul or Perry.
Sorry, I’m not Dave Saunders, but have been know as Davo. I live in the Los Angeles area. The photo was taken in Chino one day when I happened to be passing through.
Another car I never knew about thanks for enlightening me .Were they imported to the UK?
They were indeed. My dad bought a 1500s new when they were first released and had lots of problems with it. Oil leaks, carb issues and plenty more.
He learned a valuable lesson, never buy a new car that is literally new to the market, let others be the guinea pigs !
It could be worse my Dad bought the first Allegro!Oil leaks water getting in the car(and out of the radiator)electrical problems,split seat seems and blemishes in the paint meant this was a first and last purchase from BL.He’s still kicking himself 41 years later!
I honestly never remember the type 3 notchback at the time as my interest in cars (same today)was the big 6 cylinder Fords and Vauxhalls,Jensens,Bristols and other Euro American exotica and the American cars from the USAF base near my Grandparents
UK Notchback imports started in 1961 upon model launch, but pretty much stopped upon the introduction of the Fastback in August 1965, though I’ve seen a couple of RHD ones on D and E-reg years ago so they may have been available special order for a year or two after. Only the Fastback and Variant appeared in catalogues and showrooms after ’65 though. (both on sale to the end of production in ’73)
A Porsche sedan…could not describe it any better
A German kid I knew at school rode in one his parents brought it with them when the immigrated, but I’m not sure if they sold here new, I had a Corgi or Dinky model VW sedan and the TL 1600 fastback.
One of the disadvantages was the shallow rear trunk in the notchback, where the Fastback and Squareback had more. Could be one reason VW didn’t officially import them. I learned to drive in my dad’s 71 Squareback. Driving a stick shift came naturally to me. My brother had a harder time with it.
Hello, I’m from Brazil and here there was a car derived from type 3 but with four doors. Officially this car called VW 1600 four doors, and his nickname was Zé do Caixão (something like Coffin Joe) because the car was square and looked like doorknobs handles coffin. I have a 1970, follow the pictures.
Yes, these were an interesting derivative. Nice car!
The car from Brazil looks looks similar to a Renault Dauphine. I like VW do Brazil. They had a lot of their own versions of VWS. Some like this one , a slightly different style. They had a different VW Transporter that had a 68-79 style front and 50s and early 60s style rear side windows and back door.
Front…
The 1st pic of the rear three quarter looks like a Trabant.
Never owned a Notchback, had a beat to hell 64 1500S Squareback sunroof with a lot of rust, even in the roof area by the back window. There was not enough duct tape on earth to keep it from leaking in the rain. Used a bungee cord wrapped around the handbrake to keep it from popping out of 4th on the freeway, around town you had to hold the lever to keeping it from popping out of 2nd. Leaked a lot of oil, high mileage engine. It had drum brakes all around. It was beat, but it served me well for a couple of years when money was short, and it kept running for very little money. Drove it 90 miles a day round trip for two years to work. Hand a much nicer 66 Fastback that I bought for $300.00 in the early 80’s. Engine was in a box, after I rebuilt the engine and got an Earl Schieb paint job, first me, then my parents, and finally the next door neighbor owned it in that order over 10 years and 100K miles. The stock dual carb 1600 ran pretty strong, had no trouble getting up to 90 MPH. Was a good car, much quieter, smoother riding and roomier then a Beetle. The one thing I didn’t like was that they are very unstable in crosswinds, not as bad as a Bus but worse then a Beetle. I guess the longer front end has more area to be pushed around by the wind. Nice find.
I was at a big VW show in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where my Mother lives, in early July and, well, amongst what were easily more than 200 cars from as far away as Quebec and Illinois there was not one Type III (no Type IVs either, which I expected but always look for as my Dad had a 1972 411 sedan and most of my learner’s permit driving days took place in that eccentric and appealing (and, truth be told, not very good) car. Learned a lot about cross winds).
I have seen one 1966 Squareback recently, modestly customized and sort-of restored, here in Dallas at a local show-and-shine. And that’s probably it for the last two decades…
As a little kid circa 1971-72 I remember a neighbour’s Dad had a red 68 Squareback, and I recall riding around in the back with my buddies whilst his Dad played a Partridge Family tape on the underdash 8-track (Poor Dad. Poor us.). And all through the 70s and 80s there were lots of these on the roads…
I do like them, even though I well recall how they weren’t considered all that great at the time compared to Datsun 510, Toyota Corona, and the Renaults and Fiats of the day. But they outsold them all, such was the power of VW in North America back then….
Makes me think of the Borgward Hansa cars, obviously different engineering but concept is much the same. A quality small German car.
Clearly takes or borrows heavily from the Hansa 1100 idea of ten years earlier.
Borgward engineers found employment with the VW?
Had a neighbor round the corner back in the early ’60’s who had one of these.
I seem to recall that it was badged as a “Variant” model. Which to my budding 2nd grade parochial school mind was like “Deviant”, hence their rarity.
Fun little cars , the tail light lenses on the first picture indicate it’s a 1500N , with the single side draft carby in the middle….
The most excellent steel sun roof was introduced on this model and would up in Beetles in 1964 and eventually even early Rabbits used it .
Made easier repairs on old Beetles through the 1980’s & 1990’s when Junk yards were full of scrapped Rabbits .
We had a R.H.D. 1964 Notchback 1500 S from Japan, a really fun little car in that famous blue-green original color .
-Nate
I wasn’t aware the notchback was never officially imported…seems like quite a few ended up here though! Was it easier to import a gray-market car back then, or did they cross the borders from Canada/Mexico?
-BOTH-
Mostly they came in from Canada as Canada has the same lighting and MPH speedo used in American Spec. vehicles .
-Nate
The Notchback is my favorite VW, with the exception of the Type 34 which had a similar look to the Corvair.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Karmann_Ghia#Type_34_Karmann_Ghia