The big air-cooled VWs are not a common sight anymore, except those remaining in the hands of their devoted big air-heads. Horsepj found, shot and posted this 412 wagon at the Cohort, and it’s sporting Amerikaner-style holz on its sides. I’m going to guess that the “wood” is original; not from the factory, but a dealer-installed extra. It has a decidedly 70s vibe to it, and where would one get a wood kit for a 412 these days?
I called the 411/412 a Deadly Sin, although technically speaking, that’s really reserved for companies that killed themselves through their sins. But then VW was mighty sickly in the early-mid 70s, due to hanging on to their air-cooled cars for about 15 years too long. It took a near-death experience to shake them out of their air-cooled somnolence, and embrace the water-cooled future, thanks to Audi.
But out of all the 411/412 models, the 412 wagon is my favorite, and had some merits in its favor. The wagon body was of course versatile, with two luggage areas, thanks to its low pancake boxer four in the rear. And like all VWs of the time, the basic structure was a solidly built one. But the devil was in the details, and the Type 4 had more than its share of them.
I have always, always loved these. Then came the Dasher…..
Is there a single color that better represents the early 1970s? I think not.
And wow, I have never seen one of these with the plankage. I am generally not averse to Di Noc on wagons, but I don’t think it’s a good look on this one.
Have no problem with fake woodgrain, but that front bumper is, shall we say, unfortunate? Like they got their inspiration from either Checker taxi or, any state highway departments guardrail maker.
Never liked those much.
But the “Americanization” – or shall I say “Malibuization” – of its looks is disenheartening to watch.
Total agreement. The plastic applique looks terrible, particularly on this VW. It is akin to the vinyl roof treatments being applied to cars not designed for them – YUK! What caught my eye about this article was its title, “Holzwagen.” I could not imagine what VW ever had wood exterior treatment. Now I know. Ich darf zu ausbrechen!
“ich darf zu ausbrechen” ?
I too had a liking for the Type 4, especially the versatile wagon. But a Volkswagen Country Squire? No. Please, a thousand times no.
Well, there had to be somebody, and I guess it’s gotta be me. I actually like it.
The car itself is so ’70’s, but the DiNoc is just a cherry on top for me. I know none of these ever came from the factory this way, but it doesn’t look any worse to me than a Pinto Squire or a Vega Kammback of the same period with similar treatments. I kinda love it, to be honest.
I’ve always wondered why the 411/412 wagon wasn’t a four-door, especially since it not only had a C pillar where one would be on a 4 door, but also a fender shut line.
I’d keep the woodgrain on this one, it may well be a “Rarest of the Rare” dealer accessory that’s been on the car since new.
This is the only 412 VW I’ve ever had any desire for, the wood is drawing me in.
Needs to be white and sporting a set of whitewall tires to be “perfect”.
I’ve owned a few VW built or branded vehicles but was never a big fan of the Type 3 and the 411/412 has always struck me as being an oversized Type 3.
This is interesting, but I’ll bet it has an automatic transmission, a real “deal killer” in a VW.
1 of the few VWs I’ve never driver, and never wanted to drive…ever.
I always liked the wagon version of these. When they came on my radar in the early 90’s they were pretty thin on the ground and I never had an opportunity to drive or buy one. By then any parts that were not shared with the busses was pretty much unobtanium, at least in Alberta where I lived at the time. From my experience with the type 4 motor in a couple of VW vans it was good at long as you changed the oil and adjusted the valves every 3000 miles. Although the parts were usually double what they wanted for the beetle.
As for the fake wood leave me out on that one. It could be a vinyl wrap that someone had made up as opposed to an original option.
I thought the first water-cooled VWs (K-70s) from the 1970s were originally NSUs. Was there another water-cooled car that saved them?
Audis and the Passat. The K70 was not a real success…
Wow that looks weird .
Typ IV’s are O.K., in a strange sort of way ~ one of my oldest VW Maniac Buddies is a serious Typ IV nutter .
I once hooked him up with a one owner little old lady’s low mileage 412 wagon for $150 , he repaired one broken wire to make it start and it’s been trouble free ever since .
-Nate
This 412 has the 1974 only big aluminum bumpers. One thing I noticed when these were new, they had a really high quality interior, thick padded carpet, woodlike dash inserts, old school heavy gauges, really had a quality feel. The steel was thick and doors closed with a solid thunk. The Dasher in contrast, had a much cheaper appearing interior and instrumentation, as would the Scirocco and Rabbit that were soon to appear. But they had yards of rot prone fuel hoses under high pressure that needed to be replaced on a regular basis, many would be seen burned out on the side of the road if this was not done. They really were obsolete when new, and had more then their share of service problems. They do have a fan base and it’s great to see nice examples still around today. This one has been upgraded with 3 point belts in the rear, the mounting points were there from the factory. Never had exterior “wood” from VW or was it offered as a genuine VW accessory.
The wood trim was a VWoA option. It came that way from the dealer.
I had the chance to test-drive an occasional 411 and 412 when they were still around and found them to be quite pleasant. But I’d never want one.
My folks were saddled with a 1970 type-3 Squareback for 13 unlucky years.
Beginning with frequent teething problems in it’s ‘experimental’ Bosch electronic fuel injection, it progressed to fuel-leaks, then multiple engine failures as it aged. By the time my brother inherited it in the early ’80s, he and a buddy had to pull the engine for the fourth time to replace the heads. I don’t think it even had 100K on it yet!
To be fair, the Premium Blaupunkt Frankfurt AM-FM radio in that car was excellent, and the automatic tranny was trouble-free.
As for where one would get a wood kit for a 412 these days – where would one get ANY parts for a 412 these days?
Happy Motoring, Mark
I remember that trim on the 412’s. I believe it was a dealer installed option.
The color combination reminds me of a Harvest Gold refrigerator and simulated wood kitchen countertops.
I don’t recall ever seeing a 412 with wood trim, but I do remember woodgrain-sided Rabbits. I’m pretty sure the wood packages were offered by VW of America and installed by dealers. In any event, this picture from the 1979 Chicago Auto Show features one of those woody Rabbits:
I’ve never confused a Rabbit for an Omni/Horizon. From a distance, this might create an exception. 🙂
VW Dealers did dress up new cars (especially in the ’70’s) with trim kits such as stripes and sometimes wood, but these were done by aftermarket trim shops. You would sometimes see these accessorized vehicles at new car shows as well.
I think this was a dealer add on, too. But I rather like it!
I like it too but I’m both old and weird .
I also like the 1969 411’s front end too .
-Nate
I remember when these came out. People looked at that long front end and wondered if VW had been designing it for front drive, but chickened out at the last moment.
This is the sort of situation where the frustrated product planner comes out and suggests that what was produced as the Audi F103 should have been a VW, with the Audi brand being relaunched with the more upscale 100.
Instead, the then new, state of the art Salzgitter plant was producing two developmental dead ends side by side.
Audi F103 promotional film, from 1965. Liquid cooled, 4 stroke engine, front drive, and handsome enough in a mid 60s German way. Already in hand. The frustrated product planner wonders why VW spent a single pfennig on the 411, instead of using what they already had.
They could have waited to relaunch the Audi brand with the 100 in 1968.
If the VW Type-4 could be compared to the Corvair, I always thought the Audi F103 had an even stronger resemblance to GMs upmarket 1961 compacts, like the Buick Special and Olds F-85.
The revived mid ’60s Audi was based on the DKW F-102, with a slant-4 high-compression push-rod engine designed by Daimler Benz replacing the DKW’s two-stroke 3.
Between 1970 and ’72, we got them here as the Audi Super-90 sedans and a 2-door wagon.
They had their own weaknesses, but were much easier to work on than the Type 3 and 4 VWs.
I had 3 of them during the ’80s.
With FWD, rack & pinion steering, inboard power disc brakes, 4-wheel torsion-bar suspension and about 90 DIN hp in a car little bigger than a VW Type-3, they were a pleasure to drive.
However, they sold here for about $1000 more than the Type-3!
Happy Motoring, Mark
I always thought the Audi F103 had an even stronger resemblance to GMs upmarket 1961 compacts, like the Buick Special and Olds F-85.
I think the F103 more resembles the Opel Kadette from the same time, from the ridge on the outer edge of the front fenders…
…to the vestigial tail fins at the rear.
they were a pleasure to drive.
However, they sold here for about $1000 more than the Type-3!
The proposition is the F103 offered as a VW, instead of the Type 4.
The NADA guide on line has original MSRP for older models. For 1970 models in the US market.
VW Type 1 (Bug) $1839
VW Type 3 (Squareback)$2499
VW Type 4 (4 door sedan) $2999
Audi Super 90 (4 door sedan) $3095
For one lousy Benjamin more than a 411, you could have an up to date model, rather than a throwback. The F103 was in production in 65. From what I see, the 411 didn’t come out until 68. VW could have adopted the F103 in 65 and driven a stake into the Type 4 development program’s heart before they had a lot sunk into it.
As Paul said, sinking money into the Type 4, especially when a modern alternative was already in hand, was a sin of company killing magnitude.
Was it overly conservative management in Wolfsburg, or management drowning in hubris that thought rear mounted air cooled flat fours would go on forever?
Just from remembering some Audi ads I’ve collected, the Wagon was the most expensive Super-90.
The front and rear fender areas curved downward towards the grill and tail-lights, like the ’61 GM compacts, and the roofline was more rounded than the Kadett as well. From the side veiw, the ’64 Kadett was far more boxy.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Just from remembering some Audi ads I’ve collected, the Wagon was the most expensive Super-90.
True. NADA shows msrp for a 1970 2 door sedan at $2,995, $3,095 for the 4 door sedan and $3,245 for the wagon. Really nothing that would have upset the VW product hierarchy in 65: the hair shirt crowd gets a Type 1. People with an extra $600 in their pocket get a Type 3. If they have another $500 beyond a Type 3, the difference between a Type 4 and an F103 is peanuts.
As for the styling, DKW was not exactly a styling leader. All VW appears to have done is revise the front clip. The more rounded roof was pretty typical for 1960, about when the F102 design process was starting for it’s 1963 release.
I believe about the time VW began production of the postwar Audi in 1965, they weren’t really looking yet for a radical replacement of their air-cooled rear-engine line-up. By 1970, safety and emissions legislation provided added incentive to develop new technology. But by then the F103/Super-90 had already been established as the entry-level Audi, and was to be phased out in 1972 anyway. So it was too late to change it into an upmarket VW.
Having owned 3 Super-90s, I can also say that they were of relatively expensive construction, especially compared to their replacement, the 1973 Audi Fox, which did form the basis for the FWD VW Dasher, and ultimately spawned subsequent generations of FWD VWs and Audis.
Happy Motoring, Mark
I believe about the time VW began production of the postwar Audi in 1965, they weren’t really looking yet for a radical replacement of their air-cooled rear-engine line-up.
I am sure you are right. In 65 only the early rumblings of front drive family cars were starting, the Renault R4 in 61 and the BMC ADO16 in 63. And Beetle sales were still trending up. German Beetle production didn’t peak until 69. Of course, by 69, there was a torrent of front drive models coming on market from Fiat, Simca, Peugeot, more models from Renault and BMC, which probably all started their development around 65-66.
As you said, by then the F103 was very long in the tooth. Perhaps something could have been put together on the Audi 100’s C1 platform, which was very close to the size of the K70 they did produce as a VW, and, by some accounts, the K70 cost about as much as an Audi 100.
The majority of VW’s competitors saw the front drive revolution coming in the mid 60s and were hard at work. Herr Nordhoff was being paid to see what Renault and BMC were seeing, and he missed it, or, maybe as was the case with Henry Ford and the T, he was so in love with the Bug, having nurtured it into life, he couldn’t let that architecture go.
That phake wood jest don’t belong. Even without it, though, I never liked these. To my eye, even when I was very little, they looked like a (bad) counterfeit Volvo Amazon wagon. A math tutor I had in grade school had one of these, and I remember how the headlamps used to dim at idle and brighten with engine revs, probably because the alternator and battery were so far away from the lamps.
Typ IV’s all had the battery underneath the driver’s seat making for entertaining jump starting as they aged out .
-Nate
I’ve always thought these kind of looked like Corvair Lakewoods from a parallel universe.
I’d like to see someone install a Subaru engine in one of these. Plenty of room for a (bottom-breathing) radiator up front. With the Subaru or a built Type 4 engine you’d have a real sleeper.
Such an awkwardly styled car… too much nose for not enough cabin. Fugly.