Every Sunday morning I head to Starbucks to do a little sketching and enjoy a really strong Americano. Here in Battle Ground, like so many areas in suburban Clark County, the automotive landscape is mostly littered with black/gray/silver SUVs, crossovers, and really big pickups. That’s what I will typically find in the local strip-mall parking lots.
This past Sunday, much to my surprise, instead of the de rigueur black Ford F-150 or charcoal-gray Explorer, I pulled in and saw this ruddy and well-worn 1961 VW single cab pickup*. I stood admiring it for a few minutes, taking photos with my phone (of course!). I was so taken by this little trucklet that it wasn’t until I got inside and looked back out, that I saw the A2 Jetta parked next to it. A two-fer! And not only that, both VWs. Since I’m more a Japanese car guy, I don’t know a lot about either of these two vehicles, so please, talk among yourselves!
*I was able to talk to the owner of the VW pickup and he confirmed it was a ’61.
Nice double-shot. I just saw a similar diesel Jetta up here in B’ham. It had Alaska vanity plates that read “NOSPRK.” Always loved those single cabs.
I might actually be inclined to take the Jetta over the pickup, at least as long as the Jetta has 3 pedals. And someone paid good money for that metallic paint.
On December 4th, 1963, the VW pickup was effectively legislated out of the US because of cheap chicken.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
It did make them too expensive for most buyers, due to the 25% tax. But VW dealers continued to get new ones to use as parts haulers, as they were exempt, I assume/presume. Maybe not? But almost every VW dealer had fairly new ones sitting around well into the ’70s and ’80s for this purpose.
1970 seems to be the last year they were imported
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/70commercials.php
As I recall I saw a couple of ’71 models being the newest dealers were using. But the dealerships kept them running and in good repair well into the ’80’s.
Agreed; I saw them for quite a few more years, but nothing newer than about ’70-’71.
So now we know there are a least 3 Mk2 Jettas this color with Wa. plates still on the road. I used to drive a crew cab version of Bus in ’74 for a dealership. It soon was replaced by a single cab ’68 . I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t mine! If the grill is original, judging from the rear badging its an 87, same year as the rear car.
I should mention I live in Vancouver, was in Battle Ground Monday. Shortly after this picture, a year ago, the ’87 was sideswiped and pushed into the curb, bending the right front wishbone and denting the front fender and both doors. Insurance paid $1800, I replaced the arm and pulled the dents the best I could. It looks like this after my $50.00 “repair”. Runs and drives fine, doesn’t look so great. Here’s a picture of it now, along with a bonus of my finger in the shot. I only paid $700 for the car 5 years ago, so I actually did OK.
Before repair.
Nice to meet a fellow CC-er from the area! Doesn’t look too bad in the far-away shot. I think it looks pretty nice for a $700 car.
It was very clean and straight, original paint and interior. No tears or dash crackes, headliner and carpets still good. The paint and velour interior wears like iron in these cars, my ’86 which I bought from original owner in 91 also is in the same good condition with everything original as well. When I bought the ’87 it needed rear brakes and wheel bearings, 2 tires, and had a bent rt wishbone and drive axle. So this is the second time I replaced the same side wishbone, but at least this time the axle didn’t get bent. Small world, fellow CC’r!
These MKII Jettas had really cavernous trunks which could swallow a lot of cargo.
Note to self: If I ever buy a T1 microbus or pickup, get one with a tilt steering column 🙂
And power brakes, LOL
Brakes? You don’t need no stinkin brakes on a vintage VW. That is what that orange knob is for.
The owner told me he’s had this for 30 years, so I guess he’s used to it!
Wow, a sealing wax red single cab splitty. I would love to daily this! One of my dream vehicles!
Looks like it could be Eugene. There’s a couple around here, not surprisingly, including in my neighborhood.
Funny you should say that. I later thought of adding a line, “Am I in Eugene?” but I had already submitted the piece for review and it was pending being posted.
Nice catch from other side of the Metro Area! I still am amused that Washington uses I, O, and leading Zeros on license plates while Oregon does not. Washington even uses the same die for O and 0 so I have seen several plates that look like AOLOO42 instead of AOL0042. I’ve also seen plates with four zeros.
At least the “I” has serifs so it doesn’t look like a “1”. Now that we have 7-character plates, I would suspect there are quite a few quad 0 plates around. I do, however, think it may be time for the state to come up with a new default plate. With no gap between the letter and number sets, poor old Mt. Rainier gets significantly upstaged. Also time to dump the red for the “WASHINGTON” lettering, too.
The Red letters that say Washington don’t really bother me and I feel neutral about the plate design. Though it does seem a bit dated by now and yes Mount Rainier is more obstructed since the same die set is used. Too bad Washington doesn’t have a retro Green on White plate.
The interior of that ‘61 is in nice shape, and the body looks solid as well if a little rough. I came home from the hospital in a ‘61 Bug, so I have a soft spot for old Volkswagens. In 2012 I came across a rough looking ‘59 Transporter sitting on a trailer in Little Current, Ontario and got some photos. I talked to the owner, and he said he was going to restore it. The body looked reasonably solid for something that had been sitting for decades (it had 1977 plates on it) and everything was there. He gave me his email address and asked me to send him a few shots. I sent a few along, but I haven’t seen it since. Could be somewhere else by now.
The owner had a business on Manitoulin Island, which was where I saw the Transporter (across from the Little Current beer store). The business has closed/changed hands over the years, which is why I haven’t seen it around. It would have made a good promotional vehicle.
My worst automotive experiences have involved a blue 61 single cab VW. That vehicle introduced a hatred of the marque that survives within me today.( bolstered by the diesel emissions cheating) What a toilet of a vehicle.
I have seen four of them in the general vicinity over the last 18 mos. Two beat up ones on a street in Richmond near the Court House and then two on the road in Concord with one leaving Home Depot. The ones in Richmond are probably still there.
There is a early ’80s VW Vanagon pickup that roams around Tigard, owned by my high school drafting teacher. He has custom plates on that read 1NONLY