Does this Thing ever speak to me. In German, undoubtedly; which may well have something to do with the affinity I feel with it. I’m going to try to not be too chauvinistic, but there is something intrinsically Germanic, brilliant and adaptable in the basic Volkswagen design, which facilitated more permutations than any other car ever. The same basic underpinnings that created the Porsche 356 are here at work in the Type 181, the descendant of the WWII Kübelwagen. This Thing is one of my favorite convertibles ever: where else can you get a four door rag top that will last forever, go off-roading, and doesn’t mind if it rains when the top is down. Just the thing for Oregon.
The fact that VW updated and put into production a thirty year old design is fairly remarkable in itself. In response to the delays of the proposed Europa Jeep, an ambitious pan-European project to design an advanced amphibious four-wheel drive light military vehicle, the German Army was in desperate need of new wheels. An updated Kübelwagen was the solution, and VW agreed. Anyway, by the late sixties, VW based off-road buggies were a huge phenomena, and the Mexican market was crying for a simple rugged vehicle. The Type 181 was just the ticket for the times, military and civilian, and it required a minimum of development time and effort.
The 181 sat on a Karman Ghia floor pan (wider than the Type 1), and used some heavier duty Transporter parts like the rear axle reduction gears, which of course got their start on the Kübelwagen.
After 1973, the 181 switched to the newer (1968 and up) Transporter rear suspension, eliminating the reduction gears and swing axles. From the look of the positive camber on the rear wheels of this Thing, I thought it was a pre 1973, but the taillights say otherwise. Of course, the old VW are rarely all-original, so I wouldn’t take any one clue as proff of its original year of manufacture.
The typical VW 1500 and 1600 cc engines provided motive power.
Civilian sales started in 1971. US sales started in 1972 for the 1973 MY, and lasted only through the 1974 MY. By 1975 it was already gone from the US market for failing to meet new safety standards. Safety was not exactly high on the design criteria, for sure. But then it’s probably less likely to roll over than the Jeeps of yore. That was certainly the case in WWII. And it rode a hell of a lot better than the stiff-kneed Jeep.
The Type 181 went on to be sold to European militaries until 1983, who loved its cheap purchase price (probably a tiny fraction of a Humvee) and reliability. And the Thing has developed a cult following, with prices running ever higher; over $40k for a restored Thing at a Barrett-Jackson auction. I waited too long, once again.
Related reading: VW Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen – Germany’s WW2 Jeeps
I’ve always wanted one of these – and to cruise down Hwy One like Stevie Wayne in John Carpenter’s The Fog.
I bought my 2nd one by forcing the driver off the road into a parking lot & telling him that I was going to buy his car –the only issue was how much. We agreed on price and I bought it.
Ironically, about 10 years later (when I was in law school and desperate for cash) I had the same thing happen to me.
I love these, never seen one in the flesh. They fall into that category of Land Rover/Mehari-type desirability for a spring and autumn runaround. We had our own (cruder) VW Country Buggy which – according to this ad – made it to the Phillippines in 1977.
A few years ago someone told me he had a DAF convertible. It turned out it was an ex-military DAF YA-66. Just like this one, with Volvo hub caps !
Nice
The original army vehicle. (Photo courtesy H. Meffert, Wikipedia)
One of my techs had one. It even had the controls for the rudders and a PTO for a prop. He never got it into the water as he was concerned that it would sink. He did try out the PTO with a bush hog and it worked well.
The VW Thing is not an amphibious vehicle; that’s the Type 166 ‘Schwimmwagen’ built during WWII.
Someone you know actually had one of these?!
Yes he did. Like I said, he was afraid to take in the water due to rust, but it had a cable system hooked up to the steering wheel that turned gizmos in the back that he assumed were for rudders,
In ’86, my BIL (a mechanic) and I went to look at a ’76 Eldo convert. My family wanted a ‘summer car’ and I found one in the peddler’s post, a classified ad paper. Looking back, buying the weekly paper itself would have been a better investment.
The white Caddy was in pretty good shape, but had the dreaded rear floor pan rust. Leaving the housing addition off W Jefferson in Fort Wayne, I saw a white ’74 Thing in the front yard of a house we passed. We stopped for a look, purely out of curiosity.
To shorten the long part of the story, I drove it home to a happy (but surprised) reception from my wife and amazement of my 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son. Both learned to drive in the thing, my daughter when she was 9.
She would drive it around our property pretending it was a taxi. Until she became a teacher, I had a fear that her childhood dream of being a taxi driver would come true. My son also (now, at 35) tells stories of his adventures with the Thing, but at the time he was really more into trail bikes.
We used the Thing in many parades over the years to promote our business, and last summer it got a full restore of suspension front and rear, CV and fuel system.
My grandson is 7, and we rehabbed an ’80s vintage go cart last summer with a $99 motor from Harbor Freight. It’s time for more serious drivers training this summer, and I can’t wait.
There are 3 or 4 of these on Craigslists in my area, the cheapest is about $8,000.
I owned a 914 and a 68 VW beetle and really miss the burble of an air-cooled engine behind me but wonder if these being basically open cars if the rattle and banging of bumping body panels would drown out the engine.
There’s a red ’73 on Craigslist in Indianapolis right now for 5k. In my part of town. So want to go look at it, but then I might have to buy it, and this is the last kind of car I need right now!
Oh heck, here’s the listing. http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4763239452.html
But Jim, it’s a standard transmission 😛
Frankly the overpowering memories I have of these involves being stranded by the side of the road. Not me, but I had two friends that each had one. I’m sure YMMV in that regard.
VW could do the Thing again on a VW Toureg suv platform , with all wheel drive.
You have officially Jumped the Shark, Paul. This was a poor excuse for an automobile, regardless of era. But I get your bias, and you’re mostly aware of it, like a junkie waking up with a 4a.m. jones. What is it they say? One day at a time? Or give me the wisdom to know the difference? I’ve forgotten since last night’s meeting.
It’s unforgivable that the VW Thing didn’t sell in the USA after 1975. Insurance companies are such schmucks. Was the Thing safe? Maybe, maybe not. But I believe that with a safe driver, such a car can be driven safely. Forget insurance companies. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Safety should be everyone’s concern when you drive a car, truck, van, or SUV.
You are assuming other drivers are paying attention.
The funny thing about safety systems is they really aren’t important.
Until they are important.
I agree. What I’ve never liked is the attitude “I built these cars to go, not to stop.” Anyone who takes that kind of attitude should have his head examined. Part of being safe is being able to control the forward momentum of the car.
Old man Ferrari said that didn’t he? Wot a plonker.
“What do I say to complaints that my brakes are no good? I’ll tell you this: Anyone can stop. But it takes a genius to go fast.” – Enzo Ferrari
I haven’t seen one of these in a long time. A girl I went to high school with had a well used one, and made kind of an incongruous sight as she was a very “girly” type of girl. She loved it though. I remember teasing her that the avocado green exactly matched that of the refrigerator in her Mom’s kitchen. The name stuck and the car was forever after known as the fridge, and it was appropriate in the winter. It probably had a heater of some sort in it but it was a cold drafty ride. Lots of fun in the summer on beach runs though, when we’d somehow get 5 or 6 of us in there.
I never imagined anyone paying 40K for one someday, I think she paid maybe 800 bucks for it in ’79 or so.
I always kinda liked these, they seem like the perfect vehicle to for a beach house, perfect for runs up and down the beach and for night time bonfires, you would never even have to put the top up.
I can’t believe they want that much money for them now. I had a theory that these only came in yellow, orange or green, but it seems that they came in more colors that that according to the ad in the article.
My first full time job which I got after my auto shop teacher arranged an interview was at the local VW dealership. I was the VW ‘expert’ (or nut) and rebuilt my 65 Bus engine for class credit. It was in the summer of 1974. I remember there was for a while quite a bit of aftermarket accessories such as roll cages and fiberglass hardtops available for these. The 2 problems I remember was even in Southern California the exhaust and heater boxes would quickly rust out, and the replacement parts from VW were very expensive and the replacements that came from Mexico would rot out in a couple of years. 73 had a gas heater and no heater boxes, and had a weird separate left and right exhaust assembly and pipes that were rust prone and pricy. 74 had heater boxes and a muffler that looked like a beetles, except the tailpipes bolted on to the ends of the muffler instead of the rear pipes like on a beetle so the car had better ground clearance. The ones you see today all seem to have low hanging aftermarket headers made for Beetles and also interfere with the rear bumper. The other problem was also common to Beetles, Ghias and Type 3’s. They had a weak reverse gear that would have to be replaced with upgraded parts along with the improved slider assembly. We did lots of those repairs under warranty. Amazing what they are worth today, back in the day new they were not cheap and slow sellers. They are without a doubt very cool. The one on Craigslist for 5K looks very clean and seems to be a good deal. Lucky for me it’s so far away, I always wanted one of these but they are now too spendy for what they are.
The original military-spec cars had the fuel operated oven and two separate, high level exhaust systems for improved ground clearance. The later civilian versions had a combined exhaust system with the large silencer in the bumper and heater boxes. But all are specific for the 181. On home turf, the 181 is not known to last forever, rather the contrary. These cars are incredible rust traps and the canvas parts (aka most of the bodywork) are short lived.
The 181 was never intended for severe off road usage. The German Army had the DKW Munga and later the VW Iltis and Mercedes G for that type of usage, these cars being the true equivalents to the Jeep. The 181 was meant to be a light despatch driver’s and command car, intended for use mainly on tarmac and gravel surfaced roads. You mostly saw them when army convoys went into manoeuvres and the Feldjäger (German MP) used these cars to control civilian traffic.
Ah yes, the vehicle that caused a major embarrassment for Georgia DMV when they issued one a “Hobby Antique” plate reading HA8 JWS. Yup, they gave a car that looks like a Nazi military vehicle a plate that reads like an anti-Semitic message. It wasn’t intentional (all Georgia Hobby Antique plates start with HA), but needless to say, the plate gave the Thing’s owner a certain amount of grief until DMV agreed to replace it: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932942/posts
Love these cars! They look especially good on a set of the VW specific mag style wheels that are still popular on air cooled cabbage grinders. Pretty much anything that is even remotely Jeep like really speaks to me. Fun, rugged, simple, and versatile with a look that is handsome in a scruffy kind of way. Gotta love it!
I do like these best with a removeable fiberglass hardtop. Especially with the roof removed, its much cleaner looking than the folded ‘baby buggy bonnet’ at the rear.
I do think these are cool… I’m just finishing up reading “The Battle for the Beetle” by Karl Ludvigsen. A great read for the complete history of the Beetle and its antecedents (before it was a gleam in the eye of Ferdinand Porsche)..
Would this be considered the last 4 door convertible made for the US Market?
I am not a big fan of VW products at all BUT I do like the Thing. It certainly seems to be a better looking car then that shitbox Beetle. I think you could get a VW Thing with a plastic top and windows(so that it looked more Jeep like)
The only one I have ever seen in the metal was bright orange one parked near the CNN building in DC about 20 years ago.
Mine has a full roll cage, a folding top and lift off side windows from “The Trim Shop”, who make a lot of replacement and custom parts.
“Would this be considered the last 4 door convertible made for the US Market?”
No. Jeep offers the Wrangler Unlimited.
Back in ’73 VW had a cool billboard in downtown Pittsburgh. It used a series of vertical, triangular panels that rotated to show a Beetle, a Bus — and a Thing. Despite our later penchant for bashing Toyotas with sledgehammers, VWs were quite popular in Pittsburgh – there was strong respect for German engineering, even in the steel towns. My block had a couple of Beetles and a Bus, for example.
I remember all the buzz when these came out. Motor Trend had one, along with a Kübelwagen on it’s cover. Seemed like no time at all passed and it was gone.
I have seen exactly one in the metal, on campus when I was in college in the 70s. Of course, soft tops and side curtains, combined with an air cooled VW idea of a heater, may not be a winning combination in Michigan winters.
It’s unforgivable that such a cool car would’ve been discontinued when it had. I’ll bet even with all the safety added to the car that was required, the car would’ve been a fun car to drive.
Fun little cars , there was a big problem with rollovers when driven diagonally on a slope .
-Nate
There was a guy in my neighborhood who had one. He passed away a few years back, but right up until the very end he was using it as a daily driver and somehow managed to keep it in absolute perfect condition despite not having a garage. I miss seeing it around and don’t think I’ve seen another since then.
I’d love to have one or even just go for a ride in one!
The ad looks kinda like a ’50s sci-fi/horror flick poster, especially the font. Maybe that was the original intent, but VW felt it would harsh their mellow flower child image too thoroughly in the U.S.?
FWIW ;
The reverse gear proper wasn’t ‘ weak ‘ , VW cheaped out on the base plate for the shifter allowing it to scratch reverse when you rapidly shifted into second gear , Beetles and Typ III’s had the same problem and I repaired hundreds of them during routine service rather than waiting for the Customers to ruin reverse gear .
-Nate
Interesting. I bought a 73 Super Beetle and had the updated gear and 1st/reverse installed under warranty because I was told by the dealership mechanics that they all do that after a while. I believe it was 73/74 when they all had this problem because of a design change, earlier cars did not seem to have this problem, at least not to the extent these years had. I do recall the base plates were the same part number as earlier cars but if they were manufactured improperly it makes sense that would damage the transmission. It’s been a long time, maybe the plates were changed or readjusted at the same time, I seem to recall while working in the dealership’s parts department always selling the trans parts but not many shifter plates along with them. (VW PN 111-711-149).
You are correct ~
Instead of making a simple fix , shops tended to ignore it and then the driver would trash the reverse gear , necessitating a tranny rebuild , more $ for the Shop I suppose ~
I Never accepted shoddy service like that .
As I also ran a small Junkyard , I simply saved the earlier shifters and swapped them out , the Customers liked it , never complained about the additional $10 part cost .
Sort of like how some Shops let vehicles out without doing a routine light check ~ bulbs are only $1 for chrissakes .
-Nate
Funny you should mention this, Nate! My Ghia started to do the same thing (Thing?) and I rebushed the shifter, replaced the rear coupler and installed a new shifter with reverse lockout. I can imagine that if this was not done, reverse gear would eventually be damaged….
In typical German industry fashion, the T181’s replacement was also a Volkswagen, but not developed by Volkswagen. The VW Iltis was an Audi-designed development of the DKW Munga 4×4, using a more advanced AWD system that would also be adapted for road use in the Audi Quattro. Canada also used the Iltis, built under license by Bombardier and pretty easily available up here. Decent condition Iltises can be had for around $3000-$4000.
My latest collector car is one of these. A very crude machine, but in a VW, not Jeep CJ kind of way. Four wheel independent suspension makes it a more comfortable ride on and off road, but it is noisy and breezy.
It has the same Centerline rims as the one pictured above. Someone converted the transaxle to a HD late bus unit, with added noise from straight cut racing gears and solid, not rubber mounts. The stock 1600cc 60hp (SAE) at least can climb steep grades and keep up with traffic up to about 55mph.
The reasons that they are so expensive is that only about 25,000 of them were ever imported and the crude body does rust, even on the West Coast. I found it in San Diego for $5k a couple of years ago.
So fine . In Italy this funmobile isn’t named
VW 181 but Volkswagen Pescaccia ( which at once is the mean of fishing and hunting , pescare et cacciare ) . Anyway in Europe this VW 181 couldn’t ever reach the grace , the mystique and the sense of rebel freedom ( plus commercial success) that obtained the “cheapest” crafted tiny Citroën Mehari .