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 not to 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 proof 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.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Related CC reading:
If someone was inclined to pay an exorbitant price for a WW2, VW Jeep-type vehicle, the rare Schwimmwagen (type 166) amphibious variations in restored shape are quite costly (a nice one sold for ~$152k on BaT five years ago)..
Certainly better than an Amphicar, but I don’t know if they’re ‘that’ much better.
Nobody ever tried to use a Amphicar for military purpose Various VW models did just fine especially those Schwimmwagens, they didnt like salt water which is why most of the captured examples that were in NZ have almost but not quite vanished, they were 4WD and much superior to the jeeps. VW could bring those back into production and really have something unique and capable its not like they havent got some 4×4 diesel powertrains on the shelf.
Yesterday we drove past a shop that had a nice 356 parked in front, and an immaculate yellow Thing along the side with a For Sale sign. I’m pretty sure the Thing was for sale the last time I drove by five years ago. I know this was a rerun of an old post but if you’re still interested in one Paul, you know how to reach me …
Last forever? Well, maybe if you keep it dry and away from salt. In the Rust Belt, these had a half-life of about 3 years, by year six the body was corroded into dust.
Built properly and galvanized they would last forever, 70s build quality wasnt great on anything.
The car is a crumple zone.
Matchbox offers one. And that sadly is about as close as I’m going to get to owning one nowadays.
I have a friend who back in the day declared that this was the car that he most wanted…because it was (at the time) the most car-like non-car (if you can follow that) that one could buy. He hated cars and never learned to drive (to this day), and yet felt that if he were ever compelled to buy a car, this would be the one he’d get just because it seemed so un-carlike.
Somewhere in the convoluted logic is I think something that VW was trying to connect with in its marketing of this very odd, yet endearing, vehicle.
0ne THING I would NEVER want.
The 74-on rear suspension was not Transporter, but Type I (Bug/Ghia) with special high angle u-joints and raised ride height. Mine has a “three rib” Transporter transaxle retrofit. It does not fit quite right, but works ok. Greater gear reduction allows for oversize rear tires. Stock were 185-14’s. Ive got 235/75-15’s and the ratios just happen to match perfectly.
The VW Typ 181 “SAFARI” was indeed quite the clever vehicle .
Sadly they rolled over on side slopes even worse than old JEEPS did, WVoA lost a huge amount of $ on these when the law suits began rolling in .
For some time ex NATO 181’s were retailing for under $2,000 all over Southern California, I wish I’d bought one but I’m not really a rag top lover .
-Nate
I’ve seen a few privately imported ex Budesgrenschutz (BorderPatrol) 181s, besides the paint they all had the option gasoline fired heater. In addition a company in the US made a replica Kubelwagen body to put on a Beetle floorpan, and IIRC a Kommandturwagen replica so you could have a whole fleet of sort of military VWs. There’s also the Iltis, which is watercooled, all wheel drive and the parent of the Quattro. There were a bunch brought to western Canada by the German military that were eventually sold as surplus and occasionally make their way south.