Wordless Outtake: Three Volkswagens of Different Size, Shape, and Decade
– Updated on August 3, 2025
-
-
-
American Brands: GM 
American Brands: Ford 
American Brands: Chrysler 
American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others 
Automotive Histories and Misc. 
Asian Brands 
UK Brands 
Australian Brands 
European Brands 
Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography 
Buses 
Trucks, Pickups and Vans 
Design 
Trains, Planes & Ships 
Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles 
Engines, Transmissions and other Tech 
Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment 
RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers
I recognize one of them, the Beetle, in fact theres the same car under a tarp about 20 metres from me, the other two may exist here or not, VW has quite a range on sale but I only see the old ones newer VWs are off my radar
Pimped rims on the Bug – hä ?
I think those are 5 1/2 J widened steels with 185/15s instead of the standard 165s on 4 1/2 J. You want pimped – how about some 17″ Fuchs?
The T4 generation of the Transporter is one of my favorites along with the T5 (many think the opposite). It’s a transition from the old hippie style VWs to the modern world.
The Jetta is the unknown entity (from where I’m sitting).
Interesting car from a North American’s perspective. The generation pictured here ran from 2011-2018 and was the first to diverge from the Golf platform. It went through an astounding array of engine options during that time, from the old 115hp 2.0-liter to 2.5-liter inline 5 to the TDI to the GTI 2.0-liter turbo. The one in the picture has either the 1.4 or 1.8 liter turbo four.
The generation before this, 2005-2010, was a Golf sedan and it had unusually high interior quality and driving refinement for the segment. I owned one in estate form. The 2011 was a massive disappointment from my view. Felt cheaper in every way but cost the same. The 2010 interior could have been in an entry level Audi. The 2011 felt like a Hyundai.
Agree with this take on the 2005-2010 Jetta. We owned two of them, both bought used in 2012 as CPO units from a VW dealer. The first, a 2010 base model, was totaled by my daughter after about a month of ownership; fortunately, no injuries, in a four-vehicle chain-reaction accident. Afterwards, we we drove a 2011 Jetta rental while the insurance settlement got sorted and the plasticky hard finishes and less refined ride and handling (the new model lacked the IRS of the previous generation) made for a cheap, rather depressing driving experience.
We replaced that car with a 2009 model that just came on the lot the day before as an off-lease trade-in; though a year older, it was a better car with fewer miles. We kept it for 5 years and sold it only because we ended up with more cars than drivers when the kids moved to New York after graduating college. I should have kept that car, as it was tight, well-assembled, and though a base model, well-equipped and fully competitive in terms of interior finishes with much more expensive cars.
Looks like a ’71/’72 Typ 131 under the tarp .
-Nate