1973 Volkswagen Type 181 Thing SUV

The Volkswagen 'Thing', which has mechanicals based on the Type 1 Beetle, had its roots in a military project. Production began in 1969 in Germany, with early units delivered to the German Army, as well as Dutch and Belgian forces. Civilian sales began in 1971, by which time Mexican production had started. Marketing in the U.S. commenced in 1972

The 'Thing' used a Karmann Ghia floorpan and 1,500 and 1,600cc versions of the air-cooled flat four-cylinder engine. The transmissions were also VW-sourced four-speed manual.

Civilian production came to an end in 1980 although production continued through 1938 with production exceeding more than 909,000 examples. Difficulty in meeting safety requirements resulted in withdrawal from the United States market after 1974.

This Pumpkin Orange 'Thing' was acquired by its current owner in 2013. It has been given a recent cosmetic refresh that included replacing the lower rocker panels with new-old-stock, repainting the entire car, and fitting a new tassel ringed Bimini top. The engine is a 1,584cc air-cooled overhead valve flat four-cylinder engine fitted with a Single Solex 34 PICT 3 carburetor. There are four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and four-speed manual transmission.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2017