With the unseasonably cold weather we’re already experiencing in Middle Tennessee, spotting this topless 1973 VW Thing is making me long for spring or even a little more fall before winter officially sets in. With such a cool concept and all that functionality, it makes me ponder why the company decided to cease production, but if you’re in the market for a low-mileage and nicely preserved example this one here on eBay is probably worth a close look. Bidding has reached $12,950 so far with no reserve, and if you’d like to view the VW in person first there’s probably still time to make travel plans and head for Cincinnati, Ohio.
The seller has stepped in to help find The Thing a new home as part of an estate settlement and informs us it’s been in the same family since new, receiving pampering and care throughout the years along with regular maintenance. The VW has only been driven a total of 50k miles and is also said to have always been garage-kept when it’s not on the road. The seller refers to the car as a survivor but doesn’t specifically mention whether or not the paint is original, but even if it’s gotten a respray at some point the results appear professional and the finish doesn’t appear like it’s in need of any attention, although the canvas top has had a few repairs and is thinning.
Inside, everything is stated as original and will score high for those who appreciate the minimalist concept and simplicity. The seat covers aren’t quite perfect, but it seems tidy all the way around in there and how cool is it that all four doors pop off and the windshield folds forward for a fun day at the beach!
The rear engine compartment houses a 4-cylinder motor, without a whole lot of details given other than it starts and runs well plus with the low mileage and well-maintained status there’s likely plenty of reliable life left before it’s going to need any serious work. We also get to see a couple of photos from down below, with the seller claiming the undercarriage is just as solid and rust-free as the rest of the car. Based on the fun factor, this one definitely looks like it’s off the charts and ready for the next owner to enjoy. What are your thoughts on this 1973 VW Thing?
MA! Bring the Thing! That’s what pops into my head every time I see a VW Thing! For those unfamiliar with the reference, there’s an old Warner Brothers cartoon with three bears, and that’s what the baby bear yells when he gets his poppa bear stuck in a jar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR8txCl8dFg
The “Thing” to which the baby bear refers is a toilet plunger! The mama bear uses said plunger to extract poppa bear from the jar!
Not made ’68-’83. These were one-year only, ’73-’74. At least in the U.S. due to crash testing failures.
After ’74 Mexico kept making them. Don’t remember what Germany was doing with them.
Ach du lieber, can you imagine the look on my old mans face had I pulled in his drive with a Kubelwagen? Not to derail the “fun” part of Mikes great post, the old man is gone, let it go, and I doubt Hitler would have been seen in one, even though he got Porsche to design it. And no misgivings to Porsche for that, btw. It was the equivalent to our military Jeep, but ours was better. Anyway, the fun part is well known in warm climates. VW dependability and open top, a modern day dune buggy, kind of, and I read, while over 140,000 “Things” were made( always thought the name was stupid), only 25,000 made it to the US. They were killed in 1974 by you know who? Ralph Nader deemed these unsafe when couldn’t meet safety standards. Dad missed out on a great many German cars, the Thing was not one of them. Gosh, those tail lights look familiar, ( cough)
I find it amazing that some people bring up the similarities of this with the military version and those posts get axed swiftly. Other people do the exact same thing, nothing. Etiology? You decide.
Aside from general concept, having corrugated slab-sided styling, and using a powertrain derived from the VW Type 1, these don’t really have anything in common with the WWII-era Type 82 Kubelwagen.
These Type 181s were developed in the ’60s for the West German military as a stopgap pending completion of the Europa Jeep project, which wound up stalling out in development hell, leading to many other NATO countries adopting the 181 as well instead.
The 181 was discontinued in the US because it was classified as a passenger car and couldn’t meet new safety standards taking effect in 1975. Had they been able to call it a truck, it might have lasted a few more years, but it really didn’t do anything that a typical truck could do. Say what you will about safety standards, in a modern car, it’s possible to walk away from a crash that would fold this street-legal dune buggy up like an accordion. Whether that’s worth the cancellation of fun little cars like this is a matter of personal opinion.
I was one of those nerds that wanted one when these first came out, but I was too young (9th grade) to drive and, 3 years later, you couldn’t find any (even at the local VW dealership). Still a cool looking ex-military vehicle (IMHO). I wouldn’t take it on any road trips, but definetly fun drives around town and Cars-and-Coffee.
Can I get it in a dark grey?
KENTIVEN
Drove it in St. Maarten, Caribean holiday, in December, 1971. Had owned and repaired VWs and 356 Porsches in USA and this was a great way to get to beaches so empty you couldn’t see anyone else. Fond memories of the trip and that THING. It was slightly more “together” than your average Myers Manx of that period.
In these troubled global times, Barn Finds is my go-to place for smiles and memories that do not involve politics and war.
Before the Internet, my Dad was driving his when someone who was TDY mentioned that their Aunt had one stored away in a barn (yes, a real barn find) in upstate NY. We were getting shipped over to Italy (Comiso, Sicily) to shut down the base. Spent a year there, Dad came back to the U.S., we flew home to Texas, Dad and step Mom flew to NY and bought that Thing. This was around 1991. It had 7000 original miles on it, original floormats, original exhaust that exits through the bumper, paint was flawless. They drove that thing back to Texas and I got to drive it in my High School years. Learned to drive in a Thing in Mississippi (where we were stationed before Italy), pulled my first motor out of car, that Thing. Dad still has it, sitting in his garage.
a copy of the off rd military, done decades later, is my understanding. Werent mericans consumed w/the K5Blazer, Bronco, Scout etc @ that time?
“…What are your thoughts on this 1973 VW Thing?…”
reminds me of the TV show abt twins (who didnt look alike or raised in the same house till 14?15 y/o) the drk haired/artisty 1 who drove this…
Something about the thing that I like l don’t know what it is but I like it. Maybe there’s something wrong with me? Yeah where do I start?
Paint it Sahara tan and play “Rat Patrol” (cool tv show) in the sand with those jeeps.
I saw one in a parking lot in the late 70’s. It’s very tiny looking in person but still a step above the golf carts everyone drove at the beach.
I don’t know how you’d get a Thing to jump with only a VW Beetle standard 36 hp on tap, though, LOL! With a hi-po crate motor putting out over 100 hp, maybe, but stock? Forget about it!